The trained officer is taught to shoot for center mass & to shoot until the threat is neutralized. Your thinking is fantasy! Anyone that does what you think, will usually be dead. He fired 3 times in less than 1.5sec.
The federal agent's action in pushing that woman to the ground was wrong. Pretti saw a wrong and tried to stop it.
I am actually less convinced that the actual shooting was unjustified than in the case of Renee Good. Whereas a gun is, after all, a deadly weapon, a car only becomes such if someone is stupid enough to deliberately place himself in its path. In particular, if I'm an officer and I hear another officer yell "Gun," I would probably begin blasting myself.
What seems indisputable to me, however, is that Pretti died a hero. This could be a real turning point because good luck turning this guy into a villain. It could end up having the same effect on the conscience of America that seeing dogs sicced on children had for the civil rights movement.
My state’s Governor, Tim Walz, continues to incite anger even as he calls for peace. “We are all angry, I get that.” Then, “demonstrate peacefully.” The tension here is like a ticking time bomb, with many of us waiting for a repeat of Walz’s abysmal failure during the George Floyd insurrectional riots and chaos. Walz is under personal investigation, and so is our state, for defrauding you (if you pay federal taxes), but the media no longer talks about this. Wag the Dog! But he’s doing so risking public safety, security, and order. It is likely a few more will die as the “protestors” begin to light up our skies. God, we need peace and truth and light.
This is the most well-rounded summary of the incident I've seen from anyone. Props to Erick for his sold commentary analysis.
Another point can be said about vetting and training for ICE agents. I don't think they have the necessary training to deal with mass urban unrest nonetheless an orchestrated campaign to harass and attack them egged on by Democrat politicians. Should Trump send in the National Guard to quell the unrest or would that make things worse. The alternative of letting Minnesota nullify Federal immigration law is also pretty terrible, but such a move could also horribly backfire. Erick's point of refocusing their targets is spot on, but he also leaves out the 1.5 million illegal immigrants who've been ordered to leave but haven't. I don't fault the Trump administration for wanting to undo the Biden administration's decision to not enforce Federal immigration law, but they also can't forget that we are a nation of laws. Americans don't need or want a dictator to deal with the problem of illegal immigration.
Indications are that Senate Democrats are going to withhold funding from DHS and force a government shutdown. There are good faith criticism about the training and funding of ICE agents in the mass hiring under the Trump administration but how does this solve the issue by cutting ICE's funding? This goes beyond reigning the Trump administration's overreach but will make it impossible to enforce Federal immigration law. In effect, they will succeed in nullifying Federal law. We need stable and wise leadership but don't have any from our elected officials.
You are right again, there is so much deliberate misinformation, plus the just headline readers, and the my side is always right. I do find it alarming on both sides about the gun itself issue. With the Protesters showing little sense I can understand if have a concealed carry permit for protection you would feel need to have it. However, with the Protesters showing little sense and with obstruction/violence escalating maybe not a good idea to take a gun when protesting by wanting to stop ICE/Border Patrol. Seems many on right need to re-read the 2nd Ammendment and especially stop saying but it is the "type of gun", really copying the lefts playbook makes you no better.
Sad for the Pretti family. Read some of the father's comments saying his son 'hated what was going' in MN & the states, with 'children being kidnapped' and 'people being disappeared off the streets.'
It's tragic that Alex Pretti died because of out-right lies told by the Legacy Media and Dem/Progressive politicians.
Walz & Frey (Are Frey and Jon Ossoff illegitimate siblings?) are spreading lies using napalm-grade inflammatory rhetoric, while telling Trump to 'tone down' his rhetoric.
But you don't see this kind of madness/jackassery in blue cities in Red states... or cities not dealing with huge amounts of financial fraud from which these protests provide a welcome distraction.
And Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara makes Gotham City Police Chief O'Hara look amazingly capable.
