Yes, Democrats have to step up. Millions of people didn't march in No Kings 1.0 and 2.0 - and this weekend - because they are upset about the price of eggs. They are upset about the destruction of American democracy and rule of law, and the deployment of masked thugs in our streets and the murder of Renee Good is the manisfestation of that. Now, ICE has killed a number of people in detention, but they are mostly Brown and foreign. Now in broad daylight they killed White suburban mom. She was out there exercising her White Privilege to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. And paid with her life. It's outrageous that it takes a death such as hers to galvanize people, but it has.
Democrats misread the immigration part of Trump's 2024 win. And they misplayed it. They didn't stress Biden's deportation numbers, that Democrats agreed to legislation that Trump had the GOP kill, that Republicans have stalled immigration legislation for years. Democrats need to learn from Republicans: Don't be afraid of your vulnerabilities; attack your opponent's supposed strength. It shouldn't be hard to campaign on "We want professional and humane immigration management, not masked thugs in the streets, not concentration camps. And to target actual criminals, the way Trump says he would." Also the many examples of how Trump (and Stephen Miller are attacking ALL types of immigration - they've all asylum but for Afrikaners. They're failing to protect Afghans who supported our military, and more. How hard can it be to make an aggressive campaign on this?
Given Chuck Schumer's continuing failure, incompetence and cowardice if he thinks it's a bad idea to shut down the gov't then Democrats should do it!
He's a fuc*king loser whose time should have come a decade ago. Trump came to power twice on his watch and he needs to go into the garbage disposal of history without a second thought along with all the other useless democrats and the democratic consultant class that have enabled all this.
Lauren and Adrian, Thanks for the excellent behind the scenes look into the procrastination of the Democrats on the response to the killing of Renee Good. What happened in Minneapolis was a watershed event. An unarmed, non-violent American citizen was murdered under false pretenses and our government is going to extraordinary lengths to lie about it and cover it up. The outrage across America should shake the ground like a 10 on the Richter scale. Hell yes it's time to take the ICE issue front and center. Funding must be halted and operational methods restricted to the same procedures as our police departments, badges, no masks, probable cause, etc. Sadly, this will not help Renee Good but it will save countless people from suffering the same fate. Our current trajectory warns us there is no time to wait.
I think that eliminating ICE Is not the solution. ICE, as far as I know, has not come under this kind of scrutiny before because the agency has stayed within its limits and performed well in the past. The agency may have not been perfect and perhaps not as aggressive in the past, and they may have been underfunded. I’m not a budget watcher, so I can’t say I really know. I think they are vastly overfunded now and paying ridiculous bonuses for joining ICE. They have far greater numbers and more resources-too much in my opinion. I’m a bit left of center in my political view, but nowhere near radical. The focus is clearly on blue states and blue cities. I read this morning that Alabama ranked 20th in arrests, but largely out of jails and prisons, as it should. Alabama needs the immigrant work force, and is closer to the border than the majority of states, but it doesn’t have the kind of large cities that draw immigrants. We all know that law enforcement draws from a certain type of person, but the overwhelming majority are good citizens who do their jobs without overstepping. The amount of training and oversight is significantly greater than the newest ICE agents. ICE is needed but not in the numbers and budget resources in the BBB. The leadership in DHS is a disaster, and Noem is in over her head and too loyal to Trump to be objective. I could go on,but I’m sure much of what I might say has been covered in other comments
After the shooting, we 100% need to see some pushback at the very least. I do agree with some of the Dems that our best option is to get the majority and then make the necessary changes (defund should be an option) to ICE to fix this crap. Wouldn't hurt to show more strength in the meantime, however.
Let's be crystal clear: ICE are paid mercenary MAGA domestic terrorists. Everything that's happening now - as bad as it is - is practice for what's to come. Does anyone really think TrumpCo won't create a rationale for using ICE to 'manage' the midterms? That they won't double ICE's ranks and occupy every blue city and state to 'ensure' 'free and fair' elections? Does anyone really think they're not going to do this?
We are under occupation, right now, and it's going to get much, much worse. This is it. We live in a violent authoritarian dictatorship. It's in the process of being set up, but we are here. And our political 'leadership' is utterly, completely incapable of not just responding, but even seeing what's right in front of us.
It's up to us. It's going to be harder than anyone wants to think about. And there's no guarantee the good guys will win. But at this point there is no other way out.
