When I communicated to Schumer about shutting down the govt if necessary on account of ICE abuses (last week - before the events of today, of course), his office responded with a boilerplate letter related to the govt shutdown of the Oct/Nov., 2025.
I know I shouldn't hold that against them - they are probably overwhelmed, but it just added to my frustration. So, I'm letting go of that and other things now, in light of this development that Simon imparted to us.
Move forward with the now because we are in such a state of emergency.
Sherry, come on. This is not about trust. Schumer has pulled Senate Dem support from the DHS funding bill. That has happened. 3 of the 7 votes Rs needed to pass the bill are a no. The DHS bill cannot pass in its current form this week, and no one knows what happens next. Will there be negotiations? Maybe. I am not sure Stephen Miller will allow them. We just got what every one wanted. Congratulations everyone. Back at it tomorrow. This is going to be an unbelievable fight.
I get the downer these jamokes are. Don't let them stifle your life. That's their plan. Your insistence on living as you see fit is the strongest resistance. Oh, and most definitely send the message.
I hear you BeeBee. It's hard to feel festive or do anything remotely enjoyable after watching that video of how those ICE thugs murdered Alex Pretti. My husband and I went to church tonight and I couldn't help but cry during the entire Mass.
We said it when Renee Good was killed. Now we say it about Alex Pretti. It could have been any one of us. We are all Renee Good. We are all Alex Pretti.
I will not be afraid to protest. I will not be afraid to stand up and speak out. This is not the America I grew up believing in, and I know that's true for most of us in our pro-democracy family.
I agree with Simon's belief that Democrats have to act as one unit and fight together, but I worry about how that can happen. As he wrote, this is about the pro-democracy movement "somehow" coming together..... with "somehow" being the operative word, in my view. Maybe what Schumer did is a beginning.
I keep thinking about the old line from the civil rights movement "We have to just keep on keepin on." What other choice do we have?
Simon, I agree with the others. Schumer is spinless. He issues statements but doesn't do anything about what's happening. Same with Jeffries. At this point, we need stronger energy in the Senate and the House. Too many of the Dems voted to increase the money that the Gestapo has. Those Dems need to be voted out. Why didn't Schumer get people to come back to DC after what happened in Minnesota today? I'm sick of weak statements and no action. I'm sick of tots and pears after mass shootings, but no action.
Thanks, Lauren for so distinctly saying what I was about to write. I have no faith in Schumer or Jefferies. I, too, am sick of the hand wringing and platitudes. We are out there every day fighting for our country and our freedoms. It's time for that the women and men we elected to represent our interests in D.C. walk besides us in unison and determination.
I understand the frustration with Dem leadership. I do. I’ve commented on it before.
For some context and perspective, I surveyed members of Congress (mostly going to official websites or official social media) earlier today and I was able to tally 100+ Dem members who emphatically condemn what happened today. My guess is that number is much higher now.
I was unable to find a single—not even one—GOP member who condemned what happened today.
That says a lot. Yes, we need to pressure Dem leadership but rest assured, you are on the right team.
And preemptively, I do have a life—I’ve been stuck in a hotel room for 2 days now waiting for a flight into OKC. Running out of things to do.
Snow storm in OKC and coming to NYC later tonight! I'm in for the weekend! Jeffries is not strong enough. I tried to email him on his website, however, there is no opportunity to make comments unless you have something specific related to a case. I'll try calling him on Monday.
I think there is some reason to be somewhat skeptical. And we are not alone! I certainly hope that being a member here doesn’t mean we have to tow some political line. I’m in the fight all the way. But I have been disappointed a few times.
I prefer optimism to skepticism. Simon started Hopium to encourage people to take action based on facts… hope with a plan. Schumer is my Senator who I have contacted many times. We were just notified us of positive news that he’s responding & doing his job. Please appreciate the good news when we get it. Of course we’ll see what the actual vote will be when that happens, but it’s great to get little uplift at the end this horrible day.
