Hello John,

Our cities are turning into unrecognizable, dystopian, war-torn places. The kind we only ever read about or watch in sci-fi movies. I live in Chicago, and I travel to DC frequently. The scenes unfolding in front of my eyes are terrifying. Our troops are patrolling our cities.

I went to the ICE facility yesterday in Chicago, and what I saw I never imagined would happen here in America. The faces are covered, and so too are the windows of the buildings they are hiding in. There are snipers on the roof and fences surrounding the buildings. Fun fact: the Chicago Fire Department informed ICE that those fences are unlawful.

Of course, they ignored them. No checks and balances. They do not respect the law.

They wave their guns around as a sign of intimidation, and it works because it’s undeniably intimidating. I am frightened of the direction we are headed in. It starts little by little, and before we know it, we are in a full-blown authoritarian state.

Right now, they are contained to one facility, although we have no idea where the unmarked vans are going to and from. The movement is nonstop, I can tell you that. Every minute, unmarked cars go in and out.

The ICE facility was filled with press, so the media is covering the story to the best of their abilities. But remember: no one has been able to see what’s happening behind those walls. Members of Congress have shown up demanding access, and the men with the guns keep saying no. Legally, they are not allowed to deny such requests, but they don’t care.

Many of these officers barely graduated high school, yet they are handed a gun and a badge at job fairs taking place all across the country. Their budget is endless. Meanwhile, healthcare is being stripped from sick children across America. The greed and cruelty are beyond imagination.

We knew Trump 2.0 would be bad, but wow - it has morphed into something unbearable. And as always, the victims are the most vulnerable: hardworking men and women who risked it all in search of the American Dream we sold to the world.

This moment gives us perspective on what we are up against, and why we must win. The House margin is one seat. If we control the House, it changes their calculations and what they may attempt.

At the facility, I was encouraged to see many Congressional candidates protesting with us, and I was given guarantees that, if elected, they will not tolerate this. We need this from our leaders.

I am excited to share in the coming weeks some of the rising stars in our party that we at NDLB are getting behind. Election Day cannot come soon enough. After all, no one voted for any of this. The fight is ongoing, and we each have our role to play. Contribute, call, write - do it all. And don’t stop.

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