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Who exactly are these largest offenders, that everyone apparently knows about, who aren't getting busted for it? Names, please. And, again, you know, evidence.

Evidence — this is a list of the ones they bothered to go after.

Or your assumptions are not correct. Which is easily the simplest answer to this particular question.

Sure, if you hide your head up your ass.

Mexican human traffickers are holding children to force their mothers into sex work:

https://www.globalcitizen.org/...

ICE arrests 2,000 human traffickers:

https://www.ice.gov/news/relea...

First, you're likely the same sad AC attempting to appear more authoritative by making another comment pretending to be a third party. Keep in mind, if you were, it would look exactly like that post. As such, I have to assume you're probably the same sad fellow.

Second, I did actually validate my position. If you look at the thread, I've posted links that support my position. But just because I don't mind beating dead horse arguments in the street to prove you have no case:
Look at the cited Pew study... that's the supreme court.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/o...
Double voting in kansas:
https://www.denverpost.com/201...
Voter fraud:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-w...
Ice catching some non-citizens illegally voting:
https://www.ice.gov/news/relea...

So... no.

Third, my insults actually come AFTER and indifferent to my arguments. Many people don't seem to know what an Ad Hominem is in the first place. An ad hominem is not me saying 1+1=2 because logic... and you're an idiot. An Ad hominem is me saying "1+1=2" BECAUSE you're an idiot.

My arguments in this discussion are not reliant on my insults. My insults are secondary observations of another's character.

liar liar.

To prove you're a liar again on top of the lie just there...

Let us say we didn't do an ID at all but merely cross referenced the citizenship database with the voter registration database?

because we don't do that.

can we do that?

It would not require US citizens to do anything. The two databases would just be be compared.

I suspect that is also voter suppression, right... Liar?

https://www.supremecourt.gov/o...

Supreme court cites a pew study you would look at in that PDF if you have integrity... you don't so... meh.

https://www.denverpost.com/201...

Evidence of double voting.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-w...

Department of justice catching non-citizens voting some how even though you say that's impossible... because you're a lying retard.

https://www.ice.gov/news/relea...

Ice nabbing non-citizens voting.

I'm sorry, your tired stupid talking points fool only the fools. Peddle your sad lies elsewhere.

Which federal laws are states required to enforce?

None.

Heck, which federal laws are state law enforcement allowed to enforce? (I'll give you a hint: none).

Wrong.

The rate of deportations during the Obama administration skyrocketed.

You, too?

Obama ended a whole lot of Bush administration policies that allowed undocumented workers to work in the US.

Such as? And what about those DREAMers that Obama created out of thin air?

The only new thing Trump is doing on the border is 1) child abuse

*snort* You mean he ended catch-and-release by traffickers using kids as pawns, but caved in due to media outrage.

2) illegally arresting people who attempt to claim asylum.

*snort* You mean arresting people who entered the country illegally, just like Obama did (see linked Snopes article).

Why'd Obama do this? He believed that a "get tough" policy would help the Republicans work with him to bring a sane immigration policy that put American interest first.

Oh, so Obama wanted to end chain migration, get tough on deportation, and enact a merit-based immigration policy? Did Obama want federally mandated e-verify nation-wide? How many Muslims immigrated to the United States under Obama?

The fact that you know zero of these facts demonstrates just how willing the Republicans are to work with Democrats to do so.

*snort* Democrats are the party of illegal immigrants. And whatever you think of Obama, he is no longer in office, and Democrats today have absolutely caved to open borders and don't give a rats ass about putting American interests first.

It's still never too late to do the right thing.

It's never too late to do the right thing.

From the list. Fraudulent vote by an illegal immigrant. Voter ID and proof of citizenship would have prevented that one. And your second point? See the link - illegal immigrant voting in the 2008 election.

Really?

http://www.judicialwatch.org/w...

https://thepoliticalinsider.co...

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2...

https://www.ice.gov/news/relea...

https://www.ice.gov/news/relea...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

https://www.justice.gov/usao-w...

http://www.breitbart.com/big-g...

https://www.snopes.com/cascade...

Really?

http://www.judicialwatch.org/w...

https://thepoliticalinsider.co...

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2...

https://www.ice.gov/news/relea...

https://www.ice.gov/news/relea...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

https://www.justice.gov/usao-w...

http://www.breitbart.com/big-g...

https://www.snopes.com/cascade...

Hiring free market, limited government judges.

But only 2 judges have been confirmed, and 15 more have been nominated even though there are 132 federal judicial vacancies.

Relaxing burdensome regulations - coal mine opening (and no the coal is not used for heating or electricity but for the production of steel)

But a lot of those regulations were issued in late December, so he's just revoking regulations that weren't in place very long anyway.

Pushing for (instead of against) the Keystone Pipeline

Sure, I'll grant you that.

Pushing for (instead of against) fracking

Pushing for (instead of against) off-shore drilling

I'm not sure there's actually much of a difference from Obama's policies. For instance, environmental groups were upset that the Obama administration approved 1500 offshore drilling and fracking applications from 2010 to October 2014 and oil production boomed under Obama.

