FAA institutes nationwide drone no-fly zones around ICE operations

Perception of the new drone restriction

• Many see the moving no‑fly “bubble” as designed to prevent public filming of ICE/DHS operations and potential abuses, not as a genuine safety measure.
• Others suggest a more security-focused motive (e.g., concern about weaponized drones / RPGs), but even they note the convenient side effect of blocking live-streamed encounters.
• Some point out the NOTAM actually covers DoD, DOE, and broader DHS “mobile assets,” not just ICE.

Legal and constitutional concerns

• Strong worry that the rule is effectively impossible to comply with (no coordinates, no activation times), resembling “laws that are impossible not to break” – a hallmark of authoritarianism in the eyes of many commenters.
• Comparisons to vague or strict-liability laws (gun‑free school zones, statutory rape) are raised, but others argue those at least involve discoverable facts, unlike secret ICE convoys.
• Several call it FAA overreach beyond its original low‑altitude remit and cite recent Supreme Court decisions (Loper Bright, Trump v. United States) as evidence that judicial checks are weakening.

Enforcement, chilling effects, and secrecy

• People highlight that a legal drone flight could instantly become illegal when a convoy passes, making anyone filming vulnerable to after‑the‑fact enforcement via Remote ID logs.
• This is seen as a tool to selectively target activists and “normal people” alike, creating a broad chilling effect on recording public events.
• Some pilots note similar information gaps already exist for sports‑event TFRs, but others say those are more bounded (static stadiums, known event types) than a roving secret zone.

Drone technology and workarounds

• Discussion of DJI geofencing: some claim it can be disabled or has been relaxed; others doubt it, citing heavy restrictions near major airports and DC.
• Multiple comments argue it’s trivial for skilled hobbyists to build drones without Remote ID or geofencing, though cost, skill, and risk of being labeled a “terrorist” are deterrents.
• Suggestions include FPV homebuilt drones, tethered testing tricks, offline recording, and eventually AI‑guided, GPS‑independent navigation.

Broader political and societal anxieties

• The rule is framed by many as one more step toward an authoritarian or theocratic state: secret police, unaccountable executive power, and normalized labeling of dissenters as “domestic terrorists.”
• Others push back that both sides are being manipulated and that talk of inevitable civil war is dangerous, but several believe the U.S. is already sliding toward “regime” behavior seen abroad.