Lying With Selective Facts
Lazy historical analogies are exhausting.
I originally posted this on X a few months ago when someone claimed ICE = Hitler’s SA (Brownshirts). The comparison keeps popping up, so I’m expanding it here.
It’s easy to dupe people with selective facts ….. Let’s break this down a bit further.
Röhm was a high ranking member of the Nazi Party. The SA is short for the SturmAbteilung, which was a paramilitary organization that was part of the Nazi Party. It was not part of the German government, nor was Röhm. The SA’s job, actually, was to fight street battles on behalf of the Nazi’s against the German Communists AND the German police.
Unlike the SA, ICE is a government organization within the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for just what its name says: Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After 9/11, the old Immigration and Naturalization Service and the US Customs Service were merged into a single organization, but with most of the same responsibilities. They are authorized by Federal statute and have specific duties and responsibilities under US Law.
There is a major and distinct difference between the SturmAbteilung and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement organization. Not least of which is that ICE is performing duties authorized by the US government via the people’s elected representatives in Congress. And the SA was a political party organization that went out and busted heads on the street.
What you are suggesting is disgusting and evil, but maybe you should look at BLM and AntiFa if you want a comparable Political Party organization.
The SA were evil. Full stop. Violent street thugs who helped the Nazis terrorize their way into power.
But comparing them to ICE is lazy, dishonest, and falls apart the second you look at actual history.
The SA was a private paramilitary arm of a political party — operating outside the law to intimidate, beat, and murder opponents. ICE is a federal law enforcement agency created by Congress and operating under existing statutes.
Yes, there are legitimate criticisms of how ICE has operated at times. When clear problems emerged, Trump made significant changes. But until Congress changes the law, ICE is legally bound to enforce the immigration statutes on the books. That’s how a constitutional republic functions.
If we’re going to make historical comparisons, here’s a more accurate one: The SA were to the Nazis what the KKK was to the Democrats from Reconstruction through the Wilson administration — a violent enforcement arm deeply tied to a political party, not a legitimate government law enforcement body.
Equating a statutory federal agency to a Nazi Party street militia isn’t serious criticism. It’s emotional hysteria that cheapens real history.
If you want to debate immigration policy or ICE reform, I’m here for it. But let’s stick to facts instead of lazy Nazi analogies.
Thoughts welcome.