ICE, the Gestapo, and the Danger of Indifference

I’m not trying to be provocative, but I do want to be honest.

I’m a U.S. citizen and Navy veteran, and I’ve lived in the United States for more than 40 years. I’m also a German immigrant. And the comparisons I keep seeing online—between modern ICE enforcement and the Gestapo—have stopped me in my tracks.

It’s easy to dismiss these comparisons as hyperbole. But before we do that, we need to understand what the Gestapo actually was.

The Geheime Staatspolizei—better known as the Gestapo—was the Nazi regime’s secret police. It emerged from the Prussian state police and became the engine of surveillance, intimidation, and state-sponsored fear in Germany during the Third Reich. Despite the “secret” label, everyone knew of their presence. And that was the point.

One of my great-grandmothers hid her disabled cousin during the Nazi euthanasia campaign of the early 1940s that targeted the disabled, and later even the elderly. The terror was real and absolute. You didn’t know who might report you. You didn’t know who to trust. And once the Gestapo came for you, there was no appeal. No due process. No help.

The question is: Is ICE becoming something similar?

🛑 Similarities and Differences
Here is what’s not the same:

• ICE operates within a democratic framework and is technically subject to oversight and the Constitution.
• The Gestapo was the enforcement arm of a fascist dictatorship, accountable only to Hitler and Heinrich Himmler, the head of the Schutzstaffel (SS), of which the Gestapo was a part.

But the tactics? The erosion of trust? That’s where things get uncomfortably close.

• Warrantless searches and detentions: ICE has detained people at courthouses, hospitals, and schools. Officers have reportedly bypassed due process protections and held individuals without clear charges or hearings. In 2020, a federal judge ruled that ICE had violated constitutional protections by making courthouse arrests without warrants .
• Lack of transparency and abuse of power: Multiple investigations have revealed ICE officers operating with limited accountability, using aggressive tactics—including the reported use of face coverings, unmarked vehicles, and force against people who have legal status or are in proceedings .
• Indiscriminate targeting: Under different administrations, ICE’s mission has swung between targeting violent offenders and conducting mass raids that detain families, legal asylum seekers, and longtime residents with no criminal record. A 2019 ProPublica report uncovered internal policies that allowed ICE to target nearly anyone without prioritization .
• Co-opting local police: Just like the Gestapo relied on local police and civilian tipsters, ICE has deputized local law enforcement through the 287(g) program, effectively turning sheriff’s deputies into immigration agents .
• Psychological warfare: The Gestapo’s most potent weapon wasn’t just physical violence—it was fear. That fear discouraged dissent and enabled complicity. ICE has become a similar source of anxiety for many immigrants and their communities, especially when raids target courthouses or involve children .

⚖️ Legal vs. Just
Is ICE legal? Yes. But is it operating justly?

That’s murkier. The Gestapo cloaked its horrors in laws too—laws that were designed to criminalize dissent, difference, and disability. Legality isn’t the same as justice.

We have due process for a reason. But when ICE agents can operate in plainclothes, arrest people at court, and detain families—including children—without clear justification, it’s time to ask: Are we honoring the spirit of our laws, or finding ways to bypass them?

🚨 Are We Powerless?
The Gestapo thrived because people were afraid to resist. But in a democracy, we’re not powerless:

• Know your rights: The ACLU and other groups offer resources to help people understand their rights during ICE encounters.
• Support oversight: Push for stronger congressional and judicial oversight of ICE actions (see aforementioned 287(g) program).
• Document and report: If you witness abuses, document and share responsibly. Sunshine is still a powerful disinfectant.
• Elect accountability: Demand that your representatives—local, state, and federal—commit to humane, constitutional enforcement.

📣 Final Thought
Comparing ICE to the Gestapo may feel extreme, but ignoring the warning signs would be worse. Authoritarianism doesn’t arrive all at once. It creeps in when we justify fear, silence dissent, and look the other way.

Let’s not.

Let’s speak up, stay informed, and make sure we never become the country others have fled.

Sources & Citations:

1. American Civil Liberties Union – “Federal Court Rules ICE Courthouse Arrests Are Unconstitutional” – https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-rules-ice-courthouse-arrests-are-unconstitutional
2. NPR – “Immigrant Advocates Raise Alarm Over ICE Tactics, Use Of Unmarked Vehicles” – https://www.npr.org/2020/07/17/892834041
3. ProPublica – “ICE Targets Are Everywhere” – https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-targets-are-everywhere
4. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – 287(g) Program Overview – https://www.ice.gov/287g
5. Washington Post – “ICE Arrests Migrant Family Leaving Immigration Court After Case Dropped” – https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/28/ice-arrests-immigration-court-texas/