Meet the Irishman Exposing ICE From Amsterdam (Exclusive)
His name is Dominick Skinner and he's not afraid of Marsha Blackburn.
WASHINGTON — The Amsterdam-based activists continues to infuriate nativists on the far-right, from xenophobic senators like Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, to the MAGA media chorus of ICE apologists who insist without evidence that naming agents imperils the agents. We chatted yesterday with Skinner who was kind enough to answer my questions. Below is the Q&A, complete and unabridged:
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PABLO MANRÍQUEZ: So my first question is, since you live in Amsterdam, ICE has no jurisdiction over you at all. Is that correct?
DOMINICK SKINNER: Yes, rather humorously, the legislation being pushed cannot affect me without a U.S. invasion and occupation of the Netherlands, not to give them ideas.
PM: What motivates you to do the work of unmasking ICE agents in a foreign country?
DS: It’s one of those moments in history you don’t know how you’ll react until it happens. If the USA falls to authoritarianism, especially of the fascist variety, it’s a danger to the planet. We’re already seeing copycat crackdowns here in Europe. I felt the need to do something—and this I could do.
PM: Beyond your self-preservation as a European, is your stand against ICE also a stand with migrants?
DS: Without question. I’m Irish. We survived because the world accepted us as migrants. I believe in frictionless borders, equal economic opportunities, and that in a fair world migration wouldn’t even be an issue.
PM: How much time do you spend on ICEList? How many volunteers do you have?
DS: Some days six hours or more, other days just a few. We passed 200 volunteers this week, and are now splitting them into state groups. We’re still recruiting—especially for ground work: showing up where ICE is, taking photos, filing FOIAs, and spreading the word.
PM: Are most of the volunteers European or American?
DS: Mostly American. But tips come from over 80 countries. Canada and the UK are especially active.
PM: Beyond ICEList, can you say a little about your personal background?
DS: I grew up in Ireland, was homeless from 15 until 22. The government’s Catholic-inspired red tape kept me from aid. When I finally got out, I left Ireland, angry at the state but grateful for the generosity of ordinary people who helped me survive. That generosity is what I believe can change the world.
PM: Thanks, Dominick. Let’s stay in touch.
Sidebar: Blackburn Punches Down on ICEList
Skinner’s name recently appeared in an unusual place: the U.S. Congressional Record. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), now running for governor, singled him out in a press release as the direct cause for her “Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act.” The proposed law (SB 1952) would make it a crime to publish the name of a federal officer with the “intent to obstruct” immigration enforcement.
Blackburn’s accusation: ICEList uses facial recognition technology to “dox” agents, placing them in danger. Her own press release, however, conceded the website does not publish home addresses — the textbook definition of doxxing. Instead, the site identifies ICE agents by name and face, arguing that those who carry out enforcement actions in public should be accountable to the public.
Skinner, unsurprisingly, wasn’t cowed. In a fiery essay, he wrote:
“The last thing I expected when I woke up this morning was a Google alert telling me that my name had just shown up in the U.S. Congress… Apparently, the work we have been doing has made her uncomfortable enough to cite me as the reason behind a new bill in Congress. The fact that a sitting Senator has taken the time to try to turn me into the villain of this story only proves the point. They want to criminalize transparency.”
He went further, arguing that ICE’s reliance on masks is an admission of shame:
“If ICE agents were proud of their work, they would not be so ashamed as to hide their faces. If their work was lawful, they would not be afraid of sunlight.”
For Skinner, Blackburn’s bill isn’t about officer safety. It’s about protecting ICE’s wall of secrecy. “Bring it on,” he wrote. “If this makes me the villain in your story, then I can live with that. Because the real villains are the ones who think secret police belong in a free society.”
MY TAKE: Blackburn put ICE List on the partisan political map in the U.S. Since then, Skinner has been targeted by haters and denied essential web services, like server space from Bluehost.
The web domains he initially registered for ICEList were inexplicably removed from his custody, potentially by ICANN, the global governing board for web addresses (and a story Migrant Insider hopes to into over the weekend and next week).
Call it the Streisand Effect. Blackburn punched down on Skinner, thrusting ICE List into the public sphere as never before by making it newsworthy. Now a broader public is learning of the project — and according to Skinner, signing up in droves to volunteer. As always, watch this space…
In the news…
“Firefighter arrested at Washington state wildfire released by ICE” … STATELINE
“Journalist Held by ICE Faces ‘Imminent’ Deportation” … NYT
“What to know about Trump’s mass deportation campaign in Chicago” … WBEZ
“ICE began shipping immigrants to this tiny California town. Chaos has reigned ever since” … SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
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Thank you Pablo, that is a short but motivational and touching interview with Dominic Skinner, such an intrepid Irishman. I am extremely impressed by his focus on justice and for recognizing what is at stake worldwide via ICE