A few episodes from the Paramount+ series. Star Trek: Picard featured Starfleet crew members traveling back in time to present day to beat up U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, free a busload of illegal immigrants on their way to be deported, and lecture that racism just “took off a hood and put on a suit” in the early 21st Century.
In season 2, episode 4, we travel back to Earth in 2024 to save the future for humanity. The WatcherThe crew then travels to Los Angeles specifically to accomplish their mission. The Hispanic character, Captain Cristobal Rios, (Santiago Cabrera), is injured and finds himself in a clinic that treats illegal immigrants.
Rios is captured during an ICE raid of the clinic and taken to a Detention Facility to await deportation. A nurse informs Seven of Nine crewmates (Michelle Hurd and Raffi Musicer) that Rios is being sought by the medical facility. “Yeah, he was here. The doctor patched him up before ICE officers raided us….You know those assholes.”There are seven chimes: “Yeah, I feel like I do.”Ominously, the nurse adds: “But your friend, I hope you find him soon. Before ICE makes sure you never do.”
Continuing their search for Rios at a nearby LAPD precinct, Raffi yells at an officer: “God dammit, you’re law enforcement for the city, right?! You wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t? My friend was taken away by ICE officers. You have to know something. You can’t just kidnap people!”
They are warned by the man who sits in the waiting area at the police station.
Piece of advice, LAPD won’t have ICE detainees in their system, Immigration and Customs Enforcement are what you need. Look, you’re in the wrong place. It doesn’t matter, it just matters. if you don’t get to Cristobal before he’s transferred, gone. No trial, no paper trail.
Rios, who is currently in ICE custody, sneers at a U.S.-themed sign. The Pledge of Allegiance “I pledge allegiance to the flag.”A fellow inmate hears him speak Spanish. “They make you swear allegiance? That is hard core.”
Rios screams at the officer after he is informed by ICE that Pedro will be taken to a bus for his deportation. “What the hell is wrong with you guys? Slap on a badge, put on a uniform, you think you can treat people this way?”Rios was then attacked by the agent.
Raffi announces, as he leaves the LAPD station. “We need to find out where they’re disappearing people like him, so we follow the trail of suffering like bread crumbs.”To continue their hunt for Rios, she and seven accomplices steal a police vehicle. While being chased by the cops, Raffi uses the LAPD vehicle’s computer system to discover: “Shit, Rios’s file just updated, he’s being moved….To a sanctuary district on the border.” Seven frets: “He’s being disappeared. Raffi, if we lose him now.” Raffi tracks his location: “Okay, I found him. He’s on ICE transfer bus number 735, GPS says he’s on Highway 14.”
Repeatedly using the phrase “disappeared” when talking about ICE lawfully deporting illegal immigrants is outrageous. The idea of “disappearing” someone comes from authoritarian regimes that would arrest people and either throw them in prison without charges or, more likely, murder them and depose of the body. It was a tactic commonly used during Argentina’s Dirty War in the 1970s – 30,000 people were victims of the brutal practice.
The following episode will be available. Fly me to the MoonSeven and Raffi track Rios’ Homeland Security bus down. They deactivate it. Rios and Pedro were joined by a fellow prisoner to attack the ICE agents aboard the ship.Rios, Seven, Rios and Raffi freed all the illegal immigrants. They did so without ever knowing whether they were guilty or not. Rios even congratulates Pedro on landing a “good hit” on one of the now-unconscious ICE agents.
In addition to the subplot smearing ICE as villains, during episode four, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) implores an alien living secretly on Earth at the time, a young Guinan (Ito Aghayere), to help him: “Humankind will change, you must be patient.” Guinan, who is black, launches into a racially-charged rant:
YOr who can afford to have patience? You will find someone who looks just like you. It had more potential that I ever dreamed. The hatred is never ending, but it swaps clothing. In this century it removed a jacket and put on pants.