Sure, there are no guarantees on the ultimate outcome of these bills. But these powerful statements from critical senators, especially Schumer, are a big win we should be proud of as we continue to fight.
Seems pretty clear to me that the Trump officials calling Alex Pretti a domestic terrorist and claiming that he threatened officers with his gun are liable for slander.
Yeah, and why not Trump as well? When did lying become an "official act?" The truth is that Trump v. United States as written (if read) did NOT give Trump "total immunity for anything and everything he does," and the hue and cry about this by the liberal justices and others has had the unfortunate effect of convincing Trump and his administration that he *does,* which has likely led him to storm the guardrails with overconfidence.
That's the best news we've heard all day. Still, for those of us who have FOP (Fascist Old Party) senators, we have to call them and demand that they vote NO on funding ICE. They are totally out of control and must be abolished.
Agreed! My 3 Iowa GOP stooges act like they are deaf to any criticism of the trump regime.
But that is no excuse for me not to call them out. I even contacted the hideous Iowa Governor and told her to stand with the governors of Minnesota and Maine now rather than waiting for ICE to terrorize Iowans when we exercise our 1st amendment rights.
Their lack of integrity, decency, and courage is a reason to call them out, not a reason to say “what’s the point?”
Good news on DHS funding. I can’t but be shocked about how they again lie about what really happened. I guess it will probably be lost of Trump supporters that their excuse is he was legally carrying a gun.
Thank you for the update. So glad they will not pass funding for ice and glad to see the text of senator responses. (We need to see similar from Republicans).
Also glad to see honest accounting of today’s murder. On a news station I previously trusted did not show what led up to the murder, specifically this young man trying to protect a women in a helpful non-combative way
Semafor says that blocking DHS funding won't have much effect on ICE because the agency has been largely pre-funded with tens of billions of dollars through the 2025 GOP tax and spending law, which has created what critics call a "deportation-industrial complex" that is on autopilot until 2029. Is voting against it more symbolic? I don't mean to be negative, just wondering what it all means. Put it down to a Canadian's ignorance of the American political system.
No. This is not correct, and in the future please link to any articles that you cite so I can address what you are referring too. Not all of its funding came through the big ugly bill, and as I've been writing all week that is not really a fight about money - it is about getting DHS to act lawfully and not lawlessly. We are in the fight we wanted now, and need to get ready to do battle this week.
Simon, FYI. A lot of people are saying this because Patty Murray, who was our chief negotiator for this bill on the Senate side (is that right?), excused its toothlessness where ICE is concerned by claiming that the agency has "a massive $75 billion slush fund from the OBBB." Glad to hear it's not true. Maybe someone should convince her to walk that back? Or someoneS, in the case of WA Hopium members?
PS What is a group of Hopium members called anyway--Hopiates? Hopians?
I am certainly no expert, but the Big Ugly was a “resolution”, more of an earmark or a budget. It’s not cold,
hard cash. That’s what is being determined now.
And unlike the resolution earlier this year. this is the point where Dems can add language to tie the funding to needed restraint. This is truly the sausage being made…
Well, that's what I thought, too--that it was more of a framework for future funding. But I have seen several articles since its passage describing it as actual funding. So I remain confused about how annual appropriations bills interact with that bill. For example:
"Trump has secured an extraordinary injection of funding for his immigration agenda — $170 billion, the vast majority of which will go to the Department of Homeland Security over four years.
"The annual budget of Immigration and Customs Enforcement alone will spike from about $8 billion to roughly $28 billion, making it the highest funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.
"The OBBBA pumps $75 billion into ICE with no guardrails, supercharging the Trump administration’s massive, indiscriminate deportation agenda that is operating without accountability and threatening local communities and economies."
Just ran across another analysis by Jay Kuo on Substack that appears to confirm that significant multi-year funding for ICE was included in the Big Ugly Bill.