Of course you do. And technically, you're right. But that's like a ME declaring the cause of death as lung cancer, without taking into account the three packs a day the deceased smoked.
If Pretti had not bought the lies, he would never have been in the position he was.
Fair point, but the same might be said about if that federal agent had not been battering the poor woman whom Pretti sought to protect, or if ICE officers were better trained (or followed their training) on the deescalation of these situations.
And exactly what lies are you talking about? Not only can two people be possessed of the same facts and reach different conclusions, with respect to this particular shooting, that officer's battery of a woman doing nothing to warrant it is no lie. With all of us being able to plainly see the circumstances of Pretti's death, opposition to ICE based upon its excesses would not be based on any lie. If you want to talk about the danger that illegal aliens pose to their community, unless you live in that particular community, how in the hell would you know? Also, unless you live there, the Minnesotans in those streets are in a much better position than you to know how ICE is operating there.
People ARE being "disappeared" off the streets. ICE and BP have the right to do that. But they do not have the right to forcibly break into private homes without a signed judicial warrant -- and they're doing that, too. Also, Liam Ramos actually was taken away from the home where his mother was staying, because she was afraid to come to the door. He was taken away by agents and sent to Texas. The lawyer who had been working on the family's asylum proceedings has not been able to find out where he is or whether he's with his father, who was also sent to Texas.
What is going on in Minneapolis is a horrible tragedy fueled by far left activists which are lead by Waltz and the state officials. Sanctuary areas are illegal and should not be allowed to exist in this country. These phony "safe zones" are providing unsafe areas for law abiding citizens and should not be tolerated. Stop ALL federal funding to these areas and prosecute those "officials" who are not just allowing, but pushing this agenda along with the unAmerican media! Could someone please explain to me why one would want to protect violent criminals, especially illegals, and put innocent American's lives at risk? Only other criminals would do so! Waltz and his buddies are criminals and should be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I am sick and tired of all this bulls23t!! And to be fair, the government is dropping the ball completely!! Get border patrol totally under Homan command and get Noem out of the way! She is totally screwing this up, should NEVER been given this command. FIRE "shoot first and ask questions later cowboy" NOEM and let Homan do the job! GOD BLESS AMERICA!! TO HELL WITH SANCTUARY CITIES!!
Were the administration to make the announcement that it will no longer detain anyone who has not been charged or convicted of a crime, the protesters would vanish. That is, no one is protecting "violent criminals." Rather, in accordance with God's command that "the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt," those protesters are protecting their neighbors.
There are several truths all at once here. At the top, the latest shooting does seem to be totally unjustified. There is another truth that Minneapolis is a Haven for illegal immigrants and they are well tolerated by the Democrat government that impedes ice. Every chance it gets worse than that, it riles up the people to interfere. There is another truth and that is that the Trump administration is handling all this in a terrible manner. Their reaction in their words is way over the top. And truth will nobody trust that administration to do a fair investigation. I am seeing all this as a person who recognizes that we have a terrible immigration problem, and it was not caused by Donald Trump. You could lay the finger right at Joe Biden and the Democrat party, but it is Trump who was in charge now.
What is the "terrible immigration problem" that we have, which is unlike any previous immigration problem experienced by this "nation of immigrants?" And what I'm looking for here is more than its mere illegality: that virtually no drives at the posted speed limit does not make it a "terrible" problem.
I am sick and tired of people who use "sources" which are usually biased and phony to determine what agents were dealing with when they were in a physical struggle with an idiot who was there to cause trouble. I don't care if you have a concealed carry permit or not. Showing up to cause trouble at a law enforcement operation with a gun is a good argument that this idiot should probably have never been given a permit. And stating that U. S. attorney Bill Essayli should resign is asinine! There was nothing wrong with his comment. It was common sense. I just wish there was something we could charge the disgusting mayor and governor with because they are inflaming the situation and obstructing law enforcement!
