Originally published at: More of DHS’ Surprising Surveillance Tactics Revealed - TPM – Talking Points Memo
DHS Stretches the Law to Surveil Journalists A host of new details have emerged in recent weeks about a sweeping and extremely unusual surveillance operation that the Department of Homeland Security launched as part of it’s occupation of Minneapolis last winter, during which agents killed two protestors, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The widespread effort…
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The arrest of Milo Yiannopoulos was designed to control unrest in the MAGAsphere.
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“In the past no government had the power to keep its citizens under constant surveillance. The invention of print, however, made it easier to manipulate public opinion, and the film and the radio carried the process further. With the development of television, and the technical advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end. Every citizen, or at least every citizen important enough to be worth watching, could be kept for twenty-four hours a day under the eyes of the police and in the sound of official propaganda, with all other channels of communication closed. The possibility of enforcing not only complete obedience to the will of the State, but complete uniformity of opinion on all subjects, now existed for the first time.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
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From this article:
The widespread effort to spy on activists and journalists has drawn comparisons to the excesses of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI, including COINTELPRO. One central focus for DHS was an anti-ICE protest at a church.
One of those churches, University Baptist Church, believed itself to be covered by a February federal injunction against DHS conducting activities on its propertywithout a warrant.
Court records show an undercover agent attended a meeting of ICE protesters at the church, recorded license plate numbers and then cross-referenced names with social media accounts to create dossiers on who attended. The federal government was tracking, documenting and investigating people inside houses of worship
DHS has responded with boilerplate language when called on it. When asked for comment. DHS once replied:
It didn’t violate the injunction at University Baptist Church because its fact-gathering activities because it didn’t happen during a worship service .
Unbeknownst to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS or ICE, they sparked a revival! Despite the terror, horror and intimidation on the streets, as they loved their neighbors with abandon, people inside our churches began feeling hopeful and courageous.
What is possible is a continued commitment to loving our neighbors beyond anything we’ve yet witnessed or experienced. This love has troubled, is troubling and will continue to trouble the current administration.
If the power of the full faith and credit of the US government was marshaled like this against our Jewish neighbors or the MAGA crowd, it would almost be the end of the world, wouldn’t it?
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In a weekend article, the Guardian examined how this all worked: After a judge blocked the agency’s efforts to obtain a search warrant, it issued administrative subpoenas under a provision of federal law — 19 USC 1509 — that empowers the government to obtain information to make sure customs duties and taxes are being properly collected. It’s unclear what any of this had to do with enforcing customs duties.
Isn’t there a body of law that could be used to charge these chuckleheads and their supervisors (e.g., 18 U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of rights under color of law (18 U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of rights under color of law | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute ))
Note: I’m not imagining that this DoJ would do it in almost any case, only that a DoJ could do it.
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Are we at war? Yes, with the bond market, which Trump will use the military to attack if necessary. I shit you not.
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44 million acres of national forest opened up, and now this.
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That is like yelling at a bucket of night crawlers to settle down.
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Land of the Free?
a sweeping and extremely unusual surveillance operation that the Department of Homeland Security launched
Republicans vow to make America free again by snooping on everyone and deporting anyone they disagree with.
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… has more brains, patriotism, and good judgment
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The Trump regime has been waging an illegal war against Iran since February. And it looks like it’ll never end.
The Constitution specifically doesn’t allow this lawless kind of war by an out of control “president.” I know courts don’t like political cases, but how on Earth is this unconstitutional war continuing? Why can’t courts stop it? It’s insane how much more power Trump has than did King George III.
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Mike Lindell will take his idea for how a recount should operate to the U.S. Supreme Court
I thought Lindell was almost broke! Or is it cheaper than I thought to take an issue to the Supreme Court?
Maybe it’s having a Labor Day sale?
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Rich guy broke. Not the same thing.
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If DHS was that good at surveillance, they would have gotten all of us by now. I guess I would have to go to church to really be in danger.
Come and get me ya mushheads!
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We were warned. Even those who grew up to be Republicans were warned.
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Need someplace to build your Dacha?
National Park away from the peasants will do.
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Can the richly financed forces of reaction, stand athwart the blue tide?
Don’t count them out. Money is king in America. Our looters will do anything to take down our embattled democracy. It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
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I was just thinking about their threats to create their own “Countries.” Didn’t {Current Occupant} just set the precedent that we can violate national sovereignty and take a foreign leader into custody if we want.
ETA And blow up boats, kill the survivors without probable cause? Dead men tell no tails Mark.
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“Free” of people who might disagree with them.
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And all of this should be understood as screaming in your face what the data centers are meant to achieve.
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