ICE shouldn’t exist as currently structured. The agency was created in 2003 by merging two distinct functions with different legal standards and oversight mechanisms: immigration law enforcement (formerly Justice Department) and customs enforcement (formerly Treasury Department). That merger created the structural problems that enable today’s violence and extraction without accountability.
Natural disasters now cost the American economy over $180 billion annually, but our entire federal disaster management system costs only $25-30 billion to operate—a remarkable 6:1 protective ratio. New economic research reveals that every dollar invested in disaster preparedness saves $6-13 in damages and economic impact, making it one of the most cost-effective government functions.Yet recent policy changes threaten this system precisely when we need it most. Without federal coordination, states like Louisiana would face disaster costs equivalent to multiple years of their entire budgets. The ripple effects extend far beyond immediate damage zones: supply chain disruptions from localized disasters now trigger national economic impacts, with effects cascading to companies four degrees removed from the initial disaster.As climate change increases disaster frequency and intensity, the economic argument for robust preparedness has never been stronger. The question isn’t whether we can afford disaster preparedness—it’s whether we can afford to abandon it.