"I had to go look more deeply into the OBBB. And sure enough, in that huge document there was something highly unusual: direct appropriations for ICE operations and ICE detention centers:
For detention/capacity:
“(a) Appropriation.—In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for fiscal year 2025, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $45,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2029, for the purposes described in subsection (b).”
For enforcement/removal:
“(a) Appropriation.—In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for fiscal year 2025, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $14,400,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2029, for the purposes described in subsection (b).”
... "Bottom line? There was no realistic way to stop ICE funding in 2026 through the regular appropriations process or a government shutdown. "
This is great to hear. This weekend I started emailing every senator, starting with the Dems. After finishing with them, I'll send this to all the GOP senators, too (minus the final paragraph).
Please rein in the out-of-control ICE and CBP. They are no longer immigration enforcement agencies. They are blatant militia of heavily armed thugs serving as Trump’s Gestapo. They are marauding gangs with no restraint, abducting people from their cars and homes, assaulting bystanders and arrestees, separating children and parents, waving weapons in peoples’ faces, and shooting pepper spray and tear gas at peaceful demonstrators and observers. They have already killed two and injured many others. Incredibly, the Trump regime is investigating Renee Good’s widow, not the killer!!!
Please read these essays that describe what these agencies have been corrupted into:
Excerpt: “ICE isn’t malfunctioning or confused about its mission. [It is] operating exactly as designed for a political system that values dominance over legitimacy and intimidation over consent.”
Excerpt: “There is no serious case that this is about the number of immigrants or violent crime. It is about DHS developing the skills of ICE and CBP as the President’s stormtroopers. Once DHS agents hear the regime's support and know there is no accountability, they feel safe to do what they want.”
I urge you to:
--Oppose any increased funding for ICE and CPB, seek funding and staffing cuts, and prevent diversion of other funds to them.
--Support legislation, lawsuits and any other avenues to ensure proper vetting, training, supervision and accountability of federal agents deployed in Trump’s anti-immigrant terrorism.
--Support the impeachment and expulsion of Kristi Noem (if not others, too).
Do not cave to the cruel GOP and Trump regime on the pending DHS appropriations bill!
Even Joe Rogan thinks they've become the Gestapo. And that waa BEFORE Alex Pretti was executed for the crimes of helping a woman they threw to the ground and carrying a concealed weapon (something every MAGA has said should be a universal right, though apparently only if you’re a Party member, just like Nazi Germany)
I am in the Seattle Airport on my way home to Oakland. I just learned of the ICE murder of Alex Petti. We have to hit the eject button on Trump/ICE and the entire MAGA goon squad. I am ready to help stop this madness in any way I can. There are way more of us than them and we need to use our power. I now understand why Churchill recommended hanging rather than trying Nazis following WWII, though I still believe the rule of law ultimately beats brute force. Not a single one of these thugs or their masters is worth one ICU nurse. What a screwed up bunch of sick monsters have been unleashed. I spit on all of them.
I feel The NY Times did a reasonable job here, as Simon quoted in his post. They state that the video clearly shows Petti had his phone in one hand and nothing in his other hand, that he never drew his (legal) gun, and that he was shot after ICE agents had confiscated his gun.
I think what happened here is that the agents viewed the presence of the gun as justification or cover for what they did. As soon as the gun was removed, the shots were fired. This is murder. When they backed away, one agent was clapping. Clapping.
I’m thinking one untrained, incompetent ICE agent panicked, yelled “gun,gun” shot thoughtlessly and panicked the rest of the pack and they all shot in reaction; none of them understanding their ICE college was withdrawing the gun from the waistband of the unconscious, beaten, pepper-sprayed victim. 😭😭😭 I’m so sorry Alex.
