In the interest of understanding the evolution of internal state security forces, it is worth stepping back to examine the structure and methods of one of the most effective and feared domestic policing agencies of the 20th century: the Geheime Staatspolizei, more commonly known as the Gestapo.

Though frequently invoked in discussions of totalitarian excess, few modern observers are aware of the bureaucratic precision, technological innovation, and legal acrobatics the Gestapo employed in the name of national order. It was not chaos—it was policy. And its techniques, however controversial, were astonishingly methodical.

Gestapo operations often began in the early morning hours, capitalizing on the element of surprise. Agents rarely wore uniforms and typically arrived in coordination with local law enforcement partners. They would approach residences or workplaces of suspected undesirables with minimal paperwork—sometimes no judicial warrant at all, but rather an internal authorization signed by superiors within the executive security apparatus.

Resistance against the Gestapo was rare. Most citizens knew that opposition was dangerous, and those who attempted it often found that entire families could be implicated as a result.

An innovation of the Gestapo was its concept of the “collateral suspect.” If the primary target of an operation was not present or could not be apprehended quickly, any nearby individual suspected of association—regardless of specific charges—could be detained. Such individuals, once ensnared, often found themselves unable to contact lawyers or family, especially during the crucial first days of confinement. Children were not spared. In many cases, the agency separated minors from their guardians as a matter of administrative routine. The bureaucratic justification was always rooted in a desire to process individuals “efficiently.”

The Gestapo’s holding facilities were often overcrowded and chaotic, though the paperwork surrounding them was immaculate. Official reports described detainees as receiving necessary medical care and access to counsel, but accounts from within the system tell us a different story: untreated illnesses, psychological trauma, physical abuse, and in some cases, inexplicable hysterectomies performed without consent. Oversight was minimal. When violations did surface, they were buried beneath jurisdictional confusion or passed off as anomalies.

Beyond the physical realm, the Gestapo distinguished itself through the use of surveillance technologies. It created and maintained vast volumes of information on civilians, often contracting with private firms to develop and manage internal tracking systems. This allowed the agency to monitor targets across jurisdictions, compiling detailed profiles that could be used to justify future arrests or deny privileges. These systems extended to license plate tracking, spying on social interactions, and reading personal correspondence—all under the doctrine of preemptive threat mitigation.

The stated justification for these measures was always the same: national security, border integrity, and public safety. But the unspoken function was deterrence through fear. The presence of the agency—its unmarked vehicles, its quiet cooperation with local authorities, its ability to act without clear legal limits—was enough to instill obedience in much of the population. The rest were made examples.

And Now, The Truth

I have played fast and loose with you here, but beg your forgiveness. The truth is every single atrocity and tyrannical detail given above is from contemporary actions of our own Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

These methods, of course, were also hallmarks of the Gestapo—agents of a fascist regime who operated without constraint, who twisted legality into cruelty, and who made fear a tool of governance.

Replace “Gestapo” with “ICE,” and you will find no fiction—only a mirror. We have not escaped the machinery of repression. We have merely rebranded it.

What should shake us is not that such tactics once existed, but that they exist again. What should frighten the hell out of you is that I wrote this entire essay about ICE, then search-and-replaced with Gestapo and it made perfect sense*.

Every detail above—every raid, every separated child, every faceless detention and warrantless arrest—is not a relic of history, but a fact of current American policy.

This began years before Trump ever waddled into the White House and we sat idly by. Trump is now taking it to the next level, testing our resolve daily by pushing the limits. This is authoritarianism 101.

Resistance is never futile. Now, not tomorrow. You, not that other citizen. Get moving, make noise, stop ignoring what is clearly happening to our country.

History is not just repeating—it is escalating. The question is no longer whether this is tyranny. The question is whether you have the spine to defy it.

*The only edit I made to a contemporary activity was that ICE monitors both social media and personal emails. As it would have been anachronistic for the Gestapo to be involved with either, I changed the mention to “social interactions” and “personal correspondence.”