The co-chair of Germany's Greens party, Felix Banaszak, has compared the actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to methods used by the Nazis. In a podcast, he sharply criticized President Donald Trump's deportation policies and warned of authoritarian tendencies. The comparison relates to deadly incidents in Minneapolis.
Felix Banaszak, co-chair of Germany's Greens party, spoke critically about US immigration policy in the podcast "Ronzheimer" hosted by Bild editor Paul Ronzheimer. He accused the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency of engaging in "dehumanization" by ripping people from their lives and deporting them. "Those who stand in their way just get shot," Banaszak said.
He compared the behavior of ICE agents to that of the Nazi paramilitary organizations SA (Sturmabteilung) and SS (Schutzstaffel) before Adolf Hitler's formal seizure of power in 1933. Banaszak stressed the need for caution with historical comparisons, but said the actions evoked such memories for him. He also criticized Trump for questioning the 2020 presidential election results, thereby rejecting democratic principles of peaceful power transfer.
Banaszak pointed to incidents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the US government deployed thousands of federal agents as part of Trump's stringent deportation policy. There, US citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti were shot by federal agents, and despite clear video footage, the incidents were being covered up. "This US president is covering up with his government that people are being shot on the open street and – although there is clear video footage – the opposite is being told," he said. Such elements are typical of authoritarian systems.
Despite the criticism, Banaszak saw hope: "I believe that in the US we are at least fortunately at the point where decisions might still be reversible." The shootings in Minneapolis sparked outrage and protests, including resistance from school districts against ICE operations.