Getting out of the TPP

That's different than what Obama pushed for, but Bernie Sanders, and eventually Hillary Clinton, both came out against the TPP. I'll grant you that it is a change in policy from the previous administration, though.

Getting out of the Paris Treaty

Yes, I agree that he did do that.

And, as you mentioned, increased funding and activity on illegal immigration.

But even that's a mixed bag. ICE arrests were up, but deportations were down during the first 100 days of Trump's presidency compared to the previous year.

But back to the subject of the article. The closure of federal data centers started before the Trump administration, and it seems as though he's now trying to take credit for it.

Not to mention that he's gotten no major legislation through. So I really do believe he's not very effective.

They are protesting something that will never be created, because when the rhetoric was translated into reality, it was a proposal to reestablish the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS)[1], which was in force through half of President Obama's presidency, and which tracks certain individuals who enter the United States based on country/region of origin and other factors. Useless publicity stunt with commensurate absolutely abysmal coverage by The Intercept.

See also:

8 U.S. Code  1182 - Inadmissible aliens[2]

"Suspension of entry or imposition of restrictions by President:

Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate."

Flashback:

"The Secretary of State and the Attorney General will invalidate all visas issued to Iranian citizens for future entry into the United States, effective today. We will not reissue visas, nor will we issue new visas, except for compelling and proven humanitarian reasons or where the national interest of our own country requires. This directive will be interpreted very strictly."[3] -- President Jimmy Carter, April 7, 1980

[1] https://www.ice.gov/nseers
[2] https://www.law.cornell.edu/us...
[3] http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu...

Lastly, where is the investigation in California?

Nobody cares. California only votes Democrat, so no one is going to put resources into investigating

I can only find instances from Illinois and Ohio. Although the LA Times reported back in 2002 that non-citizens testified that they voted in the Compton, CA mayor's race.

There was the US House Oversight Committee report which reported that:

9th--The California Secretary of State announced that an INS analysis of 1,100 persons enrolled in Hermandad citizenship classes had discovered 490 documented non-citizens who registered to vote in CA 46. Of these, 303 actually voted illegally in CA 46, and 69 individuals had no record in INS files.

But those investigations just don't happen very often, because most California elections so rarely matter.

[politifact:] The number of immigrants illegally in the country is staying the same or getting smaller. We rate Sessions’ statement False.

Let's go see what Wikipedia says about illegal immigration:

[DHS, from Wikipedia] Numbers of new illegal immigrants per year crossing the border illegally are not directly countable, and are estimated from the number who are caught trying. For FY 2015, DHS reported 337,117 apprehensions. [3] Using an estimated catch rate of 33%, the number crossing without detection would be 510,000 per year (337,000 / 0.67).

So, he's basically citing DHS numbers and being conservative, yet Politifact determined it was "false".

Additionally, note that the previous paragraph is not in the current version of the Wikipedia article, it was removed *after* Sessions' speech!

I took the trouble to look at the edit history right after the speech (wondering myself how many illegals come into this country each year), and noted that the page had not been substantially edited in over a month, and that paragraph had been there for quite a long time.

So I don't really see Politifact as a neutral observer any more.

I mean, they didn't even *bother* to look at Wikipedia pages that are available when they write their results!

Maybe they didn't go to Wikipedia because it is a data source anybody can edit and thus is not always reliable. Just because it was on Wikipedia for a long time doesn't mean it was true. It could equally mean it was simply overlooked because nobody noticed it or cared. Why not go to primary sources (both for them, and for you)?

Like here at the ICE website

From what I can see, there are 235,000 removals, of which 166,000 were at the border.

I'm not an expert, I took 60 seconds to look at this, and I don't know the Politifact check. However, from what I've seen, I'm more inclined to think they are right than they are wrong.

Anthropology and Sociology are not typically considered STEM but "social sciences."

Social Sciences are part of STEM, it even has the word Science in there to help clear any ambiguity.

Most organizations such as universities and scholorship programs use the National Science Foundation's (NSF) definition of STEM. This is apt considering the term originated from the director of the NSF. Here is a list of degrees that are considered STEM which was compiled by the US Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency, who revised its definition of STEM to more closely align with that of the NSF in 2012. It clearly shows many social sciences as being part of STEM.

The reproduction and distribution of copyright material is a criminal as well as a civil matter. ICE is tasked with investigating copyright infringement in the US. The fact that they are now under the umbrella of the DHS is just sensationalism.

Because counterfeit football merchandise is such a "clear and present danger" that it rates diverting resources from, you know, actual crime like bank robbery and human trafficking.

"Actual crime" is what the law defines as crime.

Crimes with an interstate or foreign dimension or a federal constitutional dimension become a federal responsibility.

Clear and present danger was a doctrine adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States to determine under what circumstances limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press or assembly.

Clear and present danger

Law enforcement multi-tasks.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the largest investigative agency in the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for enforcing the nation's immigration and customs laws. ICE has more than 20,000 employees working in 400 offices in the U.S. and around the world.