Define “causing trouble.” He was bending down to help a woman who had been pushed down by BP when he was grabbed from behind, pushed to the ground and beaten by a crowd of men.
Because you’re a freedom-loving American exercising your God-given right to self defense as spelled out in the Second Amendment. Maybe he had to walk through a bad neighborhood to get to the protest (which wasn’t violent until the agents started shooting). Your willingness to spout left-wing gun control arguments as a justification for government agents to use deadly force against a citizen in a bullying and incompetent manner is stunning.
Pure speculation, MK. Why won't the MN leadership cooperate with Federal law enforcement, instead of protecting criminals? This is one reason Democrat approval rating is even lower than Trump's. Keep it up. You'll lose again in November.
As a conservative in MN I’m at the point where I view this as a persecution of our state motivated by Trump’s desire to “own” Walz and Noem’s desire to put notches in her belt. BP is creating a very dangerous situation here. People are starting to patrol their neighborhoods armed. We are being pushed to the point where some people are going to think this is exactly the situation the Second Amendment was created for.
Pull out of MN, and leave them to their craziness. These riots are serving Walz and cronies as a great distraction from the theft the state is engulfed in.
Mr. Pretti's death is a tragedy. I doubt any person of circumspect demeanor would think otherwise. Nevertheless. I wholeheartedly agree the situation is one of the elected officials in Minnesota's own making.
They are following a progressive playbook that says, create a problem then scream you're the victim.
Illegal entry into our country is a crime. That's it. And it's not Minnesota's place to decide what laws they feel like following and which they can simply ignore. Check with George Washington (Whiskey Rebellion) or Andrew Jackson (Nullification Acts) how they handled such situations.
If the officers were wrong we have courts to determine that. If you disagree with the law or how it's being enforced, protest peacefully; don't impede law enforcement officers who are only doing their jobs.
I know many people here in MN who are far-left activist types, kind-hearted liberals, or simply people who have grown fond of the immigrants in their neighborhoods, in their churches, or in their favorite Mexican restaurants. My impression is that they view our current immigration system, and the laws it's based on, similarly to how decent people viewed Jim Crow laws in the 60's. MN liberals feel they're on the side of morality and brotherhood and bemoan the fact that others don't share their humane, reasonable (as they see it) desire to welcome immigrants, many of whom do just want to come here to create a better life for themselves. Most of MN's Hispanic immigrants, including those here illegally, are hard-working and not throwing their weight around and causing problems the way our Somali immigrants have been doing.
Personally I'm disgusted the unions got LBJ to end the Bracero Program which had allowed Mexican migrants to work legally in the US; I'm angry Congress has proved unwilling to fix this situation for many decades now; I'm super annoyed Obama did little to reform immigration in his first two years when he had both houses of Congress; I'm furious with Biden for his completely disastrous handling of the border; and I'm angry at how Trump has shifted from the goal of deporting criminals to deporting everyone he can lay hands on.
My frustration and the frustration of my friends and neighbors is that no one seems to be able to achieve a humane and reasonable immigration reform. And when people believe laws are unjust and they feel powerless to change them, sometimes people feel called to break them in civil disobedience -- as Rosa Parks did -- or to march peacefully, as Minnesotans did in the (reportedly) tens of thousands through downtown Minneapolis. I think it's a mistake to sneer at MN liberals and characterize them all as lawless left-wing radicals. It's also a mistake to think they are doing these things because Walz egged them on: they're doing these things because they feel solidarity with the Hispanic immigrants being targeted, and because they've observed the belligerent, callous, increasingly violent behavior of Noem's and Bovino's poorly trained agents.
I love it when someone hits me with something I had not considered. (I never get any smarter being right.) Your comment caused me to revisit the Whiskey Rebellion in particular, after which I would offer the following for your consideration.
