9 ms·

Bubble of protection is 3000 feet laterally and 1000 feet vertically. From the article: “Unlike traditional Temporary Flight Restrictions, the NOTAM does not p

Bubble of protection is 3000 feet laterally and 1000 feet vertically. From the article: “Unlike traditional Temporary Flight Restrictions, the NOTAM does not provide geographic coordinates, activation times, or public notification when the restriction is in effect near a specific location. Instead, the restricted airspace moves with DHS assets, meaning the no-fly zone can appear wherever ICE or other DHS units operate.” “In practical terms, a drone operator flying legally in a public area could unknowingly enter restricted airspace if an ICE convoy passes within the protected radius.”

dragonwriter 8mo ago
So the unannounced movements of the secret police in their unmarked vehicles also create a bubble around them where usually-legal activity is illegal?
- jacquesm 8mo ago
  That's the goal, it just isn't spelled out.
- speed_spread 8mo ago
  And reciprocally, where usually illegal activity (beating up people and kidnapping them) is legal.
  - oawiejrlij 8mo ago
    You mean, shooting them ten times in the back?
    - speed_spread 8mo ago
      Oh yeah, that also.
- unangst 8mo ago
  See no crimes. Hear no truth. Speak no facts.
hn_throwaway_99 8mo ago
One of the hallmarks of authoritarianism is to have laws that are virtually impossible to not break. I hope this gets tested in court and declared unconstitutional for being overly vague and arbitrary. For example, Montana used to have some maximum speed limits that were just "reasonable and prudent", but they were eventually rejected by courts as being too vague (what's prudent to you may not be prudent to someone else). This is similar, in that the FAA has a no fly zone but they don't actually publish what it is. Catch-22 and 1984 weren't supposed to be instruction manuals.
- gtowey 8mo ago
  > I hope this gets tested in court and declared unconstitutional The rule of law has left the building. The SC is willing to rubber-stamp nearly anything right now. Waiting and hoping for common sense to prevail is what allows authoritarian regimes to bulldoze through existing laws and norms. Even if the courts were an avenue for redress, they are being overwhelmed by the daily barrage of new illegal and unconstitutional actions. Once the courts get around to addressing these cases, the damage has been done and the precedent has been set.
  - scoofy 8mo ago
    If you think the SCOTUS has been arbitrarily rubber stamping the administration's goals, you haven't been paying attention. I'll fully agree with you it appears to have been fairly partisan, but less than a month again they blocked the administration from deploying the national guard to states: >In one of its most consequential rulings of the year, just before breaking for the holidays last week the Supreme Court held that President Trump acted improperly in federalizing the National Guard in Illinois and in activating troops across the state. Although the case centered on the administration’s deployments in Chicago, the court’s ruling suggests that Trump’s actions in Los Angeles and Portland were likewise illegal. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-12-30/supreme-court-troop-deployments https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-12-30/supreme-cou...
    - lotsofpulp 8mo ago
oawiejrlij 8mo ago
I'm guessing that's entirely the idea. There will be even more cameras on them after yesterday, and they're trying to be proactive in having the authority to arrest all of them. They want the authority to arrest someone who was just out flying a drone and happened to film them as they moved.
- UncleEntity 8mo ago
  IDK, it's probably more a matter where they don't want people to be flying RPGs into their windscreens and this is the first step for them to carry around frequency jammers. The last time I was in Iraq they used them to stop the cellphone detonated IEDs and all the convoys has one or two. Coincidentally, folks won't be able to live stream their encounters but I'm sure that's totally unrelated...
  - jacquesm 8mo ago
    Yes, because the USA is totally undistinguishable from an active war zone...
    - twelvedogs 8mo ago
      I'm not sure what your point is, are you saying ice will draw a line because that tech was used in war? Trump has ordered troops to be ready deploy, pretending lines exist is silly
throw0101c 8mo ago
> “In practical terms, a drone operator flying legally in a public area could unknowingly enter restricted airspace if an ICE convoy passes within the protected radius.” “For my friends everything, for my enemies the law.” ― Oscar R. Benavides (Peru)
expedition32 8mo ago
Even if you won't actually be sentenced you'll still spend a couple of days in jail. This creates a chilling effect for normal people who don't want to become professional activists.

