I am lurking in your comments right now. You are sharing “Abolish Ice” signs. You tell others that ICE is at this KwikTrip in MN. You share short clips of ICE dragging people from cars that are missing the part where they blocked in or rammed an ICE vehicle. I see a woman being carried away, but you left out the part where she started hitting the officer, which justifies her arrest. I watch your AI videos of brutal ICE altercations and zealous, innocent protesters—you think those are real? You wish to convince me to join the revolution against the federal government.

You on the other side are sharing videos of protesters jeering at ICE, throwing snowballs, or chasing ICE away from a business. You share the most brutal, filled with enraged faces screaming at officers. The protesters call names, they throw things; they shoot fireworks. If they cross a physical line, they are brought down with force. You also wish to convince me to join a side, telling me these are NOT my neighbors.

But they are. I have seen these friends share videos on Facebook about vigils and protests they attend. They are the people I love.

Yet, my neighbors have also been alongside me all week, at church, picking up kids at school, and going to basketball games. Many are disgusted by the protesters who disrespect law enforcement, and fail to understand the difference between free speech, civil disobedience, and resistance. The latter two have consequences, some terrible. I have driven through town, looking for the ICE agents as I ran my errands. Where are they? I ask myself what I’d do if they approached my car, and asked for my ID. The answer is easy: I’d give it to them, because even legal refusal brings further consequences. I am unwilling to do battle. I have kids to raise, and dinner to prepare.

Yesterday, I listened to Governor Walz’s speech. He wants us to protest “loudly, urgently, but also peacefully” against the federal government. Usually when I am getting loud, and urgent, I’m not peaceful. Still, he told us that Trump is running an “organized campaign of brutality against the people of Minnesota.” He said federal investigators are attacking Renee Good and her family. To fight ICE violence, we are supposed to film them with phones. However, they clearly have operating weapons. So, his message to me was go peacefully, and angrily, without weapons to film ICE, who are hurting people. I’m supposed to witness atrocities and record them.

Given my many articles on our state’s dire fraud issues, and the desperate need for more federal investigations, I question Walz’s motives. While I must go film ICE, where will he be? Also, as he has been accused of complicity with the fraud, and is undergoing criminal investigation, why would I oppose federal help right now? Who am I supposed to trust? The state has failed Minnesotans in finding, prosecuting, and preventing fraud. Yet, the federal government is cutting off our funds. Here I am: stuck in the middle.

Let’s say that ICE is the evil that Walz and Democrats say they are. You cannot urge people to face dangerous evil unarmed. Walz would be sending lambs to the slaughter. His job is to protect Minnesotans, not send them towards danger. Still, I don’t think Walz believes what he is saying. He exaggerates.

A cynic might accuse him of playing a dangerous game where he wins either way. If some poor kid peacefully protests and gets shot, he can use that person’s death to back his state’s case. If someone steps over a line beyond peaceful protest, then someone can film the brutality as proof that ICE are the gestapo. Either way, Minnesotans lose another person, and politicians win. That’s only if Walz were a diabolical political operative, wishing to position himself as the head of the resistance against Nazi Trump. He wouldn’t think that way, right?

All of Walz’s statements presumes two things: ICE are illegal law enforcement, and the federal government is illegitimate. I reject this argument. ICE were handed authority by the federal government, and the solution is political. Donald Trump won the federal election, and again, the solution is political. The Minnesota state government invited in and supported the federal investigations of fraud, which the state has been unable to control or detect. Walz and others wanted any other federal agency: not ICE. I imagine I’ve only met law-abiding, hard-working immigrants. Most were legal, but not all. Still, if someone is here after overstaying a visa, or crossing the border AND they commit a crime, I think they should face immigration court proceedings. In Sanctuary cities like mine and Minneapolis, illegal immigrants may be arrested, but police don’t transfer illegals into ICE custody. They release them, and ICE must find them. Is that system working?

If I compare Walz’s recommendations with the Chicago police chief, Larry Snelling, it seems like Minnesota is denying federal legitimacy in our state. Chicago acknowledges federal officers have jurisdiction, even if they don’t have local cooperation. He told Chicago that ICE are federal agents, and can use force if you follow, block, or ram ICE with your car. He said that ramming a car into an ICE vehicle can result in the use of deadly force, as car ramming IS also deadly force against them. In Chicago, police do not interfere with federal agents.

Minnesota politics have made it challenging for police in sanctuary cities. Typically, police acknowledge federal officer authority. With the past few weeks, our politicians have floated the idea of local LEOs protecting others from ICE. I watched Frey’s recent press conference, and saw Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara accidentally raise his eyebrows as mayor Jacob Frey stated, “we’re in a position right now where we have residents that are asking police officers to fight ICE agents on the street.”

Maybe O’Hara didn’t accidentally reveal his frustration. However, Minneapolis police are stretched thin, as even Frey admitted they only have 600 cops. Prior to George Floyd, their numbers were around 900. There are rumors that cops are using the new sick leave system, and cops are applying to ICE, but I’ve not seen it reported outside of right leaning news. Who could blame cops? Frey said we can’t have “two governmental entities fighting one another,”: a state vs. federal conflict. He also goes on to indicate that federal agents don’t share the values that we Minnesotans do. That seems odd, as many ICE agents are also Minnesotans. He also later asked a reporter who questioned him about using rhetoric to incite violence, “show me a single place where I have encouraged anything other than peace.” Well, he did tell ICE to get the f*ck out of his city, and made it clear that they are doing the opposite of creating safety—he blamed them for Renee Good’s death. That might make people feel justified in attacking ICE and other federal officers.

Frey and Walz keep repeating the idea that the state and local police will protect citizens from ICE. If the city police are overstretched, and state forces are standing by, who is keeping the peace in areas where fights break out with federal officers? Walz said that the National Guard would step in, and were standing by to help keep peace. Where the hell are they? They should have been there from the start to direct protests and do crowd control away from federal officers. Part of the problem is that unruly crowds have attacked police as well as ICE. That might explain police taking leave.

Well, what about the Right protesting? Walter Hudson warned Republicans to avoid protests he was hearing about this weekend in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. He’s being a responsible politician by telling people not to engage in anything that causes trouble, especially antagonizing the left and immigrants. He’s right: protesting in Cedar Riverside is “sus”. I saw a few protesters waving flags, and provoking leftist protests. Most Republicans are campaigning, or meeting with Trump administration officials.

I really don’t have it figured out. My take is my state has been flooded with agitprop from a war that someone else wants. What I want is accountability for the failures in my state government. Is cutting off aid for the neediest going to help? The state officials say the federal ones are lying: we DON’T have an emergency fund to cover Medicaid, SNAP, or other cuts. Who am I going to believe when the lies are so thick and fast?

Lastly, the one question I am stuck on is why did they choose to send ICE in force as a response to the fraud? Yes, the fraud involves an immigrant community, thus providing justification. But, why mostly ICE? I have seen reports of HSI, FBI, and Border Patrol also investigating, but only one report showing them hauling out files from a business. All we can see is ICE. I can’t help but think that was the whole point: send the most contentious officers out front. Give the DFL and others who just want to protect immigrants something to focus on, while the real work continues in the background unabated. Is ICE a smokescreen to allow the more important work? After all, most of the fraudsters have legal status, or are naturalized. ICE has no jurisdiction in that population. ICE divides people. Either you support them, or you oppose them, according to those who would have us choose sides. Now, as Trump threatens using the Insurrection Act, emotions will rise:

It’s snowing. Ice pelted my windshield while waiting in the car pickup line today. The temps will drop to subzero. My only prayer is that the subzero temps freeze the will of those whose anger inflames them to fight. Go home where it is warm.

~Thanks for reading!