Trump and his ideological Triumvirate, Miller, Vought and Roberts, will never allow another free and fair election. The midterms are doomed if they occur at all. The Federal Election Commission is dead. It was de-funded by Vought via Executive Order 14215 and under-manned by Trump. There are only 2 commssioners of the 6 that are required by law. 4 are required for a forum to vote and conduct business. Trump is not about to appoint additional commissioners. The FEC is dead. ICE is busting down doors on residences in Minnesota. Americans are armed. All it will take is one gunshot fired in self defense from the interior of a home and the whole democratic experiment collapses. The Plan is to invoke the Insurrection Act. One bullet is all it will take. Cellphone videos are the best weapon. Don’t engage these guys in a shootout. That’s what they’re trying to incite. That’s what they want. It’s part of The Plan. As soon as gunfire breaks out Trump will use the Insurrection Act to declare martial law, and Poof! No more elections. Gone. He knows it and is drooling over the prospect. We know it. That is not to deny the possibility that they will stage a fake shootout and create the pretense of insurrection. Cellphone videos broadcast over the internet are more likely to persuade people who spend their lives on these platforms. Eventually those videos will work their way onto traditional media channels to persuade more citizens. The midterm elections cannot come soon enough. Record events with your cellphone. The Dems chanted “We are not going back”. Uhhhh. I think that going back to some conservation of civil discourse and problem-solving society would be preferable to the radical and destructive course we now seem destined to take.
This is exactly right. Escalation is their MO; they will never stop, and it's gut churning to see, read about, and hear people who should know better (such as in this article) but are still unable to wrap their heads around what's right in front of us. I mean, it's not like TrumpCo is sneaky or subtle. We are in deep, deep shit.
One good step now is to support Mark Warner's legislation to make ICE more accountable to the same standards as all other law enforcement (Immigration Enforcement Identification Safety Act). To help ensure that ICE couldn’t conduct routine operations masked or without any identification.
Also, yes cut or freeze ICE funding during the January budgetary votes!
I am not a wild-eyed radical Dem but spent the wknd at ICE protests and I can tell you that Dem voters are furious and frightened for the safety of their communities. They are pissed that their elected officials constantly send texts and emails begging for money but disregard their fears of ICE in their cities. I suggest that Dem politicians DO NOT underestimate their voters’ rage
Democrats have a chance/possibility to slow the roll of ICE. They MUST take it. No excuses. As someone else said, ICE will just be bigger and bigger in 6 months, and definitely big enough to interfere with whatever elections will be held next fall, just to name one consequence. The whole and entire point of the ICE budget is to give Trump a private army. I will never forgive them if they do not make a stand here and now.
The abolish ICE line of thinking is very similar to the defund the defund police movement, to many moderate voters.
So far the best strategy in stopping Trump is, let Trump beat Trump. His increasing detachment from reality is not playing particularly well with moderates and independents.
If the Democrats play this correctly, I would not be surprised to see them not only take the House but also either narrow the Senate margin, or take the majority.
I don’t think you understood my post. I was in no way equating law-enforcement with ICE. I was only referring to the perception of the movement to abolish ICE as opposed to the defund movement.
This is a huge difference for many moderates and independents.
No. You do not understand what we're dealing with. You're not paying attention, or you're not seeing what's right in front of you, or something. There's a huge, huge, huge difference between ICE and police agencies. If you don't see that, you need to look much more closely.
What's crystal clear, even through the fog of Egan's lazy reporting and relentless propaganda for Third Way and Rahm "Failure" Emmanuel, is that institutional Democrats with authority and power are not able to imagine anything outside the DC world which created them, the big money they cannot live without, and their cocoon of privilege. Read what they say they "might" - you know, maybe, if their adult diapers don't need changing - do in response to a woman - a mother - getting murdered in cold blood, executed, shot in the face three times by a MAGA paid terrorist mercenary. You know the Trumpers are shaking in their boots at a Dem congressional investigation. You know that some video-ready, tough as nails questions from those fearless Dems will turn this MAGA terrorist autocracy right around. Maybe Schumer can deliver a fiery speech on the Senate floor to an empty room.