With the Whiskey Rebellion, President Washington was responding to what he thought was an actual armed insurrection, not stockboys running across parking lots in an attempt to avoid being deported, or mere protesters. Federal authority was being tested for the very first time, not after more than two hundred years of this being without question. Unlike with what is now going on in Minnesota, his actions were broadly supported by the public. Finally, when two soldiers in the federalized militia killed people, Washington arrested and then turned them over to state authorities.
Let me here emphasize that this is not to dismiss the point you have made, which I continue to believe quite valid. Sanctuary jurisdictions are not all that different from the southern states that were determined to defy Brown v. Bd. of Education. I only offer them as nuances that might suggest a slightly less forceful approach. In particular, I AM ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED that were the feds to say that they will only be detaining people either facing or convicted of criminal charges, and stop the disturbing practice of asking random (brown) people for their papers, those protesters would completely disappear.
Valid points. There are a number of things I don't like regarding the way the feds are handling the present situation. Still, they have a job to do and mistakes are going to be made.
From a legal standpoint, federal officers are not authorized to stop and question someone unless they have an "articulable suspicion" that a crime has taken place or the individual might be carrying a weapon with the intention of harming others or causing harm.
Race alone does not, and never will, justify the probable cause requirement. Case law is replete with examples. Violate that and they subject themselves to civil suit if not incarceration.
I see what is happening in Minesotta more analogous to the Nulification Acts. State officials can simply not place themselves above federal law because they don't like it.
Washington's reaction was the first test of the Supremacy Clause, but the principle remains valid today. That said, I appreciate the points you raise and frankly, it's enjoyable discussing this with you.
ICE can actually stop anyone on the street if they have a "reason to believe" they might be in the country illegally. But in the Twin Cities ICE/BP agents have been stopping people -- including non-white off-duty local police officers -- apparently based solely on their appearance, and in some cases harassing or detaining them until they can prove their citizenship. In one case, with guns drawn, they interrogated a female off-duty cop in my suburb of Brooklyn Park and knocked her phone out of her hand. Our police chief gave a press conference (https://youtu.be/DRURdXNW3A4?si=9BtP0vt6sQPXyBVv) airing local police chiefs' concerns.
"Under Section 287(a) of the INA, ICE officers can arrest individuals without a warrant if they have 'reason to believe' the person is in the U.S. in violation of immigration law...
"ICE...can question anyone they believe may be an undocumented immigrant about their right to be in the United States.
"Inside your home:...ICE needs a judicial warrant or your consent to enter.
"Public sidewalk or street: Minimal privacy expectation. ICE can arrest based on probable cause alone."
I get what you're saying, Mary. Any officer can arrest based on probable cause. When I reference "stopping" someone on the streets, I was paraphrasing the "articulable suspucion" ruling set down by the Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio. That's still the law.
I didn't mean to suggest some officers get it wrong. They're human and humans make mistakes. That's why we have courts.
Race, religion, or ethnic origin don't qualify. e.g. "I stopped him because his skin was brown." Even if someone is here illegally, they still enjoy the protections our constitution affords.
That said, if an illegal stop takes place, that individual will be freed. However, if information is developed during the course of an investigation that shows they entered the country illegally, they can be rearrested or detained on a new charge. I don't have a problem with that.
I've said many times, if you're here legally, I'll defend to the death your right to be here. If not, sign the guest book, catch the next flight out, and come back when it's your turn.
I really wish the administration would consider a compromise along the lines of what I have discussed; striking a deal with local and state officials to the effect that if they FULLY cooperate in getting rid of the bad guys, they will leave everyone else alone. As you might already have guessed, I don't support what ICE is doing in Minnesota. However, in light of the very valid (federal supremacy) concerns that you have raised, I'm not sure I want to see the feds completely back down either. (You made me smarter!)
Excellent points. Tom Homan may be more open to that. It's what should be done anyway. Cooperation between state and federal government and between the various law enforcement agencies isn't an alien concept.
I suspect the resistance centers on Donald Trump personally due to jis bombast and the way he conducts himself. If Barak Obama were in charge I doubt we would see the same vehemence. It appears, to me at least, one segment of the party and population are adamantly committed to resist everything he does whether it's beneficial or not.