Careers

No law endorsement agency is an island.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

With more than 42,000 frontline CBP officers and Border Patrol agents protecting nearly 7,000 miles of land border and 327 ports of entry --- including official crossings by land, air, and sea --- CBP is uniquely situated to deter and disrupt human trafficking.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

USCIS helps protect victims of human trafficking and other crimes by providing immigration relief. Two types of immigration relief for victims of human trafficking and other crimes are available through USCIS: T Nonimmigrant Status (T Visa) and U Nonimmigrant Status (U Visa).

Human Trafficking: Our Partners

For a look at the reality of bank robbery in the U.S:

Wanted Bank Robbers

Google Map and 287 photographs of robberies in progress,

Because counterfeit football merchandise is such a "clear and present danger" that it rates diverting resources from, you know, actual crime like bank robbery and human trafficking.

"Actual crime" is what the law defines as crime.

Crimes with an interstate or foreign dimension or a federal constitutional dimension become a federal responsibility.

Clear and present danger was a doctrine adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States to determine under what circumstances limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press or assembly.

Clear and present danger

Law enforcement multi-tasks.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the largest investigative agency in the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for enforcing the nation's immigration and customs laws. ICE has more than 20,000 employees working in 400 offices in the U.S. and around the world.

Careers

No law endorsement agency is an island.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

With more than 42,000 frontline CBP officers and Border Patrol agents protecting nearly 7,000 miles of land border and 327 ports of entry --- including official crossings by land, air, and sea --- CBP is uniquely situated to deter and disrupt human trafficking.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

USCIS helps protect victims of human trafficking and other crimes by providing immigration relief. Two types of immigration relief for victims of human trafficking and other crimes are available through USCIS: T Nonimmigrant Status (T Visa) and U Nonimmigrant Status (U Visa).

Human Trafficking: Our Partners

For a look at the reality of bank robbery in the U.S:

Wanted Bank Robbers

Google Map and 287 photographs of robberies in progress,

In this case, it is the responsibility of the Homeland Security Investigations.

http://www.ice.gov/about/offices/homeland-security-investigations/

I believe HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) is a directive or division within ICE but ICE is also and agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

http://www.ice.gov/about/offices/homeland-security-investigations/

(Note the link to DHS.gov at the bottom of the page)

Granted, it's a clusterfsck of terminology that makes you wonder about priorities, but I think the parent was correct.

HSI oversees the agency's international affairs operations and intelligence functions

From the http://www.ice.gov/about/offices/homeland-security-investigations/.

The site operated from February 2008 until authorities shut it down in June 2010.

Ninjavideo.net was among the first group of sites seized by ICE and their "authority" is questionable.

Interestingly, ICE have not placed a redirect to their Youtube video yet on any of the Ninja* sites (see TVshack.cc for an example) so presumably the decision to steal/confiscate the site is still being contested by Matthew David Howard Smith or an associate.

The site operated from February 2008 until authorities shut it down in June 2010.

Ninjavideo.net was among the first group of sites seized by ICE and their "authority" is questionable.

Interestingly, ICE have not placed a redirect to their Youtube video yet on any of the Ninja* sites (see TVshack.cc for an example) so presumably the decision to steal/confiscate the site is still being contested by Matthew David Howard Smith or an associate.

WASHINGTON — To mark the official beginning of the online holiday shopping season, known as Cyber Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), the Department of Justice and the FBI Washington Field Office have seized 150 website domain names that were illegally selling and distributing counterfeit merchandise.

source

Not only are there multiple alphabet soups working in collaboration on this, but taxpayer dollars, to use a talking point, tax payer dollars are being used to protect the profits of companies that a) people buying cheap counterfeits don't usually have money to buy the high dollar stuff or choose not to and b) many companies hide their profits overseas to avoid all the tax's imposed on them while simultaneously lobby congress to make import/export easier with the slave friggin labor used to make these fucking pointless articles of consumer whoredom. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, ie, America production and creation capacity has been reduced to rubbish so we'll sue/block/censor anything that threatens the bank accounts. I'm not a 99%'er and all that jazz; this is a problem between stupid electorate continually rel-electing politicians who do not represent the people and are easily bought out. There are of course many more problems than this, but to boil it down this story is just icing on the turd-cake that will be served to future historians who write about the downfall of America.

Boggles the mind on one hand, on the other hand, well, nothing new under the sun, eh?

On a related note, take a look at the certificate on www.ice.gov.

The certificate hierarchy is

• GTE CyberTrust Global Root
• Akamai Subordinate CA 3
• www.ice.gov

Now that's interesting, and worrisome. Akamai possesses a wildcard subordinate CA cert that permits them to impersonate any site, even U.S. Government sites. Even the chief security officer of Akamai is worried about this.

ICE = immigration and CUSTOMS enforcement.
http://www.ice.gov/about/overview/

http://www.ice.gov/cyber-crimes/

see bullet 6

- Possession, manufacture and distribution of images of child abuse;
- International money laundering and illegal cyber-banking;
- Illegal arms trafficking and illegal export of strategic/controlled commodities;-
- Drug trafficking, including trafficking in prohibited pharmaceuticals;
- General smuggling, including trafficking in stolen art and antiquities and violations of the Endangered Species Act;
- Intellectual property rights violations, including music and software;
- Immigration violations; and
- Identity and benefit fraud.