Or maybe Schumer and Jeffries can issue a joint statement condemning in the strongest possible language the unfortunate events in Minnesota. Or maybe Third Way will lead Democrats and America to glorious victory in the mid-terms and Rahm Emmanuel can triumphantly march us out of the darkness. Because you know that it's not all those 501(c)3's that are electing Democrats by record margins and mobilizing across the country at the local, state, and national level (see: Lean Left, Swing Left, Red2Blue, etc etc) that are the only way we'll pull out of this. It's not the candidates and organizers who see what's right in front of us and are showing actual leadership and acting as though we are in big, big, big fucking trouble - which we are - and mobilizing for the massive changes this country must - MUST - undertake if we're going to survive as a liberal democratic republic. No - it's our fearless, courageous, imaginative, risk taking, innovative, forward thinking, line in the sand institutional Democrats who are not at all exactly like the captain of the Titanic - not....at....all - who will save us from the, errrr, "excesses," the "overstepping," the "indulgences" of this terrorist authoritarian dictatorship. You betcha. And you can bet your mother the authoritarian MAGA supporting Republicans are laughing their assess off at how weak, pathetic, and out of depth Democrats are.
The institutional Democrats will - will - sink the ship of American democracy. Every quote above - especially the mewling of Third Way "I've never won a single election" Matt Bennett - shows this with "I can't believe these people are for real" clarity. The only difference between these folks and the captain of the Titanic is the captain of the Titanic went down with the ship. This crowd? They'll just retire to Mexico and write their memoirs in which they lament the heart breaking but "I did everything I could" destruction of this country and everything it stands for. Which would include fighting with your life if you actually gave a shit.
I was standing on a street corner near Sutter Hospital in Sacramento on Thursday morning when a 60ish year old gentleman walked up and waited with me for the light to change. He said something like “It’s really hard right now.” I thought he meant, something about being on his way to the hospital, and I was kind of confused, so I said “what do you mean?” And he said “the shooting in Minnesota.” And he went on to tell me how awful it was and how clearly unprovoked. I felt like that was a real moment, between two total strangers. Regular people see it.
Thank you for saying this. I know that you're right that regular people see it. Even though MAGA's followers may be *saying* the party line about the shooting, in their hearts and minds they *know* what they saw and heard this time. Unlike for deportations and detentions of supposed criminal gang members, ordinary people can't be fooled into really believing that Renee Good with stuffed animals in the glovebox and a dog in the backseat is at fault for getting shot three times in the head.
Goods mindset was protection, his mindset is war. The DHS is the DHW, the Department of Homeland War.
Yes, Democrats have to step up. Millions of people didn't march in No Kings 1.0 and 2.0 - and this weekend - because they are upset about the price of eggs. They are upset about the destruction of American democracy and rule of law, and the deployment of masked thugs in our streets and the murder of Renee Good is the manisfestation of that. Now, ICE has killed a number of people in detention, but they are mostly Brown and foreign. Now in broad daylight they killed White suburban mom. She was out there exercising her White Privilege to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. And paid with her life. It's outrageous that it takes a death such as hers to galvanize people, but it has.
Democrats misread the immigration part of Trump's 2024 win. And they misplayed it. They didn't stress Biden's deportation numbers, that Democrats agreed to legislation that Trump had the GOP kill, that Republicans have stalled immigration legislation for years. Democrats need to learn from Republicans: Don't be afraid of your vulnerabilities; attack your opponent's supposed strength. It shouldn't be hard to campaign on "We want professional and humane immigration management, not masked thugs in the streets, not concentration camps. And to target actual criminals, the way Trump says he would." Also the many examples of how Trump (and Stephen Miller are attacking ALL types of immigration - they've all asylum but for Afrikaners. They're failing to protect Afghans who supported our military, and more. How hard can it be to make an aggressive campaign on this?
Given Chuck Schumer's continuing failure, incompetence and cowardice if he thinks it's a bad idea to shut down the gov't then Democrats should do it!
He's a fuc*king loser whose time should have come a decade ago. Trump came to power twice on his watch and he needs to go into the garbage disposal of history without a second thought along with all the other useless democrats and the democratic consultant class that have enabled all this.
Lauren and Adrian, Thanks for the excellent behind the scenes look into the procrastination of the Democrats on the response to the killing of Renee Good. What happened in Minneapolis was a watershed event. An unarmed, non-violent American citizen was murdered under false pretenses and our government is going to extraordinary lengths to lie about it and cover it up. The outrage across America should shake the ground like a 10 on the Richter scale. Hell yes it's time to take the ICE issue front and center. Funding must be halted and operational methods restricted to the same procedures as our police departments, badges, no masks, probable cause, etc. Sadly, this will not help Renee Good but it will save countless people from suffering the same fate. Our current trajectory warns us there is no time to wait.
