Thursday morning, October 1, at 7:00 AM, Kent County experienced what I believe was the first raid by masked agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Four masked men approached a car parked in the driveway of a home near the Chester River Country Club, smashed a car window, and arrested two people, including a maid going to work at that home.
I know that many of our residents have long been concerned about the actions of these “Secret Police,” hiding behind masks and usually operating without identification, body cameras, adequate training, or even proper vetting. But we consoled ourselves by thinking that these outrages only happened somewhere else — perhaps in Minnesota, Texas, or California — but not here on “the Right Side of Maryland.”
To put this in context, when I was Mayor and serving on a panel to interview candidates for Police Chief of Chestertown, one of the first questions I asked our candidates was: “What is your attitude toward Body Cameras?” At that time, Chestertown had no body cameras, nor was there any money set aside in our budget to purchase them, but Ron Dixon’s immediate response was: “I support body cameras because I believe they help protect our police officers as well as our residents.” As you may know, Ron Dixon is now Chief Dixon, and right after he was hired, he began writing grants to purchase cameras and quickly ensured that every officer wears a legible name tag and a body camera, and that the body camera is turned on.
You may have heard that the excuse given by ICE for not requiring proper identification, much less body cameras for their agents, is to protect them from radicals in our communities who might retaliate against them or their families. The question I want all of us to ask of the Trump Administration and Congressman Andy Harris is: “If our local Sheriffs and Police Officers who live in or near our community are not afraid to be identified by local citizens, why should ICE Agents, who don’t live anywhere near us, be afraid to show their faces and be accountable?” In addition to asking those government officials, you might also want to ask yourselves and your friends: “How willing would you be to open your car if surrounded by masked men?”
While the use of secret police is anathema in most civilized countries, as a retired Foreign Service Officer, I have served in many countries where such practices were once common and still evoke vivid memories. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN HERE!
David Foster
Former Mayor of Chestertown
5 Responses
Thank you, David, for speaking up for our community. I add my voice to David’s. Join us!
David,
Thanks for making us aware of this incident. Coincidentally, someone we know in the local community told us she had a relative that was abducted in Dover. They don’t know where he is at the moment. He has two children ages 1 and 3. Shameful. I’m voting to end this in my country.
Brian Schatzinger
Well said, David. Chilling indeed. I would love to know more about the circumstances and why a car window had to be smashed.
David, well said.
The first step to ridding our beloved nation of Trump’s Gestapo-like ICE agents is to elect as many Democrats as possible to Congress (both House and Senate) so they can start the process of national de-Trumpification. This will begin as we engage in mail–in voting, early voting, and voting on Election Day itself, November 3. Of special interest to Marylanders is the delightful prospect of our own Rep. Jamie Raskin becoming chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee! The Blue Wave is coming!