ICE = immigration and CUSTOMS enforcement.
http://www.ice.gov/about/overview/

http://www.ice.gov/cyber-crimes/

see bullet 6

- Possession, manufacture and distribution of images of child abuse;
- International money laundering and illegal cyber-banking;
- Illegal arms trafficking and illegal export of strategic/controlled commodities;-
- Drug trafficking, including trafficking in prohibited pharmaceuticals;
- General smuggling, including trafficking in stolen art and antiquities and violations of the Endangered Species Act;
- Intellectual property rights violations, including music and software;
- Immigration violations; and
- Identity and benefit fraud.

Why is copyright infringement an issue of homeland security?

The Coast Guard, the Secret Service and all other federal criminal investigation and police forces are now part of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) does a lot of the forensic work in computer related investigations:

Child pornography. The sex trade in women and children. Identity theft. Intelectual property rights. Art and antiquities. Money laundering. Counterfeit drugs. Arms trafficking and so on. Cyber Crimes Center

In the American federal system, economic and property crimes with an interstate or foreign dimension are a federal responsibility.

The production budget for "Rango" was $135 million dollars. The domestic gross for "Toy Story 3," $414 million to date.

The feds, not surprisingly, like to see investment and return on that scale in home-grown industries, and will do what they can to protect them.

It sucks for the geek who wants his free movie fix, of course.

US Federal Agency

ICE's primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration

Four key priorities for the agency's future:
Prevent terrorism and enhance security
Protect the borders against illicit trade, travel and finance
Protect the borders through smart and tough interior immigration enforcement
Construct an efficient, effective agency

20,000 Employees

Over $5.7 Billion annual budget

take a peak in the about us section: http://www.ice.gov/about/overview/

the FBI has seized the apple.com domain name for facilitating piracy.

I think you mean DHS's ICE division. They're the guys running around seizing domain names for little to no reason.

ICE hosts The National IPR Coordination Center. The vast majority of their work is related to tracking down counterfeit goods that come in from other countries. Thus the reason why ICE hosts the coordination center. However, a variety of law enforcement agencies participate.

http://www.ice.gov/iprcenter/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Intellectual_Property_Rights_Coordination_Center

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's thing to be precise.
Like when they issue them a student visa...

The students say they were unaware of the dodgy nature of the university and they were conned. In a petition to the secretary of homeland security and the director of ICE, the affected students said they registered in the university believing it is a "bonafide and legitimate university that had been registered with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database."

SEVIS is a web-based technology maintained by the US to track and monitor schools and programs, students, exchange visitors and their dependents, while they are legally enrolled in the US education system. Indeed, Tri-Valley University is among the SEVIS Approved Schools listed on the US ICE website. Authorities have since shut down the university.

And when TFA says "among the SEVIS Approved Schools listed on the US ICE website", it means IT IS STILL AMONG THE APPROVED SCHOOLS.

 
 
On a side note, I completely understand your feelings regarding this matter.
If I was a Navajo Indian, I too would be pissed off by all these immigrant "Indians" coming to my country. Fuckers don't even wear feathers.

but, they are able to catch 'copyright thieves'.
all the difference in between these, is that the latter hasnt gone mafia and started placing/bribing people in government.
way to go, united states of hypocritica.

News Releases December 30, 2010 Washington, DC ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Dec. 30, 2010

Dec. 29, 2010 - ICE deputy director {in the] United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the inaugural Border Control, Airport and Seaport Security (BCASS) exposition.

Dec. 29, 2010 - ICE teams with CBP, USPIS to intercept counterfeit NHL Winter Classic sportswear...ICE Homeland Security...conducted a Pittsburgh-based operation that netted $100,000 in fake trademarked NHL and NFL items.

Dec. 29, 2010 - ICE arrests 3, seizes 28,000 rounds of ammunition in Tucson. Alejandro Ruiz-Escalante and Christian Gallegos-Arizmendi, both citizens of Mexico, were arrested on federal weapons smuggling charges after a traffic stop. Another individual was arrested at a Tucson residence in connection with the same weapons smuggling operation. All three individuals possessed thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as several firearms.

Dec. 28, 2010 - Drug swallower arrested with 49 pellets of heroin in his stomach. ICE HSI agents took a 27-year-old U.S. citizen into custody after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered he was carrying 49 pellets of heroin, with an approximate weight of 1.54 pounds, in his digestive tract.

Dec. 27, 2010 - Feds find cache of cocaine concealed inside phony candy Easter eggs. Esteban Galtes tried to smuggle more than 14 pounds of cocaine, much of it camouflaged as pastel-colored, egg-shaped candies, through Los Angeles International Airport. ICE HSI agents arrested him after CBP officers found the drugs in his suitcase. ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Dec. 30, 2010

In the American federal system, copyright is a federally defined and constitutionally protected property right.

