little planes - Government Watching, Public Snoozing

TL;DR: Customs & Border Protection flew Predator B (MQ‑9 Reaper) drones over immigrant protests in Los Angeles to surveil demonstrators. It’s federal aerial state control—not local cops—and almost nobody seems to notice or care.

What’s Going On

• In June 2025, CBP deployed at least two MQ‑9 Predator B drones over L.A. anti‑ICE protests—without callsigns or public notification.
• DHS confirmed the drones supported ICE operations. Lawmakers say surveillance violated First Amendment rights; footage was shared to social media to justify crackdowns.

Why It Matters

• Military-grade drones monitoring civilian protests.
• No oversight. No warrant. No public vote.
• Aerial surveillance used to escalate crowd control.

And Still…People Scroll

• The story gets buried in protest footage.
• Civil rights groups tweet—but algorithms bury activism.
• Public sees drama, not state surveillance powered by Predator tech.

What Could Have Happened

• Local lawsuits against DHS drone flights.
• Congressional hearings on surveillance escalation.
• City bans on armed or militarized drone tech without approval.

Instead: we consume drone footage as content, not as evidence of state overreach.

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Posted by someone tracking airspace logs instead of Instagram timelines.