US Postal Service Now Aiding Trump's Mass Deportation Effort

The United States Postal Service has joined the ranks of federal agencies that are cooperating with President Donald Trump's mass deportation operation that's sent hundreds of people to a foreign prison without due process and deported more than one young U.S. citizen with cancer.

As The Washington Post reported Tuesday, leaders of the Postal Inspection Service—the USPS law enforcement arm that's more accustomed to investigating threats against mail carriers and contraband sent through the mail—agreed to participate in Trump's deportation campaign amid threats from the administration that it could take control of USPS.

Administration officials moved to oust Postmaster General Louis DeJoy last month, and Trump has discussed the idea of privatizing the agency and bringing it under the control of the Department of Commerce.

"We want to play well in the sandbox," an email from the inspection service said after a meeting with immigration officials, according to the Post.

So far, that has included postal inspectors' participation in an immigration raid in Colorado Springs on Sunday, according to a video posted on social media by the local Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office, which also showed at least one official from the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) criminal investigation unit. More than 100 undocumented immigrants were arrested in the raid.

"Is there a single government agency or service left that hasn't fully embraced fascism?" asked one critic on Bluesky.

Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office directing all federal law enforcement agencies to take part in locating and deporting undocumented immigrants. Earlier this month, immigrant rights and privacy advocates were outraged at the news that the IRS would begin cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by allowing it to access taxpayer data.

In the case of the USPS law enforcement arm, immigration officials are working with postal inspectors to access photographs of the outside of envelopes and packages and the postal agency's surveillance systems, including credit card data and mail tracking information, to help locate undocumented immigrants.

Postal inspectors have previously taken part in federal law enforcement operations, but this marks the first time they have been involved in immigration enforcement.

One source who remained anonymous for fear of retribution told the Post that the Postal Inspection Service is "very, very nervous" about its new involvement, but leaders "seem to be trying to placate Trump by getting involved with things they think he'd like."

"But it's complete overreach," they said. "This is the Postal Service. Why are they involved in deporting people?"

Jonathan Cohn of the grassroots group Progressive Mass said the new development at USPS is indicative of the Trump administration "weaponizing every arm of the federal government to commit state terror against the population."