When the Government Becomes the Militia

"We've kind of gotten what we want, right? There's no reason to fucking protest." That's how Enrique Tarrio, longtime Proud Boys leader, explained his group's retreat from the streets while charging his Tesla. The reason? The federal government is now doing their job for them.

Just a year ago, experts predicted a renaissance for the Proud Boys and similar extremist groups. Their leadership had been imprisoned for January 6th, creating a temporary lull. But Trump's 1,500 pardons and commutations for Capitol rioters seemed to signal their return to prominence.

Instead, something more subtle—and perhaps more troubling—has occurred.

The New Street Enforcers

Armed men are indeed roaming American streets, intimidating immigrants and confronting protesters with authority that transcends local law enforcement. But these aren't militia members in Hawaiian shirts. They're Department of Homeland Security agents in tactical vests, cargo pants, and face coverings—virtually indistinguishable from the extremist groups they've effectively replaced.

The visual similarities are striking. 3,000 federal agents deployed to Minneapolis wearing the same gear that made Proud Boys instantly recognizable: tactical vests, sunglasses, neck buffs pulled over faces. The tactics mirror those perfected by militias during Trump's first term—militaristic intimidation designed to cow opposition.

More Resources, Same Mission

Where independent right-wing groups operated on shoestring budgets, ICE and Border Patrol command resources extremists could only dream of. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act provided ICE with $75 billion in additional funding. Both Vice President Vance and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller have claimed agents enjoy legal immunity—a protection no militia member ever possessed.

"Immigration was a central and polarizing issue in 2016," Tarrio told me. "There were times when the feds weren't allowed to do their job. Here, ICE is doing its job no matter what."

The results have been predictably violent. Two civilians killed, communities terrorized, and constitutional protections trampled—all under federal authority rather than vigilante action.

The Proud Boys' New Role

With federal agents handling street-level intimidation, extremist groups have adapted. Tarrio described plans to visit Minneapolis "in disguise" for "intelligence gathering" on ICE protesters. The Proud Boys are transitioning from visible confrontation to covert operations—digital campaigns to get opponents fired, surveillance, and coordination with official enforcement.

When I asked about Proud Boys joining ICE, Tarrio was coy: "I'm sure some of the guys have applied. If they did join ICE, we'd probably be quiet about it, because they'd probably get fired if they were publicly a Proud Boy."

A Senate report cited detained immigrants who noticed ICE agents with Proud Boys tattoos—suggesting the line between extremist groups and federal agencies may be blurrier than officials admit.

The Dangerous Precedent

This merger of extremist tactics with state power represents something historically ominous. When governments adopt the methods of fringe groups, they legitimize and amplify those tactics while shielding them from accountability.

Sean Westwood of Dartmouth's Polarization Research Lab warns that state violence typically occurs within accepted frameworks—police acting in clear self-defense, legal executions. But the recent killings lack such justification, creating conditions for retaliatory violence similar to what followed Kent State in 1970.

Tarrio sees this possibility too, telling me that left-wing retaliation is "the one thing that could potentially bring him and his fellow Proud Boys back out"—raising the specter of federal agents and militia members eventually joining forces on American streets.