Premeditated State Violence Must End

Planning to kill is bad.

In 2013, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) knew that their agents would sometimes “…intentionally put themselves into the exit path of the vehicle, thereby exposing themselves to additional risk and creating justification for the use of deadly force” (PDF from CBP web server).

Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who (with seeming malice aforethought) shot and killed Renee Good last week, worked for CBP as border patrol from 2007 to 2015.

Since 2015, he has been ICE, and he told a court he has been “…a firearms instructor, an active shooter instructor…a field intelligence officer and…a member of the SWAT team, the St. Paul Special Response Team firearms instructors” for ICE (USA Today). He is the most professional ICE has to offer.

He possibly learned and has taught the method of premeditated murder he appears (in multiple camera angles) to have engaged in last week from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically from and for CBP and ICE.

Seems ICE is trained to escalate things, and to kill civilians. Citizens and civilians are at risk of death and maiming as long as ICE is at large and behaving outside of laws. Civilians cannot be left to face ICE, suffer and die, alone. Local policing forces must enforce the law and be deployed to engage, detain and arrest ICE and CBP. SWAT and/or National Guard seem best trained and equipped to thwart ICE crimes, but someone authroized must take action. Vigilantism will not go well, but so far little beyond vigilantism has been put forward as a solution.

ICE and CBP are designed, and trained, to use deadly force without reasonable cause nor justification. ICE and CBP are now routinely focused on citizens and others alike, outside of their Congressionally created immigration jurisdiction. Since federal authorities have not even attempted to stop ICE and CBP lawlessness, more local authorities must enforce the law. Today.

© Copyright January 15, 2025, David August, all rights reserved davidaugust.com

David August is an award-winning actor, acting coach, writer, director, and producer. He plays a role in the movie Dependent’s Day, and after its theatrical run, it’s now out on Amazon (affiliate link). He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, on the TV show Ghost Town, and many others. His artwork has been used and featured by multiple writers, filmmakers, theatre practitioners, and others to express visually. Off-screen, he has worked at ad agencies, start-ups, production companies, and major studios, helping them tell stories their customers and clients adore. He has guest lectured at USC’s Marshall School of Business about the Internet.