I think that eliminating ICE Is not the solution. ICE, as far as I know, has not come under this kind of scrutiny before because the agency has stayed within its limits and performed well in the past. The agency may have not been perfect and perhaps not as aggressive in the past, and they may have been underfunded. I’m not a budget watcher, so I can’t say I really know. I think they are vastly overfunded now and paying ridiculous bonuses for joining ICE. They have far greater numbers and more resources-too much in my opinion. I’m a bit left of center in my political view, but nowhere near radical. The focus is clearly on blue states and blue cities. I read this morning that Alabama ranked 20th in arrests, but largely out of jails and prisons, as it should. Alabama needs the immigrant work force, and is closer to the border than the majority of states, but it doesn’t have the kind of large cities that draw immigrants. We all know that law enforcement draws from a certain type of person, but the overwhelming majority are good citizens who do their jobs without overstepping. The amount of training and oversight is significantly greater than the newest ICE agents. ICE is needed but not in the numbers and budget resources in the BBB. The leadership in DHS is a disaster, and Noem is in over her head and too loyal to Trump to be objective. I could go on,but I’m sure much of what I might say has been covered in other comments
After the shooting, we 100% need to see some pushback at the very least. I do agree with some of the Dems that our best option is to get the majority and then make the necessary changes (defund should be an option) to ICE to fix this crap. Wouldn't hurt to show more strength in the meantime, however.
so excellent - will inform my new letter to my congress people. Thank you.
Excellent article with multiple points of view. So sad that real immigration reform to give more working visas is on no party’s to do list.
The scream stuck in my throat is trying to say it's too late...
Maybe. But no point in saying that now. It just discourages people.
Let's be crystal clear: ICE are paid mercenary MAGA domestic terrorists. Everything that's happening now - as bad as it is - is practice for what's to come. Does anyone really think TrumpCo won't create a rationale for using ICE to 'manage' the midterms? That they won't double ICE's ranks and occupy every blue city and state to 'ensure' 'free and fair' elections? Does anyone really think they're not going to do this?
We are under occupation, right now, and it's going to get much, much worse. This is it. We live in a violent authoritarian dictatorship. It's in the process of being set up, but we are here. And our political 'leadership' is utterly, completely incapable of not just responding, but even seeing what's right in front of us.
It's up to us. It's going to be harder than anyone wants to think about. And there's no guarantee the good guys will win. But at this point there is no other way out.
Trump and his ideological Triumvirate, Miller, Vought and Roberts, will never allow another free and fair election. The midterms are doomed if they occur at all. The Federal Election Commission is dead. It was de-funded by Vought via Executive Order 14215 and under-manned by Trump. There are only 2 commssioners of the 6 that are required by law. 4 are required for a forum to vote and conduct business. Trump is not about to appoint additional commissioners. The FEC is dead. ICE is busting down doors on residences in Minnesota. Americans are armed. All it will take is one gunshot fired in self defense from the interior of a home and the whole democratic experiment collapses. The Plan is to invoke the Insurrection Act. One bullet is all it will take. Cellphone videos are the best weapon. Don’t engage these guys in a shootout. That’s what they’re trying to incite. That’s what they want. It’s part of The Plan. As soon as gunfire breaks out Trump will use the Insurrection Act to declare martial law, and Poof! No more elections. Gone. He knows it and is drooling over the prospect. We know it. That is not to deny the possibility that they will stage a fake shootout and create the pretense of insurrection. Cellphone videos broadcast over the internet are more likely to persuade people who spend their lives on these platforms. Eventually those videos will work their way onto traditional media channels to persuade more citizens. The midterm elections cannot come soon enough. Record events with your cellphone. The Dems chanted “We are not going back”. Uhhhh. I think that going back to some conservation of civil discourse and problem-solving society would be preferable to the radical and destructive course we now seem destined to take.
This is exactly right. Escalation is their MO; they will never stop, and it's gut churning to see, read about, and hear people who should know better (such as in this article) but are still unable to wrap their heads around what's right in front of us. I mean, it's not like TrumpCo is sneaky or subtle. We are in deep, deep shit.
One good step now is to support Mark Warner's legislation to make ICE more accountable to the same standards as all other law enforcement (Immigration Enforcement Identification Safety Act). To help ensure that ICE couldn’t conduct routine operations masked or without any identification.
Also, yes cut or freeze ICE funding during the January budgetary votes!
I am not a wild-eyed radical Dem but spent the wknd at ICE protests and I can tell you that Dem voters are furious and frightened for the safety of their communities. They are pissed that their elected officials constantly send texts and emails begging for money but disregard their fears of ICE in their cities. I suggest that Dem politicians DO NOT underestimate their voters’ rage
Right. And I'd just add that people didn't come out by the millions for No Kings 1.0 and 2.0 because they were upset about the price of eggs.