They missed speaking about him but IMO there needs to be a special place in hell for him. I’m not disagreeing with you at all Patrick, just adding more from analysts input that I heard. IMO also this brutal outcome is what they have been sent to deliver. Submit or die or be injured. Hasn’t it been part of every authoritarians playbook? Most eventually don’t succeed but not without a lot of loss. 😭
Cutting it a little close aren’t we (Democrats)? Imagine 7 House votes cast “Nay”. … Henry Cuellar … Moderate Vincente Gonzalez … Moderate Jared Golden … Moderate Marie Gluesenkamp Perez … Moderate Don Davis … Moderate Laura Gillen … Moderate Tom Suozzi … Moderate
Virginia resident here - I called both Kaine and Warner's office 3 days in a row this week. Spoke to actual staff and left comments regarding these bills. They were very respectful and listened. I'm glad each is taking the stand on the appropriations that they now are.
Mike I've taken this post down. It was unacceptable. We are in a challenging moment and I ask that all of you rise above and not descend below.
Glad you have so much trust in them. I don’t. I’ll wait until the votes are actually in.
With respect, we don’t need this defeatism right now.
If you have a Dem senator, please call every day next week to demand they don’t cave.
When I communicated to Schumer about shutting down the govt if necessary on account of ICE abuses (last week - before the events of today, of course), his office responded with a boilerplate letter related to the govt shutdown of the Oct/Nov., 2025.
I know I shouldn't hold that against them - they are probably overwhelmed, but it just added to my frustration. So, I'm letting go of that and other things now, in light of this development that Simon imparted to us.
Move forward with the now because we are in such a state of emergency.
Sherry, come on. This is not about trust. Schumer has pulled Senate Dem support from the DHS funding bill. That has happened. 3 of the 7 votes Rs needed to pass the bill are a no. The DHS bill cannot pass in its current form this week, and no one knows what happens next. Will there be negotiations? Maybe. I am not sure Stephen Miller will allow them. We just got what every one wanted. Congratulations everyone. Back at it tomorrow. This is going to be an unbelievable fight.
Thanks for this, Simon. Scrapped my Saturday night plans because I just don't feel festive, and am composing a message to Schumer about this.
I will amend my content.
I get the downer these jamokes are. Don't let them stifle your life. That's their plan. Your insistence on living as you see fit is the strongest resistance. Oh, and most definitely send the message.
I hear you BeeBee. It's hard to feel festive or do anything remotely enjoyable after watching that video of how those ICE thugs murdered Alex Pretti. My husband and I went to church tonight and I couldn't help but cry during the entire Mass.
We said it when Renee Good was killed. Now we say it about Alex Pretti. It could have been any one of us. We are all Renee Good. We are all Alex Pretti.
I will not be afraid to protest. I will not be afraid to stand up and speak out. This is not the America I grew up believing in, and I know that's true for most of us in our pro-democracy family.
I agree with Simon's belief that Democrats have to act as one unit and fight together, but I worry about how that can happen. As he wrote, this is about the pro-democracy movement "somehow" coming together..... with "somehow" being the operative word, in my view. Maybe what Schumer did is a beginning.
I keep thinking about the old line from the civil rights movement "We have to just keep on keepin on." What other choice do we have?
difficult not to be overwhelmed by sadness, but re: 'somehow': we are many. many skilled and dedicated ppl working together towards this.
Again I say I hope you’re right!
Simon, I agree with the others. Schumer is spinless. He issues statements but doesn't do anything about what's happening. Same with Jeffries. At this point, we need stronger energy in the Senate and the House. Too many of the Dems voted to increase the money that the Gestapo has. Those Dems need to be voted out. Why didn't Schumer get people to come back to DC after what happened in Minnesota today? I'm sick of weak statements and no action. I'm sick of tots and pears after mass shootings, but no action.
Thanks, Lauren for so distinctly saying what I was about to write. I have no faith in Schumer or Jefferies. I, too, am sick of the hand wringing and platitudes. We are out there every day fighting for our country and our freedoms. It's time for that the women and men we elected to represent our interests in D.C. walk besides us in unison and determination.
