Even warheads. Who is the "jack-booted thug" these days?



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ICE boosts weapons spending 700%
A Popular Information investigation reveals tens of millions in new ICE spending on guns, chemical weapons, and explosives.
Judd Legum
Oct 20



U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sharply increased its spending on weapons in 2025, according to an analysis of federal government contracting data by Popular Information. Records from the Federal Procurement Data System reveal that ICE has increased spending on “small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories manufacturing” by 700% compared to 2024 levels.

New spending in the small arms category from January 20, 2025, the day Trump was inaugurated, through October 18, totaled $71,515,762. Most of the spending was on guns and armor, but there have also been significant purchases of chemical weapons and “guided missile warheads and explosive components.”

On September 29, 2025, ICE made a $9,098,590 purchase from Geissele Automatics, which sells semi-automatic and automatic rifles. The total spending by ICE in the small arms category between January 20 and October 18, 2024, was $9,715,843.

Spending by ICE on guns and other weapons this year not only dwarfs spending during the Biden administration but also during Trump’s first term. In 2019, for example, ICE spent $5.7 million on small arms through October 18. Average ICE spending on small arms during Trump’s first four years was about $8.4 million.

ICE spending on "small arms" (January 20-October 18)
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The data likely understates new spending on weaponry deployed in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, since many other federal agencies beyond ICE have been involved. But it provides a window into how ICE and other agencies are bringing an unprecedented number of high-powered weapons into American cities.

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More weapons, more violence
The surge in spending on ICE weaponry has coincided with a wave of violent incidents by ICE officers. Several dangerous situations have been captured on video.

Last month in Illinois, a pastor, Reverend David Black, was shot in the face with a pepper ball by an ICE officer. In another September incident, an ICE officer dropped his gun while violently making an arrest and then pointed it at bystanders.

An ICE officer also allegedly shot a pepper ball at the vehicle of a CBS News Chicago reporter in September. The reporter’s window was open, allowing chemical agents “to engulf the inside of her truck,” which “caused her to vomit.”

In August, US Marine Corps veteran Daryn Herzberg was hospitalized “after being tackled from behind by ICE agents while protesting outside a federal facility in Portland.”

At the time he was attacked, Herzberg was criticizing ICE officers “for firing down on unarmed protesters.” A video shows “an agent grabbing Herzberg by the hair and slamming his face into the ground multiple times while saying, ‘You’re not talking shit anymore are you?’”

We can't afford health care for our poor, but no problem with this, a new ballroom costing hundreds of millions of dollars, bailing out Argentina, or tax breaks for the wealthy.

Trump and private donors are paying for the ballroom, not the taxpayers.

I'm not a fan for using taxpayer money (in fact, not a fan of any taxes at all) for other countries and their nation building. Never have been. Libs do like it though. Y'all spent a lot of time complaining about DOGE.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
We can't afford health care for our poor, but no problem with this, a new ballroom costing hundreds of millions of dollars, bailing out Argentina, or tax breaks for the wealthy.

Remind me who it was that thought 20 years of nation building in Afghanistan was a good idea?

That was Shrub...the GOP's lost village idiot.


DOGE was a mess and did not save us a dime, we are now paying more to service our debt and running a bigger deficit than ever before with your "conservative" POTUS and the GOP running the show.

Tell me a story about how you believe in living within your means.....

. . . I believe ICE Barbi has said ICE is also buying two new private jets for $150 million. And if the ICE guys all like wearing masks, how come we cannot get the acne scarred Barbi to wear a mask? That would actually be a blessing.

Well, they have added bigly to their officer pool so I’d expect that ICE would want them well equipped.
The article above is funny.

Scary “chemical weapons” = pepperballs

“ bringing an unprecedented number of high-powered weapons into American cities” as if these cities are free of weapons.


“ The surge in spending on ICE weaponry has coincided with a wave of violent incidents by ICE officers.”
Then it goes on to describe a couple pepper ball incidents and a tackling.

Talk about alarmism over nothing!
All the while, assaults against ICE officers and LEOs generally is up 75%

The article claims ICE purchase of “guided missile warheads and explosive components” but fails to give proof or context.

yeah and they're all itching for a chance to use it on you.

quote:

Originally posted by ANTELOPEDUNDEE:
yeah and they're all itching for a chance to use it on you.

Yeah…

I believe I heard Obo say Russia was not a threat, but Afghanistan was.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I believe I heard Obo say Russia was not a threat, but Afghanistan was.

Funny what you hear and remember, isn’t it?
I believe I heard Trump say “Vote for me and you’ll never have to vote again!”

From the way the New Schutzstaffel is behaving I’m pretty sure you’re cheering the end of your own freedom and liberty.

Yup, I heard that too. Where have I cheered it? I called it BS.
You make shit up, and try to pin it on folks who never said any such thing..

I dont click on links.
You quoted me, and said "you're doing" such and such.
I called you on that, putting your shit on me, as your post was directed at ME.
You are a liar, I denounced what trump said.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
We can't afford health care for our poor, but no problem with this, a new ballroom costing hundreds of millions of dollars, bailing out Argentina, or tax breaks for the wealthy.

But your boys are insisting on paid healthcare for illegals????

They need subsidies for the affordable health care that is oba!A care.

You don't care about the poor!

.

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
Well, they have added bigly to their officer pool so I’d expect that ICE would want them well equipped.
The article above is funny.

Scary “chemical weapons” = pepperballs

“ bringing an unprecedented number of high-powered weapons into American cities” as if these cities are free of weapons.


“ The surge in spending on ICE weaponry has coincided with a wave of violent incidents by ICE officers.”
Then it goes on to describe a couple pepper ball incidents and a tackling.

Talk about alarmism over nothing!
All the while, assaults against ICE officers and LEOs generally is up 75%

The article claims ICE purchase of “guided missile warheads and explosive components” but fails to give proof or context.

But, but, but......

.

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:

quote:

Originally posted by ANTELOPEDUNDEE:
yeah and they're all itching for a chance to use it on you.

Yeah…

Liberal privilege! Man! That was under clinton and reno!

I will admit that I can see little need for any law enforcement agency needing full auto weapons or guided missiles with explosive warheads

But the article is long on claims and short on specifics… and given the blue jurisdictions lack of support for ICE, I can see how they might feel the need for not expecting support from fellow LE agencies and thus upgrading their own capabilities.