Yes. I'm seeing the same thing.
Democrats have a chance/possibility to slow the roll of ICE. They MUST take it. No excuses. As someone else said, ICE will just be bigger and bigger in 6 months, and definitely big enough to interfere with whatever elections will be held next fall, just to name one consequence. The whole and entire point of the ICE budget is to give Trump a private army. I will never forgive them if they do not make a stand here and now.
The abolish ICE line of thinking is very similar to the defund the defund police movement, to many moderate voters.
So far the best strategy in stopping Trump is, let Trump beat Trump. His increasing detachment from reality is not playing particularly well with moderates and independents.
If the Democrats play this correctly, I would not be surprised to see them not only take the House but also either narrow the Senate margin, or take the majority.
I don’t think you understood my post. I was in no way equating law-enforcement with ICE. I was only referring to the perception of the movement to abolish ICE as opposed to the defund movement.
This is a huge difference for many moderates and independents.
I certainly hope you are right that there will be another election. I am skeptical about the possibility of that.
No. You do not understand what we're dealing with. You're not paying attention, or you're not seeing what's right in front of you, or something. There's a huge, huge, huge difference between ICE and police agencies. If you don't see that, you need to look much more closely.
What's crystal clear, even through the fog of Egan's lazy reporting and relentless propaganda for Third Way and Rahm "Failure" Emmanuel, is that institutional Democrats with authority and power are not able to imagine anything outside the DC world which created them, the big money they cannot live without, and their cocoon of privilege. Read what they say they "might" - you know, maybe, if their adult diapers don't need changing - do in response to a woman - a mother - getting murdered in cold blood, executed, shot in the face three times by a MAGA paid terrorist mercenary. You know the Trumpers are shaking in their boots at a Dem congressional investigation. You know that some video-ready, tough as nails questions from those fearless Dems will turn this MAGA terrorist autocracy right around. Maybe Schumer can deliver a fiery speech on the Senate floor to an empty room.
Or maybe Schumer and Jeffries can issue a joint statement condemning in the strongest possible language the unfortunate events in Minnesota. Or maybe Third Way will lead Democrats and America to glorious victory in the mid-terms and Rahm Emmanuel can triumphantly march us out of the darkness. Because you know that it's not all those 501(c)3's that are electing Democrats by record margins and mobilizing across the country at the local, state, and national level (see: Lean Left, Swing Left, Red2Blue, etc etc) that are the only way we'll pull out of this. It's not the candidates and organizers who see what's right in front of us and are showing actual leadership and acting as though we are in big, big, big fucking trouble - which we are - and mobilizing for the massive changes this country must - MUST - undertake if we're going to survive as a liberal democratic republic. No - it's our fearless, courageous, imaginative, risk taking, innovative, forward thinking, line in the sand institutional Democrats who are not at all exactly like the captain of the Titanic - not....at....all - who will save us from the, errrr, "excesses," the "overstepping," the "indulgences" of this terrorist authoritarian dictatorship. You betcha. And you can bet your mother the authoritarian MAGA supporting Republicans are laughing their assess off at how weak, pathetic, and out of depth Democrats are.
The institutional Democrats will - will - sink the ship of American democracy. Every quote above - especially the mewling of Third Way "I've never won a single election" Matt Bennett - shows this with "I can't believe these people are for real" clarity. The only difference between these folks and the captain of the Titanic is the captain of the Titanic went down with the ship. This crowd? They'll just retire to Mexico and write their memoirs in which they lament the heart breaking but "I did everything I could" destruction of this country and everything it stands for. Which would include fighting with your life if you actually gave a shit.
I was standing on a street corner near Sutter Hospital in Sacramento on Thursday morning when a 60ish year old gentleman walked up and waited with me for the light to change. He said something like “It’s really hard right now.” I thought he meant, something about being on his way to the hospital, and I was kind of confused, so I said “what do you mean?” And he said “the shooting in Minnesota.” And he went on to tell me how awful it was and how clearly unprovoked. I felt like that was a real moment, between two total strangers. Regular people see it.
Thank you for saying this. I know that you're right that regular people see it. Even though MAGA's followers may be *saying* the party line about the shooting, in their hearts and minds they *know* what they saw and heard this time. Unlike for deportations and detentions of supposed criminal gang members, ordinary people can't be fooled into really believing that Renee Good with stuffed animals in the glovebox and a dog in the backseat is at fault for getting shot three times in the head.