The voters backed the creation of a UK ICE-style force, 145 to 106, yet the dominant instinct was to separate the function from the American model. “Yes - but just don't call it that” neatly captured a debate in which support for tougher removals came bundled with unease about the name and its associations.
The floor’s most-respected Yes case rejected the caricature while demanding action: “Not in the pantomime-villain way that ICE operate in the US”, but with “a much stronger commitment” to removing those with no right to remain. Other Yes voices said “Whether it’s like ICE is not the point”, arguing that Border Force lacked teeth, agencies should be joined up, and political interference had blunted enforcement.
The No case heard the proposal differently. “We don't need a USA style Gestapo in the UK,” said one voice, while another argued “Not now” because American coverage had “poisoned the well”, even while conceding that such a function was needed. A further objection called a British ICE “a modern day version of the Nazi Brownshirts” and proposed concentrating military and border resources into a smaller homeland defence force.
That left the two sides talking past each other over architecture as much as immigration. Yes voters wanted stronger enforcement, with one insisting that “our laws should be enforced no leeway”; No voters feared that expanded arrest and deportation powers would import the symbolism and methods of the US agency. The vote settled the question in favour of a dedicated force, not the argument over how constrained it should be.
The room’s verdict was for tougher machinery, but emphatically not for an American replica.
8 Opinions
Yes - but just don't call it that, we need a dedicated force that performs an analogous function, but we don't need to copy America with everything
Really have to get a handle on this problem. Again can not blame anyone trying to better their miserable lives. Our laws should be enforced no leeway
NO We certainly don't need a britsh version of ICE. They seem to be a modern day version of the Nazi Brownshirts! We do however need to look at the whole way our military & border forces operate. I'd suggest the time has come to step away from playing the world's policemen. Instead concentrate our armed & various border forces into a smaller highly trained well equipped homeland defence force. Much like many European countries particularly the Scandinavian ones have done
Whether it’s like ICE is not the point. The Border Force Immigration Service Home Office & Police are useless. Partly because the human assets are not properly applied but mainly because of gross political interference. This is not a crisis it’s a plan, which for this govt and past one is working as they were intending. Taxpayers are directly funding the invasion. PM Civil Service & Home Secretary Police knows. They could stop it but that would upset UN NGOs etc Agenda 2030.
Not in the pantomime-villain way that ICE operate in the US, but there does need to be a much stronger commitment to removing people from the country who have no right to be here.
Not now. Because the sentimental, purposely distorted, coverage in the USA has poisoned the well for now. But we do need it.
The Border Force do not have enough teeth Customs and Excise HMRC and MoD police all need to be joined into one organisation.
We don't need a USA style Gestapo in the UK.