In 1963, the images of Birmingham on Bull Connor's ordering the attack dogs on the children became a turning point for many. I wonder if the images from yesterday will be remembered in a similar light.
Erick, I "heart" that you consider the obvious murder of an American citizen by approximately seven masked and unaccountable agents of the Secret Police "nebulous." I am starting to fully realize that, unlike the anti-Trump Erick Erickson of 2016, who recognized MAGA's criminality, corruption, conspiracies, and lies, the 2026 Erick Erickson is ALL IN with The Regime. As Trump has past stated, he could literally shoot people in the face on 5th Avenue and not lose any of his supporters. Other than the location of the murder - Minneapolis, in this case - Erick proves every day that Trump is fully accurate in his assessment about his unyielding MAGA faithful. Hopefully, one day you'll reaccess your moral core, and the Erick Erickson of 2016 will emerge reborn.
The trained officer is taught to shoot for center mass & to shoot until the threat is neutralized. Your thinking is fantasy! Anyone that does what you think, will usually be dead. He fired 3 times in less than 1.5sec.
The federal agent's action in pushing that woman to the ground was wrong. Pretti saw a wrong and tried to stop it.
I am actually less convinced that the actual shooting was unjustified than in the case of Renee Good. Whereas a gun is, after all, a deadly weapon, a car only becomes such if someone is stupid enough to deliberately place himself in its path. In particular, if I'm an officer and I hear another officer yell "Gun," I would probably begin blasting myself.
What seems indisputable to me, however, is that Pretti died a hero. This could be a real turning point because good luck turning this guy into a villain. It could end up having the same effect on the conscience of America that seeing dogs sicced on children had for the civil rights movement.
My state’s Governor, Tim Walz, continues to incite anger even as he calls for peace. “We are all angry, I get that.” Then, “demonstrate peacefully.” The tension here is like a ticking time bomb, with many of us waiting for a repeat of Walz’s abysmal failure during the George Floyd insurrectional riots and chaos. Walz is under personal investigation, and so is our state, for defrauding you (if you pay federal taxes), but the media no longer talks about this. Wag the Dog! But he’s doing so risking public safety, security, and order. It is likely a few more will die as the “protestors” begin to light up our skies. God, we need peace and truth and light.
This is the most well-rounded summary of the incident I've seen from anyone. Props to Erick for his sold commentary analysis.
Another point can be said about vetting and training for ICE agents. I don't think they have the necessary training to deal with mass urban unrest nonetheless an orchestrated campaign to harass and attack them egged on by Democrat politicians. Should Trump send in the National Guard to quell the unrest or would that make things worse. The alternative of letting Minnesota nullify Federal immigration law is also pretty terrible, but such a move could also horribly backfire. Erick's point of refocusing their targets is spot on, but he also leaves out the 1.5 million illegal immigrants who've been ordered to leave but haven't. I don't fault the Trump administration for wanting to undo the Biden administration's decision to not enforce Federal immigration law, but they also can't forget that we are a nation of laws. Americans don't need or want a dictator to deal with the problem of illegal immigration.
Indications are that Senate Democrats are going to withhold funding from DHS and force a government shutdown. There are good faith criticism about the training and funding of ICE agents in the mass hiring under the Trump administration but how does this solve the issue by cutting ICE's funding? This goes beyond reigning the Trump administration's overreach but will make it impossible to enforce Federal immigration law. In effect, they will succeed in nullifying Federal law. We need stable and wise leadership but don't have any from our elected officials.
You are right again, there is so much deliberate misinformation, plus the just headline readers, and the my side is always right. I do find it alarming on both sides about the gun itself issue. With the Protesters showing little sense I can understand if have a concealed carry permit for protection you would feel need to have it. However, with the Protesters showing little sense and with obstruction/violence escalating maybe not a good idea to take a gun when protesting by wanting to stop ICE/Border Patrol. Seems many on right need to re-read the 2nd Ammendment and especially stop saying but it is the "type of gun", really copying the lefts playbook makes you no better.
