2025-11-15
49 分钟The Economist.
Forming a posse conjures up some uniquely American images,
a sheriff perhaps, summoning a band of citizens to apprehend criminals.
But posse cometatus, the law of the county,
has its roots in England, even though it was practiced in America for centuries.
After the Civil War, Congress passed the posse cometatus Act,
because the southern states didn't want the military policing its territory.
The act bars the armed forces from domestic policing duties.
President Trump has sent in armed forces to American cities, but not THE armed forces.
From DHS to ICE to CBP, an alphabet soup of federal agents are on the streets of Chicago.
Many of them are armed and in camouflage.
They're doing Donald Trump's bidding,
and that might be a way for him to stay on the right side of the courts.
And this is checks and balance from the Economist.
Each week we take one big theme shaping American politics and explore it in depth.
Today, the Board of Patrol is patrolling Chicago.
It's taking over immigration duties from ICE.
The agencies say they're targeting migrants, but the president says he's cracking down on crime.
So is he creating his own police force which can be deployed whenever, wherever he wants?
And where might he send it next?