Economic and property crimes with an interstate or international dimension are - broadly speaking - a federal responsibility.

It never ceases to amaze the geek that the government actually gives a damn about the $200 to $300 million dollar investment in a major theatrical film - and the billion dollar return it may generate in domestic and export sales.

There has to be a conspiracy.

Governments multi-task - a concept that also seems strangely foreign to the geek.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations [HSI] investigates immigration crime, human rights violations and human smuggling, smuggling of narcotics, weapons and other types of contraband, financial crimes, cybercrime and export enforcement issues. ICE special agents conduct investigations aimed at protecting critical infrastructure industries that are vulnerable to sabotage, attack or exploitation.

In addition to ICE criminal investigations, HSI oversees the agency's international affairs operations and intelligence functions. HSI consists of more than 10,000 employees, consisting of 6,700 special agents, who are assigned to more than 200 cities throughout the U.S. and 46 countries around the world. ICE Homeland Security Investigations

but, they are able to catch 'copyright thieves'.
all the difference in between these, is that the latter hasnt gone mafia and started placing/bribing people in government.
way to go, united states of hypocritica.

News Releases December 30, 2010 Washington, DC ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Dec. 30, 2010

Dec. 29, 2010 - ICE deputy director {in the] United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the inaugural Border Control, Airport and Seaport Security (BCASS) exposition.

Dec. 29, 2010 - ICE teams with CBP, USPIS to intercept counterfeit NHL Winter Classic sportswear...ICE Homeland Security...conducted a Pittsburgh-based operation that netted $100,000 in fake trademarked NHL and NFL items.

Dec. 29, 2010 - ICE arrests 3, seizes 28,000 rounds of ammunition in Tucson. Alejandro Ruiz-Escalante and Christian Gallegos-Arizmendi, both citizens of Mexico, were arrested on federal weapons smuggling charges after a traffic stop. Another individual was arrested at a Tucson residence in connection with the same weapons smuggling operation. All three individuals possessed thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as several firearms.

Dec. 28, 2010 - Drug swallower arrested with 49 pellets of heroin in his stomach. ICE HSI agents took a 27-year-old U.S. citizen into custody after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered he was carrying 49 pellets of heroin, with an approximate weight of 1.54 pounds, in his digestive tract.

Dec. 27, 2010 - Feds find cache of cocaine concealed inside phony candy Easter eggs. Esteban Galtes tried to smuggle more than 14 pounds of cocaine, much of it camouflaged as pastel-colored, egg-shaped candies, through Los Angeles International Airport. ICE HSI agents arrested him after CBP officers found the drugs in his suitcase. ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Dec. 30, 2010

In the American federal system, copyright is a federally defined and constitutionally protected property right.

Economic and property crimes with an interstate or international dimension are - broadly speaking - a federal responsibility.

It never ceases to amaze the geek that the government actually gives a damn about the $200 to $300 million dollar investment in a major theatrical film - and the billion dollar return it may generate in domestic and export sales.

There has to be a conspiracy.

Governments multi-task - a concept that also seems strangely foreign to the geek.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations [HSI] investigates immigration crime, human rights violations and human smuggling, smuggling of narcotics, weapons and other types of contraband, financial crimes, cybercrime and export enforcement issues. ICE special agents conduct investigations aimed at protecting critical infrastructure industries that are vulnerable to sabotage, attack or exploitation.

In addition to ICE criminal investigations, HSI oversees the agency's international affairs operations and intelligence functions. HSI consists of more than 10,000 employees, consisting of 6,700 special agents, who are assigned to more than 200 cities throughout the U.S. and 46 countries around the world. ICE Homeland Security Investigations

The agent also said the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade groups for the major film studios and record labels, had confirmed that the music and movies on the sites had not been released with the authorization of their copyright holders.

Yeah, after some poking around I found PROTECTING U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OVERSEAS: THE JOINT STRATEGIC PLAN AND BEYOND presented to a House of Representatives committee. In it they talk about the sting and the lengthy history of their actions:

We worked with many different agencies - including CBP, DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the Government of Mexico’s Treasury and Customs – and industry, including the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA), to target importers and distributors of counterfeit goods. This operation was specifically timed to coincide with U.S. and Mexican consumers’ increased purchasing during the winter holiday season.

Then later:

Representatives from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and RIAA assisted participating customs authorities with focused training, targeting and analyses of certain interdicted parcels. This operation was specifically timed by the IPR Center to coincide with the movie industry’s summer releases, when the biggest blockbusters are illegally recorded, reproduced on DVDs, shipped around the world and sold on street corners and in other markets.

There's plenty of interesting tidbits in this lengthy document about how everybody's getting involved -- even China:

ICE previously worked with China in September 2003 when ICE initiated Operation Spring, a joint IPR investigation by ICE agents and Chinese authorities that resulted in the extradition and conviction of DVD pirate Randolph Guthrie, who was sentenced to 48 months incarceration and ordered to repay $878,793 in restitution to the MPAA.

