Trump’s GI Joe-Cosplaying “Goon Squads” Sow Terror — and Solidarity

Across the country, demonstrators are preparing for a weekend of protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, Donald Trump’s planned June 14 military parade, and Trump himself.

Ground zero for these demonstrations is likely to be Los Angeles, where heavily armed ICE agents have carried out raids at churches, graduations, parking lots, and scores of other gathering spots recently.

“ The level of armament that these guys are wearing is out of a GI Joe movie,” said Salvador G. Sarmiento, the campaign director and lawyer for the 70-member National Day Laborer Organizing Network. “It seems like the federal police is just driving around willy-nilly — dressed up as a goon squad — picking up people that they see on a street corner.” 

“The federal government [is] violently taking people from their work sites in military fashion,” added Jonah Valdez, reporter for The Intercept.

This week on The Intercept Briefing, Sarmiento and Valdez joined host Jordan Uhl to discuss the wave of ICE operations sweeping Los Angeles that have sparked a week of protests and the militarized response from law enforcement.

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Several weeks ago, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller went on Fox News to tout the Trump administration’s goal of 3,000 ICE arrests per day. Shortly after that, federal agents targeted day laborers outside several Los Angeles-area Home Depots and raided Ambiance Apparel, a clothing manufacturer in the heart of downtown. 

Sarmiento hypothesized that LA’s reputation as “a multicultural, multiracial, working-class city,” bothers Trump administration officials like Miller and Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar. 

“If anything triggers Stephen Miller more than the city of Los Angeles itself, it’s undocumented workers that are visible on a street corner,” Sarimento said. “Day laborers are often a target.” 

As videos of agents clad in tactical gear and armored vehicles spread online, so did fear and resistance. Protests erupted against the federal government’s aggressive and militaristic push into communities. 

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The law enforcement response against protesters escalated quickly with so-called “less-lethal” munitions being fired at the crowd on Sunday. “I spoke with five people total who were hit and injured by LAPD mostly, but also [California Highway Patrol],” said Valdez. “One of them has a pretty bad injury on his arm where the ER doctor told him he’s worried about long-term nerve damage and mobility.” 

Sarmiento, Valdez, and Uhl also discussed how the protests have been misrepresented by right-wing and mainstream media outlets — and the importance of community solidarity.

“ People [have to] continue showing up because there’s no politician, no elected official, no foundation, nobody in D.C. or Sacramento that’s going to come save the day,” Sarmiento said. “It’s the people, it’s our neighbors, it’s our loved ones, it’s our family, it’s our friends, our co-workers that we’re all counting on.”

As people head to the streets again this weekend, protesters should be informed about their constitutional rights and safety options. The episode also features practical advice from attorney Isabella Salomão Nascimento.

You can hear the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.