ICE has always been problematic. Previous DHS directors had some number of scruples and didn't give free rein to the worst members of the agency. Sec Puppy Killer was a total POS to begin with. She wants to keep DJT happy so she's willing to be a monstrous, inhumane person (ie., herself) for him. /1
DJT listened to his stooges and nominated the worst people available for cabinet level positions. Musk and his doge-bags also contributed to the sabotage, as well as political appointees being inserted into gov roles. It's hard to do your official job when you're busy justifying your existence. /2
That was a really well articulated explanation, ty. It sounds like they used the same approach for every agency: infiltrate, disseminate cadres in key positions of authority. Why are they so competent though? Maga is stupid. Does not compute.
"Competent" is a stretch - the embedded dogebags had support from higher up. These 20-somethings were put into senior executive level positions, and if they didn't think a contract should be renewed or someone allowed to attend a professional conference, that was it. No contract, no conference. /1
Some of them were intelligent, I'm sure, but they were there to ensure the peons did Noem's bidding and cause hate and discontent at the admin's direction. Given the opportunity, those who could leave, did. Not everyone could, and those who are left are under a huge amount of stress. /2
Same exact thing at hhs. Bad touching entire chains of command by installing puppet DASes, forcing downstream coverups of anything that could reflect badly on this admin (incl. System defects that harm the end user/taxpayer). Even the 'good guys' don't trust eachother not to rat for doge praise.