dragonwriter 8mo ago

So the unannounced movements of the secret police in their unmarked vehicles also create a bubble around them where usually-legal activity is illegal?

jacquesm 8mo ago
That's the goal, it just isn't spelled out.
speed_spread 8mo ago
And reciprocally, where usually illegal activity (beating up people and kidnapping them) is legal.
- oawiejrlij 8mo ago
  You mean, shooting them ten times in the back?
  - speed_spread 8mo ago
    Oh yeah, that also.
unangst 8mo ago
See no crimes. Hear no truth. Speak no facts.

hn_throwaway_99 8mo ago

One of the hallmarks of authoritarianism is to have laws that are virtually impossible to not break. I hope this gets tested in court and declared unconstitutional for being overly vague and arbitrary. For example, Montana used to have some maximum speed limits that were just "reasonable and prudent", but they were eventually rejected by courts as being too vague (what's prudent to you may not be prudent to someone else). This is similar, in that the FAA has a no fly zone but they don't actually publish what it is. Catch-22 and 1984 weren't supposed to be instruction manuals.

gtowey 8mo ago
> I hope this gets tested in court and declared unconstitutional The rule of law has left the building. The SC is willing to rubber-stamp nearly anything right now. Waiting and hoping for common sense to prevail is what allows authoritarian regimes to bulldoze through existing laws and norms. Even if the courts were an avenue for redress, they are being overwhelmed by the daily barrage of new illegal and unconstitutional actions. Once the courts get around to addressing these cases, the damage has been done and the precedent has been set.
- scoofy 8mo ago
  If you think the SCOTUS has been arbitrarily rubber stamping the administration's goals, you haven't been paying attention. I'll fully agree with you it appears to have been fairly partisan, but less than a month again they blocked the administration from deploying the national guard to states: >In one of its most consequential rulings of the year, just before breaking for the holidays last week the Supreme Court held that President Trump acted improperly in federalizing the National Guard in Illinois and in activating troops across the state. Although the case centered on the administration’s deployments in Chicago, the court’s ruling suggests that Trump’s actions in Los Angeles and Portland were likewise illegal. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-12-30/supreme-court-troop-deployments https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-12-30/supreme-cou...
  - lotsofpulp 8mo ago

oawiejrlij 8mo ago

I'm guessing that's entirely the idea. There will be even more cameras on them after yesterday, and they're trying to be proactive in having the authority to arrest all of them. They want the authority to arrest someone who was just out flying a drone and happened to film them as they moved.

UncleEntity 8mo ago
IDK, it's probably more a matter where they don't want people to be flying RPGs into their windscreens and this is the first step for them to carry around frequency jammers. The last time I was in Iraq they used them to stop the cellphone detonated IEDs and all the convoys has one or two. Coincidentally, folks won't be able to live stream their encounters but I'm sure that's totally unrelated...
- jacquesm 8mo ago
  Yes, because the USA is totally undistinguishable from an active war zone...
  - twelvedogs 8mo ago
    I'm not sure what your point is, are you saying ice will draw a line because that tech was used in war? Trump has ordered troops to be ready deploy, pretending lines exist is silly

throw0101c 8mo ago

> “In practical terms, a drone operator flying legally in a public area could unknowingly enter restricted airspace if an ICE convoy passes within the protected radius.” “For my friends everything, for my enemies the law.” ― Oscar R. Benavides (Peru)

expedition32 8mo ago

Even if you won't actually be sentenced you'll still spend a couple of days in jail. This creates a chilling effect for normal people who don't want to become professional activists.