I'm sure I'm not the only one who has thought of this...

[momta]

The Pretti Good DHS Reform bill.

Write it. Sponsor it. Pass it.

[SheltieLover]

1. Off to the greatest page rfn!

Excellent!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. How do you reform an organization whose sole purpose since the day it was founded is to instill terror?

What reform would have saved either of their lives? This institution cannot be reformed and must be abolished.

[Soul_of_Wit]

3. Prettay, prettay, prettay good

Larry David approves

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Also reform bills always carry funding mechanisms. Bills to fund ICE named after people ICE murdered? Gross.

[AZJonnie]

5. If their names are going used to name legislation it probably should not be one that's expressly defining

"the funding of ICE". But I'd be "for" putting their names on a bill that *explicitly attempts to reduce* ICE's funding, assuming their families approve/think that's what they would've wanted. I'm not entirely sure Renee's family would (apart from Becca), but sounds like Pretti's would from their one public comment thus far.

Or, still bad, you think?

[JHB]

6. DHS reform needs to rethink the department entirely

This thing was rammed through after 9/11, allegedly to promote inter-agency cooperation after the intelligence failures of 9/11, but oddly enough, the two entities most involved in that failure (although oddly enough they'd managed to cooperate enough to stop the Millennium Bombing plot because the previous administration was on the ball and "shook the trees') were NOT included in the reorganization.

And who the hell gave it that creepy, foreign-sounding name of "Homeland", anyway? It was not part of American political rhetoric before then. We all know how white supremacists like to sneak in their little hand signs. Was this the first foot in the door of Nazi-esque (or even without the suffix) rhetoric and terminology by the RWers pushing the agendas that later were collected as Project 2025?

[fujiyamasan]

8. Yes, I always hated the term 'Homeland'

Creepy fascist terminology.

The show that mocks this well is ‘The Boys’. One of the characters is a supervillain, called Homelander. Basically a Trump like character with superpowers.

[JHB]

13. I'm familiar with Homelander and the use of his naming as a sign of something very, very wrong.

[LoisB]

7. Brilliant!

[Mme. Defarge]

9. Lurkers

TAKE NOTE!!!

[patphil]

10. Given the political climate, reform is a better approach than shutting down DHS.

We need to completely revise DHS to prevent this kind of abuse of power from ever happening again.
ICE must be more tightly defined; their duties and abilities must be restricted, proper vetting and more training needs to be required, and they have to be identified like any other law enforcement officer. ICE agents must have body cameras, and must use them any time they are in the field. The same with the Border Patrol.
Subpoenas need to be required for arrests.
The list is endless.
The most important move should be a complete replacement of all senior management, and the prosecution of anyone in the organization who engaged in, encouraged, ignored or covered up illegal actions by ICE agents.
Accountability has to be insured.

But, we can't afford to have republicans accuse Democrats of dismantling DHS or ICE. They've done the whole "soft on crime" BS before. We need to protect our borders, but not brutalize people in the process.

[fujiyamasan]

11. I understand where you're coming from politically

And I’ve been critical of Biden’s border policies in the past, but I’m not convinced that after what Trump has done to DHS that it can really be reformed (or at least ICE).

First of all, ICE has recruited way too many violent sociopaths. it’s likely a majority of them would have to be purged. I don’t see how they’re redeemable to serve in any law enforcement capacity.

Roll immigration enforcement duties into another agency like the FBI and expand the bureau if needed. Either way, training and education requirements should match what the FBI currently has. That weeds out some abuses.

Of course, the other reforms are more basic — no masks, body cams for all field operations, visible badges. What we see in any other law enforcement agency. Better define the policy scope for ICE and border patrol.

All of this feels too academic though. The most important thing is keeping them accountable and getting rid of this notion that they have ‘absolute immunity’, which is anathema to any free and democratic society. No one should have absolute immunity, contrary to what the criminal Supreme Court ruled. By using that term it’s clear what the republicans want — fascism.

[patphil]

15. I'm kind of aprehensive about the whole thing myself.

ICE is full of psychopaths, right up to Cosplay Kristi.
And, of course Steve Miller.
Getting rid of ICE is the most decisive path, but we need to be sure we have enough of the people on board with that move.
The 2026 election will tell us whether we can go the more decisive route, and make the demise of ICE a focal point in 2028.

[stage left]

12. If I were the families of Pretti and Good

I would only agree to a bill that abolishes ICE altogether. It didn't exist before 9/11 and it should never have existed. Especially now when it's been poisioned by the recruitment of Jan 6 insurrectionists and other similar thugs.

[malaise]

14. Effin brilliant

Rec