For years, actresses and left-wingers have played Older Guinan. ViewWhoopi Goldberg is the cohost, and she actually did a guest appearance on episode one of season 2.
It’s the turn of the super-woke Star Trek: PicardFollowed the finale of season 4 Star Trek: Discovery featuring left-wing Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as the president of “United Earth.”
Star Trek’s effort to villainize U.S. immigration officers and accuse American society of simply trading a “hood” for a “suit” was brought to viewers by Dell and JCPenney. These advertisers can be contacted to let them know how you feel about their sponsorship of such content.
This transcript contains excerpts of season two episode four. Star Trek: PicardThis program aired from March 24-26:
The Watcher
(…)
JERI RYAN [SEVEN OF NINE]: We’re looking for our friend. You have dark hair and you are scruffy.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS [MEDICAL CLINIC NURSE]He was indeed there. Before ICE officers arrived, the doctor treated him and then he was released. They arrested them both, I’m sorry. Look, Theresa’s a citizen, you know, they’ll probably just detain her longer than they should but eventually they throw her back. You’re familiar with these shills.
RYAN: Yeah, I feel like I do.
ACTRESS A. But I am your friend and hope that you will find him soon. Before ICE makes sure you never do.(…)
KELLI DAWN HANCOCK [LAPD OFFICER STAUSS]Crystal Ball is it a stage or stage name?
MICHELLE HURRD [RAFFI MUSIKER]: Cristobal, he was arrested along with a doctor, can’t you find him?
HANCOCK – Look around. I have intake and overflow. I am awaiting transfers. If they took your friend, he ain’t in the system yet.
HURD: And where’s he?
HANCOCK – Processing: What should I do?
HURD: God dammit, you’re law enforcement for the city, right?! What else could I have done? My friend was taken into custody by ICE agents, so you have to know something. You can’t just kidnap people!
RYAN: Okay, we’re just going to back away from your personal space and wait over there, you are doing a great job. I appreciate you serving the public.
HURD – I loathe everything
RYAN: You hide it well.
KARL T. WRIGHT [FRANCIS PUGA]: Piece of advice, LAPD won’t have ICE detainees in their system, you want Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Look, you’re in the wrong place. Not that it makes any difference because if you don’t get to Cristobal before he’s transferred, gone. No trial, no paper trail.
SANTIAGO CABRERA [CRISTOBAL RIOS]: “I pledge allegiance to the flag.” [In Spanish]Are they asking you to swear allegiance? This is a hard core.
PETER LINDSTEDT [ICE OFFICER #1]Your Juan Hancock number is required for these transfer papers. Have a ticket bus seat with your name.
OSCAR CAMACHO [PEDRO]: [In Spanish] You mean deportation papers. An attorney is available to me.
LINDSTEDT – Just sign it. You eyeballin’ me asshole?
CABRERA – What is the matter with these guys? Put on a uniform and you’ll think you can be this kind of person. [Gets tased]
(…)
RYAN: How are we doing it?
HURD: Finding Rios.
RYAN: Are you in the parking lot?
HURD: We need to find out where they’re disappearing people like him, so we follow the trail of suffering like bread crumbs.
(…)
PATRICK STEWART [JEAN-LUC PICARD]The human condition will continue to change. You need patience.
ITO AGHAYERE [YOUNG GUINAN]The one who can have patience. A person who is like you, but not like me. It had more potential that I ever dreamed. The hatred is never ending, but it swaps clothing. In this century it removed a jacket and put on pants.
Are you saying that change is imminent? Well, it’s too damn slow and the cost way too high. Being forced to see it hurts.
(…)
HURD: Shit, Rios’s file just updated, he’s being moved.
RYAN: What, where?
HURD: A sanctuary area on the border.
RYAN: He’s being disappeared. Raffi, if we lose him now.
HURD Dammit, hang on. Okay, I found him. He’s on ICE transfer bus number 735, GPS says he’s on Highway 14.
(…)
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