Westland — The smoke you see during immigration round-ups is a carefully cropped creation of TV.
Chaos sells.
But if every apprehension erupted in a fuselage of stones and shattered glass then nothing would get done and almost nobody would be arrested.
We went out on a recent morning with ICE agents from the Detroit Field Office looking for 12 illegal aliens, including a convicted drug dealer who had been deported three previous times and another who is a convicted car thief.
They were living in a Cape Cod in Westland, near where my mother lives.
Nine agents had been surveilling the group for days. Only one wore a mask. There were no histrionics, no tear gas, no Furries in fatigues shouting “Fascist!”
The agents, led by Acting Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft, carried warrants and fingerprint readers. They knew the crew’s habits and early morning movements to the minute. The plan was to pull them over when they went to work.
It was the most professional ride along I have ever gone on, more prepared than the Marines invading Iraq, even.
Watch below.
And remember that gentle people may sleep peaceably in their beds at night because rugged men stand ready to keep the peace on their behalf.
Charlie LeDuff is a reporter educated in public schools. Follow him on X @Charlieleduff.
