We are witnessing a dangerous rise in lawlessness–from within our own government. Masked and unidentified federal agents from ICE, Homeland Security, and other units have appeared in American streets, dressed in combat gear and armed with assault-style rifles.

Their actions, often violent and unchecked, intimidate citizens rather than protect them. Poorly trained in civilian policing, they have repeatedly crossed the line into abuse.

We saw this in Portland, where unmarked agents in camouflage pulled protesters into unmarked vans without warrants. In Chicago, ICE officers stormed neighborhoods under the pretext of “targeted operations,” detaining citizens without probable cause. And in one widely reported incident outside an ICE facility in a Chicago suburb, a priest praying for detained immigrants was struck in the head with pepper balls fired by a masked officer standing on a rooftop. No disciplinary action followed; DHS officials instead defended the assault.

Such scenes aren’t isolated–they reveal a pattern of force unmoored from law. Peaceful demonstrators, journalists, and clergy have been beaten or detained, their rights dismissed as collateral damage in a campaign of intimidation. The president’s willingness to expand these deployments suggests a chilling goal: to silence dissent under the guise of order.

This must stop. Our representatives, courts, and local officials must insist that all federal agents identify themselves and their agencies, and that detentions follow lawful warrants.

If the Constitution still stands, no person should be seized without cause. Law enforcement exists to serve justice–not secrecy and fear.

MARY RANDOLPH

Valencia

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom