adminA federal ICE operation in Minneapolis erupted into chaos this month after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good during an encounter on a neighborhood street, setting off nights of protests and confrontation that have shaken the city. The grim footage and emergency reports have fueled outrage and confusion, and Americans rightly want answers about what happened and why federal agents were operating with such a heavy hand in residential neighborhoods. This is a tragedy for a family and a wake-up call about how our immigration enforcement is being conducted in the interior of our country.
Those on the ground report a massive federal surge that has transformed routine enforcement into something resembling an occupation, with hundreds — even thousands, by some counts — of ICE and DHS personnel deployed across the Twin Cities in recent weeks. This surge predictably escalated tensions, provoked crowds, and created a permissive environment for professional agitators to show up and stoke violence. Americans deserve clarity on the rules of engagement and who authorized such a sweeping, militarized operation in our communities.
As the unrest spread, federal judges had to step in to remind everyone that peaceful protest remains protected and that federal officers cannot simply detain or gas citizens for following them at a distance. That ruling underscored a basic constitutional truth: you can object to the presence of federal agents, but you cannot be brutalized or treated like an enemy of the state for doing so. The back-and-forth between the courts, local officials, and federal bureaucrats shows how out of control the situation has become.
On cable this week, Public News founder Michael Shellenberger joined Jesse Watters to call out the left’s radical fringe — and he didn’t mince words. Shellenberger pointed out that many of the people leading these confrontations are not sincere community activists but professional agitators who relish chaos and who place themselves above the laws they claim to defend. Conservatives who care about public safety and the rule of law should applaud anyone willing to call out this dangerous double standard in plain language.
Let’s be honest: the radical left’s performance in Minneapolis has been irresponsible and reckless. While genuine grief for a life lost is appropriate, that grief has too often been weaponized into an excuse for harassment, intimidation, and interference with lawful federal operations — behavior that puts ordinary citizens and children at risk. The leadership in blue cities that tolerates or even encourages this lawlessness must be held accountable for the breakdown of public order in their jurisdictions.
The media has predictably polarized its coverage, with mainstream outlets alternately laundering agitator narratives or reflexively praising federal force depending on their athleticism with the narrative of the moment. Hardworking Americans deserve journalism that tells the whole truth: that a mother was killed, that protests followed, and that political extremists on both sides are exploiting the tragedy for their own ends. We should demand factual transparency and rigorous investigations, not spin and partisan cover-ups.
Now is the time for steady, commonsense leadership that defends families and enforces the law without surrendering our liberties. Patriotically minded citizens must support lawful enforcement, insist on accountability for misconduct, and reject the nihilistic antics of those who cheer chaos from the sidelines. If our leaders will not restore order and protect neighborhoods, then voters must do so at the ballot box — and they must elect officials who believe in law, liberty, and the safety of American communities.
