Enforcing Prohibition with a massive new federal force of poorly trained agents didn’t go so well in the 1920s

Both Prohibition and current mass deportation efforts were hastily built, staffed by people permitted to use force, and had difficult objectives to achieve.

By: Richard F. Hamm, University at Albany, State University of New York, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 20, 2026

Words: 1,041

Last Updated: 3 days, 5 hours ago

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By Richard F. Hamm, University at Albany, State University of New York

As the actions of agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement come under intense scrutiny, it’s worth noting that a little more than 100 years ago, another expansion of federal policing – to enforce national Prohibition – also sparked nationwide concern.

As a U.S. history scholar, I know both the government agencies charged with enforcing national …

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