And the American sports associations:

Earlier this year, the IPR Center partnered with the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, industry and local law enforcement to conduct operations targeting counterfeit sports merchandise sold during the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, Stanley Cup championship, and NCAA Final Four and Frozen Four tournaments. These operations resulted in seizures of over 14,000 counterfeit items valued at more than $760,000.

Personally I hope DHS and ICE get their asses handed to them over the music blogs. Turn that into freedom of speech and take those bastards to the cleaners. They aren't going to learn their lesson if this is just a court case that exonerates the defendant and I hope the defendants have enough cash to to fight back, or seek help from the EFF.

The frequency of these MPAA/RIAA related stings is really ramping up. I hope ICE and IPR aren't turning out to be directional attack dogs for corporations. The numbers on these things seem a tad bit inflated but haven't they always been?

The agent also said the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade groups for the major film studios and record labels, had confirmed that the music and movies on the sites had not been released with the authorization of their copyright holders.

Yeah, after some poking around I found PROTECTING U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OVERSEAS: THE JOINT STRATEGIC PLAN AND BEYOND presented to a House of Representatives committee. In it they talk about the sting and the lengthy history of their actions:

We worked with many different agencies - including CBP, DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the Government of Mexico’s Treasury and Customs – and industry, including the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA), to target importers and distributors of counterfeit goods. This operation was specifically timed to coincide with U.S. and Mexican consumers’ increased purchasing during the winter holiday season.

Then later:

Representatives from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and RIAA assisted participating customs authorities with focused training, targeting and analyses of certain interdicted parcels. This operation was specifically timed by the IPR Center to coincide with the movie industry’s summer releases, when the biggest blockbusters are illegally recorded, reproduced on DVDs, shipped around the world and sold on street corners and in other markets.

There's plenty of interesting tidbits in this lengthy document about how everybody's getting involved -- even China:

ICE previously worked with China in September 2003 when ICE initiated Operation Spring, a joint IPR investigation by ICE agents and Chinese authorities that resulted in the extradition and conviction of DVD pirate Randolph Guthrie, who was sentenced to 48 months incarceration and ordered to repay $878,793 in restitution to the MPAA.

And the American sports associations:

Earlier this year, the IPR Center partnered with the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, industry and local law enforcement to conduct operations targeting counterfeit sports merchandise sold during the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, Stanley Cup championship, and NCAA Final Four and Frozen Four tournaments. These operations resulted in seizures of over 14,000 counterfeit items valued at more than $760,000.

Personally I hope DHS and ICE get their asses handed to them over the music blogs. Turn that into freedom of speech and take those bastards to the cleaners. They aren't going to learn their lesson if this is just a court case that exonerates the defendant and I hope the defendants have enough cash to to fight back, or seek help from the EFF.

The frequency of these MPAA/RIAA related stings is really ramping up. I hope ICE and IPR aren't turning out to be directional attack dogs for corporations. The numbers on these things seem a tad bit inflated but haven't they always been?

The agent also said the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade groups for the major film studios and record labels, had confirmed that the music and movies on the sites had not been released with the authorization of their copyright holders.

Yeah, after some poking around I found PROTECTING U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OVERSEAS: THE JOINT STRATEGIC PLAN AND BEYOND presented to a House of Representatives committee. In it they talk about the sting and the lengthy history of their actions:

We worked with many different agencies - including CBP, DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the Government of Mexico’s Treasury and Customs – and industry, including the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA), to target importers and distributors of counterfeit goods. This operation was specifically timed to coincide with U.S. and Mexican consumers’ increased purchasing during the winter holiday season.

Then later:

Representatives from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and RIAA assisted participating customs authorities with focused training, targeting and analyses of certain interdicted parcels. This operation was specifically timed by the IPR Center to coincide with the movie industry’s summer releases, when the biggest blockbusters are illegally recorded, reproduced on DVDs, shipped around the world and sold on street corners and in other markets.

There's plenty of interesting tidbits in this lengthy document about how everybody's getting involved -- even China:

ICE previously worked with China in September 2003 when ICE initiated Operation Spring, a joint IPR investigation by ICE agents and Chinese authorities that resulted in the extradition and conviction of DVD pirate Randolph Guthrie, who was sentenced to 48 months incarceration and ordered to repay $878,793 in restitution to the MPAA.

And the American sports associations:

Earlier this year, the IPR Center partnered with the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, industry and local law enforcement to conduct operations targeting counterfeit sports merchandise sold during the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, Stanley Cup championship, and NCAA Final Four and Frozen Four tournaments. These operations resulted in seizures of over 14,000 counterfeit items valued at more than $760,000.

Personally I hope DHS and ICE get their asses handed to them over the music blogs. Turn that into freedom of speech and take those bastards to the cleaners. They aren't going to learn their lesson if this is just a court case that exonerates the defendant and I hope the defendants have enough cash to to fight back, or seek help from the EFF.

The frequency of these MPAA/RIAA related stings is really ramping up. I hope ICE and IPR aren't turning out to be directional attack dogs for corporations. The numbers on these things seem a tad bit inflated but haven't they always been?

