Thread by @juliettekayyem

I know no one wants to hear this now but the #AbolishDHS movement in light of #Portland, much like #AbolishICE movement earlier, doesn't actually address the abuse of power issues at stake. It's an easy hashtag and distracting b/c it gives too much to @dhsgov and its defenders.1/

Every major democracy has a homeland security prevention and response agency. Every major democracy has border enforcement agencies. Its often heart-wrenching work, but it can also be done more humanely and lawfully. Nothing we see in #portland is related to those missions. 2/

This is just an abuse of power and authority. It has nothing to do with what the agency should and could be doing.
The design of the agency was flawed, there is no doubt. In 2003, maybe it wasn't necessary. But it is here, and will need to be reformed, abuses corrected, 3/

and people held accountable for what it has done to satisfy Trump's agenda. But #abolishdhs makes as much sense -- right now, with an election coming -- as the never-before-said-made-up-hashtag #abolishdoj movement would because of Barr's abuses. 4/
nytimes.com/2020/07/10/us/…

Anyway, this may sound like a shameless plug for a book we have coming out next month with @mitpress on re-envisioning homeland security for this century. But people are thinking about the agency, its role in a democracy, and its necessity. I'll promote the book later. 5/

Focusing on the abuse is different than a solution to the policy challenge. We've been through this before, as democrats, with the "decriminalizing the border" and #abolishice efforts. It's not strategically helpful right now. And it's not good policy. 6/

Borders, and terror, and disasters and pandemics and all the shock and sadness and stuff DHS deals with are simply not about good or inspiring news. But they exist and simply abolishing the agency that deals with them doesn't cure the problem or challenge. 7/

At least I'm consistent with many of you not agreeing with me. 8/8
washingtonpost.com/opinions/decri…