Emboldened racists are now impersonating ICE agents
dailykos.com (nprofile…k7aw)
Authorities in at least three states have arrested men for impersonating ICE agents as a means to harass and assault people of color. This comes as “border czar” Tom Homan carries out President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to deport “rapists” and “murderers” in masses. Social justice groups say that Trump and Homan’s rhetoric sends a message that violence toward the Latinx community is welcomed. One of the men arrested is Sean-Michael Johnson of South Carolina who, in disturbing video footage, is seen leaning into a Hispanic driver’s window saying, “You all got caught!” “Border czar” Tom Homan “Where are you from, Mexico? You from Mexico?” Johnson askedbefore yelling, “You’re going back to Mexico!” In the clip, Johnson leans over the driver, grabs the keys, and mocks the driver’s accent. The driver then calls a friend and says in Spanish, “I don’t know man, he’s saying immigration.” Angrily, Johnson knocks the phone out of the man’s hand. “Now, don’t be speaking that pig-Latin in my fucking country!” he says. “He’s crazy. He’s a racist, man,” a passenger in the car says in Spanish. Johnson was charged with three counts of kidnapping, one count of impersonating a law enforcement officer, one count of petty larceny, and one count of assault and battery, per jail records obtained by CNN. In a court appearance on Feb. 1, Johnson’s family told the judge that he had mental health and alcohol abuse issues, and that he has “tried to get help” in the past but needs to “continue with that therapy.” Similarly, a Temple University Student was arrested for impersonating an ICE agent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to a statement, Aidan Steigelmann was acting alongside two friends who are still at large. The three men tried to gain access to a university residence building—claiming to be ICE agents and wearing black shirts with “Police” and “ICE” on them—but were denied entry. A short time later, the three men were identified at Insomnia Cookies, reportedly causing some sort of disruption, but it’s unclear what their motives were. The university called Steigelmann’s actions “troubling and disappointing” and placed him on “interim suspension.” And in Raleigh, North Carolina, Carl Thomas Bennett was accused of impersonating an ICE agent and sexually abusing a woman at a motel. The warrant says Bennett allegedly threatened to deport the woman if she did not have sex with him. He also reportedly showed her some sort of card with a badge on it. Daily Kos contacted ICE spokespeople directly for comment but did not hear back. In the statement provided to CNN, an ICE spokesperson said that the “imposters” who commit “dangerous” crimes such as these face criminal charges at the federal, state, and local levels. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents are highly trained and dedicated professionals who are sworn to uphold the law, protect the American people and support U.S. national security interests. ICE strongly condemns the impersonation of its officers or agents,” the statement says. Panic has been on the rise since Trump’s mass deportations began. In part, the fear has to do with the new extensive freedoms of ICE. Families who once felt safe sending their children to school or church now question leaving their homes at all. Additionally, misinformation about ICE raids has been on the rise, with fake reports of raids circulating and causing panic and confusion throughout immigrant communities. Last weekend, thousands of people across the country joined protests against ICE. In Los Angeles, the 101 Freeway was shut down as marchers held signs reading “no one is illegal on stolen land” and “immigrants built America.” And in Austin, Texas, protesters filled the streets Monday night in opposition to Trump’s mass deportations, with similar protests happening in Chicago, Arizona, Alabama, and elsewhere. Regardless, Trump and Homan’s racist, xenophobic rhetoric has clearly struck inspiration in some. Daily Kos is on Bluesky! Whether you’re a part of the mass exodus from Elon Musk’s platform or simply looking for another way to stay informed and involved during this next administration, we want to make it easy for you to keep up with Daily Kos. Click here to join us and follow along.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/10/2301732/-Emboldened-racists-are-now-impersonating-ICE-agents?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source=main
Authorities in at least three states have arrested men for impersonating ICE agents as a means to harass and assault people of color. This comes as “border czar” Tom Homan carries out President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to deport “rapists” and “murderers” in masses. Social justice groups say that Trump and Homan’s rhetoric sends a message that violence toward the Latinx community is welcomed. One of the men arrested is Sean-Michael Johnson of South Carolina who, in disturbing video footage, is seen leaning into a Hispanic driver’s window saying, “You all got caught!” “Border czar” Tom Homan “Where are you from, Mexico? You from Mexico?” Johnson askedbefore yelling, “You’re going back to Mexico!” In the clip, Johnson leans over the driver, grabs the keys, and mocks the driver’s accent. The driver then calls a friend and says in Spanish, “I don’t know man, he’s saying immigration.” Angrily, Johnson knocks the phone out of the man’s hand. “Now, don’t be speaking that pig-Latin in my fucking country!” he says. “He’s crazy. He’s a racist, man,” a passenger in the car says in Spanish. Johnson was charged with three counts of kidnapping, one count of impersonating a law enforcement officer, one count of petty larceny, and one count of assault and battery, per jail records obtained by CNN. In a court appearance on Feb. 1, Johnson’s family told the judge that he had mental health and alcohol abuse issues, and that he has “tried to get help” in the past but needs to “continue with that therapy.” Similarly, a Temple University Student was arrested for impersonating an ICE agent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to a statement, Aidan Steigelmann was acting alongside two friends who are still at large. The three men tried to gain access to a university residence building—claiming to be ICE agents and wearing black shirts with “Police” and “ICE” on them—but were denied entry. A short time later, the three men were identified at Insomnia Cookies, reportedly causing some sort of disruption, but it’s unclear what their motives were. The university called Steigelmann’s actions “troubling and disappointing” and placed him on “interim suspension.” And in Raleigh, North Carolina, Carl Thomas Bennett was accused of impersonating an ICE agent and sexually abusing a woman at a motel. The warrant says Bennett allegedly threatened to deport the woman if she did not have sex with him. He also reportedly showed her some sort of card with a badge on it. Daily Kos contacted ICE spokespeople directly for comment but did not hear back. In the statement provided to CNN, an ICE spokesperson said that the “imposters” who commit “dangerous” crimes such as these face criminal charges at the federal, state, and local levels. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents are highly trained and dedicated professionals who are sworn to uphold the law, protect the American people and support U.S. national security interests. ICE strongly condemns the impersonation of its officers or agents,” the statement says. Panic has been on the rise since Trump’s mass deportations began. In part, the fear has to do with the new extensive freedoms of ICE. Families who once felt safe sending their children to school or church now question leaving their homes at all. Additionally, misinformation about ICE raids has been on the rise, with fake reports of raids circulating and causing panic and confusion throughout immigrant communities. Last weekend, thousands of people across the country joined protests against ICE. In Los Angeles, the 101 Freeway was shut down as marchers held signs reading “no one is illegal on stolen land” and “immigrants built America.” And in Austin, Texas, protesters filled the streets Monday night in opposition to Trump’s mass deportations, with similar protests happening in Chicago, Arizona, Alabama, and elsewhere. Regardless, Trump and Homan’s racist, xenophobic rhetoric has clearly struck inspiration in some. Daily Kos is on Bluesky! Whether you’re a part of the mass exodus from Elon Musk’s platform or simply looking for another way to stay informed and involved during this next administration, we want to make it easy for you to keep up with Daily Kos. Click here to join us and follow along.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/10/2301732/-Emboldened-racists-are-now-impersonating-ICE-agents?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source=main