I understand the frustration with Dem leadership. I do. I’ve commented on it before.
For some context and perspective, I surveyed members of Congress (mostly going to official websites or official social media) earlier today and I was able to tally 100+ Dem members who emphatically condemn what happened today. My guess is that number is much higher now.
I was unable to find a single—not even one—GOP member who condemned what happened today.
That says a lot. Yes, we need to pressure Dem leadership but rest assured, you are on the right team.
And preemptively, I do have a life—I’ve been stuck in a hotel room for 2 days now waiting for a flight into OKC. Running out of things to do.
Snow storm in OKC and coming to NYC later tonight! I'm in for the weekend! Jeffries is not strong enough. I tried to email him on his website, however, there is no opportunity to make comments unless you have something specific related to a case. I'll try calling him on Monday.
I called and emailed Schumer today and said don't you date vote for this terrible bill!
ditto
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I think there is some reason to be somewhat skeptical. And we are not alone! I certainly hope that being a member here doesn’t mean we have to tow some political line. I’m in the fight all the way. But I have been disappointed a few times.
I prefer optimism to skepticism. Simon started Hopium to encourage people to take action based on facts… hope with a plan. Schumer is my Senator who I have contacted many times. We were just notified us of positive news that he’s responding & doing his job. Please appreciate the good news when we get it. Of course we’ll see what the actual vote will be when that happens, but it’s great to get little uplift at the end this horrible day.
Sure, there are no guarantees on the ultimate outcome of these bills. But these powerful statements from critical senators, especially Schumer, are a big win we should be proud of as we continue to fight.
Good news! thank you for the update!
Seems pretty clear to me that the Trump officials calling Alex Pretti a domestic terrorist and claiming that he threatened officers with his gun are liable for slander.
His family should sue for defamation!
Yeah, and why not Trump as well? When did lying become an "official act?" The truth is that Trump v. United States as written (if read) did NOT give Trump "total immunity for anything and everything he does," and the hue and cry about this by the liberal justices and others has had the unfortunate effect of convincing Trump and his administration that he *does,* which has likely led him to storm the guardrails with overconfidence.
That's the best news we've heard all day. Still, for those of us who have FOP (Fascist Old Party) senators, we have to call them and demand that they vote NO on funding ICE. They are totally out of control and must be abolished.
Agreed! My 3 Iowa GOP stooges act like they are deaf to any criticism of the trump regime.
But that is no excuse for me not to call them out. I even contacted the hideous Iowa Governor and told her to stand with the governors of Minnesota and Maine now rather than waiting for ICE to terrorize Iowans when we exercise our 1st amendment rights.
Their lack of integrity, decency, and courage is a reason to call them out, not a reason to say “what’s the point?”
Good news on DHS funding. I can’t but be shocked about how they again lie about what really happened. I guess it will probably be lost of Trump supporters that their excuse is he was legally carrying a gun.
Thank you for the update. So glad they will not pass funding for ice and glad to see the text of senator responses. (We need to see similar from Republicans).
Also glad to see honest accounting of today’s murder. On a news station I previously trusted did not show what led up to the murder, specifically this young man trying to protect a women in a helpful non-combative way
Thank you.
Dems must not vote for the bloated DHS funding bill.
Semafor says that blocking DHS funding won't have much effect on ICE because the agency has been largely pre-funded with tens of billions of dollars through the 2025 GOP tax and spending law, which has created what critics call a "deportation-industrial complex" that is on autopilot until 2029. Is voting against it more symbolic? I don't mean to be negative, just wondering what it all means. Put it down to a Canadian's ignorance of the American political system.
I'm wondering about that, too. I'm hoping maybe the pending legislation could amend and restrain the 2025 Big Ugly Bill.
