Is ICE uniquely “American?”
Liana Maneese, Liberation Psychotherapist, Founder & Clinical Director of Transitional Characters, joined me to dive into this question and the role white women have traditionally played in the perpetuation of harmful systems, what happens when they “step out of line” and these cycles can be broken to create a more equitable future for all of us.ICE was created after 9/11 and sits on top of a much longer history of state violence in this country.Lest we forget our history: the United States was built through the genocide of the indigenous peoples of this land, sustained by the enslavement of Black and brown people, and later justified through mass incarceration through systems like Japanese American internment camps during World War II.After 9/11, that same logic — fear framed as security — produced ICE, folding immigration enforcement into the Department of Homeland Security and giving it unbridled and unchecked power.As the BBC has noted, ICE wasn’t designed as a neutral civil agency; it was built as an enforcement arm.When you see ICE today, you’re not seeing an anomaly in an otherwise just and fair system. You’re seeing a continuation of how this country has repeatedly used law and bureaucracy to control, exclude and dehumanize.Thank you, Liana, for holding space for serious — and at time — uncomfortable conversations with compassion and curiosity. And a personal shout-out to her for being a paid subscriber, a long-time supporter of my work and for being my friend.NOTE: We had a technical issue towards the end of the show and Liana’s connection was lost, so I edited out a bit at the end. Liana will definitely be back on more regularly, and please share any questions you may have for us here to use for future segments.FOLLOW NATALIEsubstack: https://substack.com/@factsoverfearnataliebinstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@nataliebencivenga/#tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebencivengathreads: https://www.threads.com/@nataliebencivengapodcast via spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47JYsn9LQchErS3cnHP2YFpodcast via apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facts-over-fear/id1855901950FACTS OVER FEARLet's dismantle the fear that is used to divide us surrounding the issues impacting the people and talk facts.ABOUT NATALIENatalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.