The agent also said the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade groups for the major film studios and record labels, had confirmed that the music and movies on the sites had not been released with the authorization of their copyright holders.

Yeah, after some poking around I found PROTECTING U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OVERSEAS: THE JOINT STRATEGIC PLAN AND BEYOND presented to a House of Representatives committee. In it they talk about the sting and the lengthy history of their actions:

We worked with many different agencies - including CBP, DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the Government of Mexico’s Treasury and Customs – and industry, including the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA), to target importers and distributors of counterfeit goods. This operation was specifically timed to coincide with U.S. and Mexican consumers’ increased purchasing during the winter holiday season.

Then later:

Representatives from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and RIAA assisted participating customs authorities with focused training, targeting and analyses of certain interdicted parcels. This operation was specifically timed by the IPR Center to coincide with the movie industry’s summer releases, when the biggest blockbusters are illegally recorded, reproduced on DVDs, shipped around the world and sold on street corners and in other markets.

There's plenty of interesting tidbits in this lengthy document about how everybody's getting involved -- even China:

ICE previously worked with China in September 2003 when ICE initiated Operation Spring, a joint IPR investigation by ICE agents and Chinese authorities that resulted in the extradition and conviction of DVD pirate Randolph Guthrie, who was sentenced to 48 months incarceration and ordered to repay $878,793 in restitution to the MPAA.

And the American sports associations:

Earlier this year, the IPR Center partnered with the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, industry and local law enforcement to conduct operations targeting counterfeit sports merchandise sold during the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, Stanley Cup championship, and NCAA Final Four and Frozen Four tournaments. These operations resulted in seizures of over 14,000 counterfeit items valued at more than $760,000.

Personally I hope DHS and ICE get their asses handed to them over the music blogs. Turn that into freedom of speech and take those bastards to the cleaners. They aren't going to learn their lesson if this is just a court case that exonerates the defendant and I hope the defendants have enough cash to to fight back, or seek help from the EFF.

The frequency of these MPAA/RIAA related stings is really ramping up. I hope ICE and IPR aren't turning out to be directional attack dogs for corporations. The numbers on these things seem a tad bit inflated but haven't they always been?

However, this is not that particular domain seizure. This is a redirect to government servers ("spoofs", if you will) with no judicial oversight. Furthermore, there was no judicial order for VeriSign to act in such a deceptive manner in support of a government actor.

Your post only goes to prove the GPs issue on due process. If they were able to follow the rules then, why not now? This simply constitutes censorship until evidence and affidavit are submit to a judge in due process of law to obtain a writ. Only then does this become an injunction and not censorship.

Okay, which "particular domain seizure" are you talking about? I had assumed we were talking about the Nov 29 seizure of 82 domains, which are listed here
http://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2010/domain_names.pdf (WARNING: PDF)

Click on any of them (the PDF is hotlinked) and you will be sent to a page that clearly says "This domain name has been seized...pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by a United States District Court..."

Yes, the page in question is doubtless hosted by a government server, but what do you expect the Feds do with a domain that they've taken control of? Redirect all traffic to 4Chan?

The Cyber Crimes Section of the Cyber Crimes Center of ICE has investigative responsibilities for "theft of intellectual property".

http://www.ice.gov/cyber-crimes/

So I probably didn't word it right, but you get the idea. Section of a section of a department of DHS, not the entire organization.

Seriously, kids downloading music poses what threat, exactly, to national security?

In the American federal system, economic crimes with an interstate and international dimension are a federal responsibility. The Secret Service, for example, was originally organized to fight counterfeiting.

IP based industry generates billions of dollars in domestic sales and exports. The work is clean, labor-intensive and - broadly speaking - very well-paying. That is why Republican and Democrat unite to protect it.

The median household income in the U.S. is $45,000. The median salary for an SDE at Microsoft is $89,000.

The government can multi-task:

ICE is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE is - among much else - the Cyber Crimes Center.

There are three sections:

Child Exploitation.

Child pornography. The sex trade in children.

Cyber Crimes.

"The CCS investigative responsibilities include fraud, theft of intellectual property rights, money laundering, identity and benefit fraud, the sale and distribution of narcotics and other controlled substances, illegal arms trafficking and the illegal export of strategic/controlled commodities and the smuggling and sale of other prohibited items, such as art and cultural property."

Digital Forensics.

"Digital evidence is quickly replacing documentary evidence as the "smoking gun" in investigations. Vital evidence is often identified, seized and recovered from a variety of electronic devices for ICE investigations. ICE special agents need access to information stored on personal computers, complex business networks, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones and multifunction communications devices."

Was just looking for information about this operation from ICE and decided to take a look at the ICE Privacy and Usage policy. http://www.ice.gov/about/legal.htm ... My favorite part, and yes it's understandable if someone actually attacks their site but it's always a question what constitutes an attack these days:

In certain circumstances, however, ICE may take additional steps to identify you based on this information and ICE may share this information, including your identity, with other agencies.