No. This is not correct, and in the future please link to any articles that you cite so I can address what you are referring too. Not all of its funding came through the big ugly bill, and as I've been writing all week that is not really a fight about money - it is about getting DHS to act lawfully and not lawlessly. We are in the fight we wanted now, and need to get ready to do battle this week.
Second Minnesota shooting by ICE raises chances of a partial government shutdown
https://www.semafor.com/article/01/24/2026/second-minnesota-shooting-by-ice-spikes-chances-of-a-partial-government-shutdown
Simon, FYI. A lot of people are saying this because Patty Murray, who was our chief negotiator for this bill on the Senate side (is that right?), excused its toothlessness where ICE is concerned by claiming that the agency has "a massive $75 billion slush fund from the OBBB." Glad to hear it's not true. Maybe someone should convince her to walk that back? Or someoneS, in the case of WA Hopium members?
PS What is a group of Hopium members called anyway--Hopiates? Hopians?
I've been referring to our fellow members as Patriots. But Hopiates works if you look at the origins of the word, Hopium.
It is far better than Schumer writing a stern letter. It's progress.
I am certainly no expert, but the Big Ugly was a “resolution”, more of an earmark or a budget. It’s not cold,
hard cash. That’s what is being determined now.
And unlike the resolution earlier this year. this is the point where Dems can add language to tie the funding to needed restraint. This is truly the sausage being made…
Well, that's what I thought, too--that it was more of a framework for future funding. But I have seen several articles since its passage describing it as actual funding. So I remain confused about how annual appropriations bills interact with that bill. For example:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/us/politics/ice-expansion-concerns.html?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20250715&instance_id=158500&nl=from-the-times®i_id=71896156&segment_id=201895&user_id=f503c900da12b19d57cb0dad53a49970
"Trump has secured an extraordinary injection of funding for his immigration agenda — $170 billion, the vast majority of which will go to the Department of Homeland Security over four years.
"The annual budget of Immigration and Customs Enforcement alone will spike from about $8 billion to roughly $28 billion, making it the highest funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/congressional-republicans-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-creates-an-unaccountable-slush-fund-for-the-trump-administrations-deportation-force/
"The OBBBA pumps $75 billion into ICE with no guardrails, supercharging the Trump administration’s massive, indiscriminate deportation agenda that is operating without accountability and threatening local communities and economies."
I concede you are likely right.
There’s also the whole idea of being funded by “continuing resolution” which implies the simple majority resolutions might secure funding.
I think it’s all intentionally confusing….
It's very confusing but it's good news that Schumer is holding the line here.
Just ran across another analysis by Jay Kuo on Substack that appears to confirm that significant multi-year funding for ICE was included in the Big Ugly Bill.
https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/i-need-to-correct-an-error
"I had to go look more deeply into the OBBB. And sure enough, in that huge document there was something highly unusual: direct appropriations for ICE operations and ICE detention centers:
For detention/capacity:
“(a) Appropriation.—In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for fiscal year 2025, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $45,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2029, for the purposes described in subsection (b).”
For enforcement/removal:
“(a) Appropriation.—In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for fiscal year 2025, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $14,400,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2029, for the purposes described in subsection (b).”
... "Bottom line? There was no realistic way to stop ICE funding in 2026 through the regular appropriations process or a government shutdown. "
This is great to hear. This weekend I started emailing every senator, starting with the Dems. After finishing with them, I'll send this to all the GOP senators, too (minus the final paragraph).
Please rein in the out-of-control ICE and CBP. They are no longer immigration enforcement agencies. They are blatant militia of heavily armed thugs serving as Trump’s Gestapo. They are marauding gangs with no restraint, abducting people from their cars and homes, assaulting bystanders and arrestees, separating children and parents, waving weapons in peoples’ faces, and shooting pepper spray and tear gas at peaceful demonstrators and observers. They have already killed two and injured many others. Incredibly, the Trump regime is investigating Renee Good’s widow, not the killer!!!
