If you were going to pick one spot around town to dodge an ICE raid, Bricktown seems like a good choice.
Not only are there plenty of alleyways, dumpsters, and closed restaurants to hide in, but – let’s be honest – it seems like this area would be low on ICE’s priority list, with their efforts likely focused on the parts of town with a higher concentration of immigrants.
That’s why I was a bit surprised when I received an email from an Ogle Mole asking me if I’m going to cover the ICE raids in Bricktown that were being discussed on social media.
I immediately thought the tip was suspicious.
During panics and hysteria, even the well-deserved ones, social media is a notoriously unreliable place to get news and information – an empty void where algorithmic-friendly presumption, misinformation, and uninformed opinion double as news.
Plus, once again, why would ICE agents target Bricktown? Did Steve Lackmeyer change careers? Are they going after girls from Weatherford who are in town for a Bachelorette Party? Have Somali pirates returned to the Bricktown canal and hijacked a water taxi? We need answers!