Progressive Politics

A leaked list of federal agents involved in the White House’s mass deportation actions includes the name of Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the right-wing militant group called the Proud Boys. A whistleblower in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reportedly gave the names of roughly 4,500 agents to an online watchdog group called ICE List, which published the names. The revelations come less than a week after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed local activist Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, which has sparked protests against the federal agency’s actions across the country.

Founded by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes in 2016, the Proud Boys grew steadily as a feature of the American right wing throughout Trump’s first term, with members showing up at rallies and engaging in violence against political opposition with increased frequency and intensity. Tarrio rose through the organization’s ranks through this period, becoming a “fourth-degree” member of the organization for having engaged in violence “for the cause” in 2018. McInnes left the organization that same year after it was designated a terrorist organization by Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and by 2020, Tarrio was the face of the Proud Boys. The group saw a spike in membership after Trump told the organization’s members to “stand back and stand by” during a presidential debate in September of that year.