John,
We’re just 26 days into the new year, and three people have been killed by ICE.
Keith Porter Jr., a 43-year-old father of two, was shot and murdered by an off-duty ICE officer outside his home. Then, ICE murdered Renee Good, a 39-year-old mother, and just two days ago they murdered Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old registered nurse in Minneapolis.
Alex Pretti was a patriot. He was described by his friends and family as a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his community and the veterans he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.
He was executed by our government for protecting his neighbors from masked government agents — he was not the first to be killed, and until we shut down Trump’s secret police, he will not be the last.
And every single time, like clockwork, Kristi Noem and Trump’s allies immediately smear the victims and spin up a story to make them look like the villain. They call people “terrorists.” They claim “self-defense.” They rewrite reality before the deceased victim's family even has a chance to see their loved ones. And too many politicians are falling in line and treating government violence like it’s something these people deserved. DHS is not prioritizing the “worst of the worst.” It is running up its arrest numbers and then using a relatively small number of serious criminals to smear everyone else and justify their horrific and unconstitutional behavior.
This is not normal. It is not inevitable. And there is absolutely no excuse for the harm that Kristi Noem’s DHS has caused.
ICE is not some neutral “public safety” agency. It is being used as a political weapon. And it is being flooded with over 70 billion dollars, while basic accountability and oversight are essentially nonexistent. They are recruiting at an alarming rate and lowering standards, sending untrained agents into communities with a gun and unchecked power to detain, raid, and use lethal force, all while hiding behind masks.
ICE has been killing immigrants and escalating brutality across the country. More than 30 people died in ICE custody last year. And in the first weeks of this year alone, 6 people have already died in their custody.
What’s happening right now in Minneapolis is becoming the symbol of how far our government has gone and how much further it’s willing to go. How many people they can detain. How many doors they can kick in. How many lies they can tell. How many children they can rip from their parents. How many rights they can violate. How many patriots they can murder in broad daylight. And whether anyone will stop them.
We refuse to accept this. And we are not going to stay quiet. We need to demand that Congress take action to impeach Kristi Noem, fire Gregory Bovino, and defund ICE NOW.
In solidarity,
David
