Trump’s ICE Army: The Coup-Proofing Force Hiding in Plain Sight

How Trump is molding ICE into a strike force that answers to him...not the Constitution.

Trump’s ICE Army: The Coup-Proofing Force Hiding in Plain Sight

How Trump is molding ICE into a strike force that answers to him…not the Constitution.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #526: Friday, September 5th, 2025.

Every Dictator Builds a Loyal Army. Trump’s Is Already Here.

Every dictator…without exception…has one indispensable weapon. Not charisma. Not fiery speeches. Not even the adoration of the mob.

I saw a post by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, where she used the term “coup-proofing,” which inspired this JHN Newsletter issue.

She’s a historian of authoritarians, propaganda, and democracy protection. She’s also an NYU Professor and NYT Bestselling Author.

You likely follow her already. If not…you should. She’s smart as a whip…fearless…and such a powerful voice for freedom and democracy.

And…she knows authoritarians and dictators…inside out.

Authoritarians and dictators…the people who build a parallel force…a second army…separate from the traditional military and police…trained not to defend the people…but to defend the strongman.

Mussolini had the Blackshirts. Hitler had the SS. Gaddafi had his Revolutionary Committees. Saddam Hussein had the Republican Guard.

And Donald Trump? He has ICE.

Now, if that makes you blink and mutter, “ICE? Isn’t that immigration cops?”…good. That means you’re still thinking like an American…not like an authoritarian. But let me explain exactly how this has been set up… and why we’d better wise up before it’s too late.

ICE Was Never Just About Immigration

You’ve been sold a bill of goods.

The public relations line about ICE is that it’s about “illegal immigrants,” “border control,” “law and order.” But the reality is far more dangerous.

During Trump’s first term…ICE was massively expanded…pumped full of money… handed new powers…and unleashed with fewer restraints than any domestic enforcement agency in modern history.

And ICE…unlike the FBI…unlike the DOJ…unlike even local police…cultivated a culture of impunity. Raids in neighborhoods. Arrests at courthouses. Families ripped apart at schools and hospitals. No oversight. No accountability. And who cheered the loudest? Trump.

This is the DNA of an authoritarian force.

Because while the public thinks ICE is about deportations…Trump saw something else: an agency that could be retooled into his own loyal enforcers.

The Authoritarian Playbook: Coup-Proofing 101

Authoritarian scholars have a word for this: coup-proofing.

Dictators know that traditional militaries are unreliable. Generals might resist illegal orders. Soldiers might refuse to fire on civilians. Armies…after all…swear oaths to nations…not to one man.

So the strongman builds a parallel force…one that doesn’t exist to protect the Constitution…but to protect him.

• Mussolini’s Blackshirts weren’t Italy’s army. They were his thugs.

• Hitler’s SS weren’t Germany’s army. They were his executioners.

• Saddam’s Republican Guard didn’t defend Iraq. They defended Saddam.

And now Trump…cornered by investigations…hated by half the nation…unable to trust the Pentagon…is leaning into the same formula.

He’s building a Trump-loyal ICE.

What a Trump-Loyal ICE Would Mean for You

Let’s play this out.

Imagine protests erupt in New York…Chicago…or Kansas City after one of Trump’s next executive orders. Local police hesitate. Governors resist. The military…still wary from January 6th…advises restraint.

Trump doesn’t need them. He has ICE.

• Protesters aren’t facing city police anymore. They’re staring down federal agents with the full backing of Trump’s White House.

• Journalists aren’t dealing with hostile press secretaries anymore. They’re facing harassment…intimidation…and detainment by ICE under the guise of “security operations.”

• Communities aren’t worried just about deportations. They’re worried about a federal strike force with the power to bypass local authorities and act directly on Trump’s orders.

This isn’t paranoia. It’s history repeating. Every authoritarian weaponizes an agency… puts it outside the usual checks and balances…and unleashes it not against criminals …but against opponents.

ICE is perfectly positioned for this role: insulated…feared…and already conditioned to act above the law.

The Stakes: What Happens If We Do Nothing

Let’s strip away illusions.

If Trump succeeds in molding ICE into a personal militia…we will live in a United States where:

• Civil dissent is crushed before it starts. Marchers and organizers will be met with militarized raids instead of permits.

• Opponents are harassed with selective enforcement…tax audits are old-school; door-knocks by ICE are the new terror tactic.

• Immigrant communities become laboratories of repression…used as testing grounds for tactics later deployed against everyone else.

• The balance of power collapses. Courts can rule. Legislatures can protest. Governors can resist. But if Trump controls a force that operates above them all, then democracy is just a show.

And here’s the ugliest truth: this isn’t theoretical. It’s happening right now…in front of our eyes.

What Must Be Done Now

You don’t stop a creeping authoritarian force with wishful thinking. You stop it with exposure…pressure…organization…litigation…and documentation.

1. Expose It

Keep ICE’s transformation in the public eye. When they conduct raids, when they push boundaries, shine a floodlight. Authoritarians thrive in shadows.

2. Pressure Congress and Governors

ICE only has the power Congress funds and states tolerate. Pressure your representatives…demand restrictions…cut budgets…push governors to refuse cooperation.

3. Organize Communities

Grassroots defense networks must be built…not just for immigrants…but for every American who will soon find themselves in ICE’s crosshairs.

4. Litigate Relentlessly

Every abuse must be challenged in court. Pile up injunctions…drag their actions into discovery…force them to defend the indefensible.

5. Document Everything

Phones are our greatest weapon. Every raid…every overreach…every intimidation must be recorded…shared…archived. The regime thrives on fear. Fear collapses under proof.

History Doesn’t Remember Bystanders

You, reading this right now…are not a spectator.

History doesn’t remember the people who shrugged. It remembers those who stood up.

Every authoritarian who built a private army counted on one thing: the silence of decent people who thought it wouldn’t touch them. And every authoritarian was eventually proven wrong — not by luck, but by citizens who decided to resist.

If ICE is Trump’s army…then stopping it is America’s last line of defense.

Courage on Display & Inner Circle

This is where you…yes, you….matter.

Because here’s the truth: mainstream media won’t tell you this. Politicians won’t risk saying it outright. Only those of us outside the establishment will keep pulling back the curtain.

And that’s why paid subscribers to this newsletter matter more than ever.

You’re not just “supporting a writer.” You’re funding an early warning system…a megaphone…and a rallying point for resistance.

If this piece lit a fire under you…if it gave you clarity you won’t find anywhere else… then step into the inner circle. Join the people…who refuse to be bystanders.

I’ll be back soon. Anything less would count as dereliction of duty. That’s truly how I feel about this.

We’re stronger than you think…but every bit as strong as a wiser part of you…already knows.

Moving ahead with you,
-Jack

P.S. For paid subscribers…I’m putting together a deeper dive: the specific legal and grassroots tactics communities are already using to blunt ICE’s reach…and how you can adapt them where you live. It’s the practical playbook that turns outrage into action.

And…I think you know what that means; paid subscribers are going to have three paid subscriber newsletters drop over the next 2-3 days….because you already had two promised from the last couple of days. This one…makes three. Be watching!