Oddly, that same quote is found here yet there is nothing of the sort on the DHS or ICE website. In fact this story didn't even make the ICE top 5. Source code has Google Analytics and Piwik scripts, something you'd think the FEDs would want to avoid in the case of a trial, seeing as how standard Google TOS claims all rights to the data. What would happen if one these guys went to trail, and you find out 33 children of powerful senators and congressman visited the site via a Google subpoena. Sticky sticky situation. You can even visit the Piwik management portal here, though only if your browser lets you trust unsigned certs... kind of sloppy if you ask me, and not at all like the often well executed ICE programs used to nab BILLIONS in real, tangible, counterfeit goods at our ports. These normal actions are real, as in actions against things actually sold and money actually changing hands. Those things are easy to bring criminal charges against and win. It's very difficult to bring criminal charges against intangible thefts, hence most IP theft takes place in civil court. You don't hear about a lot of DAs making headlines nabbing gangsta torrent pirates outside of Sweden.

Why the Goofy seizure notice with the goofy DHS Special agent badge that lacks a badge number yet is placed in a manner made to represent that specific agent in charge? In all my years I've never seen anything this flashy, and I've got a stack of notices from all kinds of federal and state departments for screwing up some minor thing on nearly every tax or compliance law you can imagine. Federal legal notices are usually quite plain form letters to comply with numerous legal statutes. This is designed to look like the FBI notices on videos, almost as if someone wanted to mislead a large group one way or the other. Besides, why would there even be a legal notice on the site?

Finally, when Operation In Our Sites was launched back in June there was plenty of notice, and plenty of pew-pew over physically taken assets, and seized bank accounts... which is what Title 18 is all about.

Oddly, that same quote is found here yet there is nothing of the sort on the DHS or ICE website. In fact this story didn't even make the ICE top 5. Source code has Google Analytics and Piwik scripts, something you'd think the FEDs would want to avoid in the case of a trial, seeing as how standard Google TOS claims all rights to the data. What would happen if one these guys went to trail, and you find out 33 children of powerful senators and congressman visited the site via a Google subpoena. Sticky sticky situation. You can even visit the Piwik management portal here, though only if your browser lets you trust unsigned certs... kind of sloppy if you ask me, and not at all like the often well executed ICE programs used to nab BILLIONS in real, tangible, counterfeit goods at our ports. These normal actions are real, as in actions against things actually sold and money actually changing hands. Those things are easy to bring criminal charges against and win. It's very difficult to bring criminal charges against intangible thefts, hence most IP theft takes place in civil court. You don't hear about a lot of DAs making headlines nabbing gangsta torrent pirates outside of Sweden.

Why the Goofy seizure notice with the goofy DHS Special agent badge that lacks a badge number yet is placed in a manner made to represent that specific agent in charge? In all my years I've never seen anything this flashy, and I've got a stack of notices from all kinds of federal and state departments for screwing up some minor thing on nearly every tax or compliance law you can imagine. Federal legal notices are usually quite plain form letters to comply with numerous legal statutes. This is designed to look like the FBI notices on videos, almost as if someone wanted to mislead a large group one way or the other. Besides, why would there even be a legal notice on the site?

Finally, when Operation In Our Sites was launched back in June there was plenty of notice, and plenty of pew-pew over physically taken assets, and seized bank accounts... which is what Title 18 is all about.

I'm sure everyone in the US can sleep easy at night, knowing that Homeland Security is keeping a vigilant eye over torrents and other similar threats to the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

ICE is U.S.Immigration and Customs Emforcement, the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government.

ICE now has more than 20,000 employees in more than 400 offices in the United States and 46 foreign countries.

Crimes with an interstate and international dimension are a federal responsibility --- and that is something the geek is going to have to learn to live with.

Cyber Crimes Center

I'm sure everyone in the US can sleep easy at night, knowing that Homeland Security is keeping a vigilant eye over torrents and other similar threats to the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

ICE is U.S.Immigration and Customs Emforcement, the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government.

ICE now has more than 20,000 employees in more than 400 offices in the United States and 46 foreign countries.

Crimes with an interstate and international dimension are a federal responsibility --- and that is something the geek is going to have to learn to live with.

Cyber Crimes Center

In the first action carried out as part of the initiative, authorities executed seizure warrants against nine domain names of Web sites that were offering first-run movies

A seizure warrant against a domain includes what exactly ? The host, the registrar, the technical contact's residence ?

I understand warrants for physical locations, but this seems a bit wrong. Maybe its just a poor choice of wording by the original author....

ICE ices ice.

That's what I asked when I first[scroll down] started hearing about them. From what I understand, they're the guys who go scoop up the pedos who're caught with CP or hitting on 12 year old girls in chat rooms. Either way, the DHS smacks of the Gestapo.

This is the American Department of Homeland Security's ICE working in conjunction with INTERPOL here, and you are under arrest for your thoughtcrime. Please lie face-down with your hands behind your back and expect to be taken under arrest within the half-hour.

Now for all those scum who saw Bart Simpson's penis in the Simpsons' movie. You're next.