Please read these essays that describe what these agencies have been corrupted into:
https://open.substack.com/pub/lincolnsquare/p/ice-is-enforcing-fear-because-trump?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Excerpt: “ICE isn’t malfunctioning or confused about its mission. [It is] operating exactly as designed for a political system that values dominance over legitimacy and intimidation over consent.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/donmoynihan/p/past-the-breaking-point?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Excerpt: “There is no serious case that this is about the number of immigrants or violent crime. It is about DHS developing the skills of ICE and CBP as the President’s stormtroopers. Once DHS agents hear the regime's support and know there is no accountability, they feel safe to do what they want.”
I urge you to:
--Oppose any increased funding for ICE and CPB, seek funding and staffing cuts, and prevent diversion of other funds to them.
--Support legislation, lawsuits and any other avenues to ensure proper vetting, training, supervision and accountability of federal agents deployed in Trump’s anti-immigrant terrorism.
--Support the impeachment and expulsion of Kristi Noem (if not others, too).
Do not cave to the cruel GOP and Trump regime on the pending DHS appropriations bill!
Even Joe Rogan thinks they've become the Gestapo. And that waa BEFORE Alex Pretti was executed for the crimes of helping a woman they threw to the ground and carrying a concealed weapon (something every MAGA has said should be a universal right, though apparently only if you’re a Party member, just like Nazi Germany)
I am in the Seattle Airport on my way home to Oakland. I just learned of the ICE murder of Alex Petti. We have to hit the eject button on Trump/ICE and the entire MAGA goon squad. I am ready to help stop this madness in any way I can. There are way more of us than them and we need to use our power. I now understand why Churchill recommended hanging rather than trying Nazis following WWII, though I still believe the rule of law ultimately beats brute force. Not a single one of these thugs or their masters is worth one ICU nurse. What a screwed up bunch of sick monsters have been unleashed. I spit on all of them.
Legacy media has bent the kneE AGAIN BY NOT TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT PETTI’s death!SHAME ON them!!!!!!!!grrrrrrrrrrr
We should suspend all big time sports in protest! Maybe THAT would get some attention….?!?!?!??
I feel The NY Times did a reasonable job here, as Simon quoted in his post. They state that the video clearly shows Petti had his phone in one hand and nothing in his other hand, that he never drew his (legal) gun, and that he was shot after ICE agents had confiscated his gun.
I think what happened here is that the agents viewed the presence of the gun as justification or cover for what they did. As soon as the gun was removed, the shots were fired. This is murder. When they backed away, one agent was clapping. Clapping.
I’m thinking one untrained, incompetent ICE agent panicked, yelled “gun,gun” shot thoughtlessly and panicked the rest of the pack and they all shot in reaction; none of them understanding their ICE college was withdrawing the gun from the waistband of the unconscious, beaten, pepper-sprayed victim. 😭😭😭 I’m so sorry Alex.
How about the guy who was on video clapping afterwards?
I don’t think it was an accident and the regime lies make it worse
They missed speaking about him but IMO there needs to be a special place in hell for him. I’m not disagreeing with you at all Patrick, just adding more from analysts input that I heard. IMO also this brutal outcome is what they have been sent to deliver. Submit or die or be injured. Hasn’t it been part of every authoritarians playbook? Most eventually don’t succeed but not without a lot of loss. 😭
Cutting it a little close aren’t we (Democrats)? Imagine 7 House votes cast “Nay”. … Henry Cuellar … Moderate Vincente Gonzalez … Moderate Jared Golden … Moderate Marie Gluesenkamp Perez … Moderate Don Davis … Moderate Laura Gillen … Moderate Tom Suozzi … Moderate
Virginia resident here - I called both Kaine and Warner's office 3 days in a row this week. Spoke to actual staff and left comments regarding these bills. They were very respectful and listened. I'm glad each is taking the stand on the appropriations that they now are.
Thank you!
Bravo, Alex!