Sad for the Pretti family. Read some of the father's comments saying his son 'hated what was going' in MN & the states, with 'children being kidnapped' and 'people being disappeared off the streets.'
It's tragic that Alex Pretti died because of out-right lies told by the Legacy Media and Dem/Progressive politicians.
Walz & Frey (Are Frey and Jon Ossoff illegitimate siblings?) are spreading lies using napalm-grade inflammatory rhetoric, while telling Trump to 'tone down' his rhetoric.
But you don't see this kind of madness/jackassery in blue cities in Red states... or cities not dealing with huge amounts of financial fraud from which these protests provide a welcome distraction.
And Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara makes Gotham City Police Chief O'Hara look amazingly capable.
Pretti died because of lies told by Dem/progressives . . . .
Pretti died because Minnesota won't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement . . . .
As for me, I think Pretti died because immigration enforcement agents shot him.
Of course you do. And technically, you're right. But that's like a ME declaring the cause of death as lung cancer, without taking into account the three packs a day the deceased smoked.
If Pretti had not bought the lies, he would never have been in the position he was.
Fair point, but the same might be said about if that federal agent had not been battering the poor woman whom Pretti sought to protect, or if ICE officers were better trained (or followed their training) on the deescalation of these situations.
And exactly what lies are you talking about? Not only can two people be possessed of the same facts and reach different conclusions, with respect to this particular shooting, that officer's battery of a woman doing nothing to warrant it is no lie. With all of us being able to plainly see the circumstances of Pretti's death, opposition to ICE based upon its excesses would not be based on any lie. If you want to talk about the danger that illegal aliens pose to their community, unless you live in that particular community, how in the hell would you know? Also, unless you live there, the Minnesotans in those streets are in a much better position than you to know how ICE is operating there.
So again, what lies are you talking about?
People ARE being "disappeared" off the streets. ICE and BP have the right to do that. But they do not have the right to forcibly break into private homes without a signed judicial warrant -- and they're doing that, too. Also, Liam Ramos actually was taken away from the home where his mother was staying, because she was afraid to come to the door. He was taken away by agents and sent to Texas. The lawyer who had been working on the family's asylum proceedings has not been able to find out where he is or whether he's with his father, who was also sent to Texas.
What is going on in Minneapolis is a horrible tragedy fueled by far left activists which are lead by Waltz and the state officials. Sanctuary areas are illegal and should not be allowed to exist in this country. These phony "safe zones" are providing unsafe areas for law abiding citizens and should not be tolerated. Stop ALL federal funding to these areas and prosecute those "officials" who are not just allowing, but pushing this agenda along with the unAmerican media! Could someone please explain to me why one would want to protect violent criminals, especially illegals, and put innocent American's lives at risk? Only other criminals would do so! Waltz and his buddies are criminals and should be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I am sick and tired of all this bulls23t!! And to be fair, the government is dropping the ball completely!! Get border patrol totally under Homan command and get Noem out of the way! She is totally screwing this up, should NEVER been given this command. FIRE "shoot first and ask questions later cowboy" NOEM and let Homan do the job! GOD BLESS AMERICA!! TO HELL WITH SANCTUARY CITIES!!
Please explain? Let me give it a try.
Were the administration to make the announcement that it will no longer detain anyone who has not been charged or convicted of a crime, the protesters would vanish. That is, no one is protecting "violent criminals." Rather, in accordance with God's command that "the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt," those protesters are protecting their neighbors.
If only that were only true, but sorry I don't drink the lemonade.
The shooting of Alex Pretti is a Democrat voter registration bonanza, and not just in MN.
Don't forget 'fundraiser'
There are several truths all at once here. At the top, the latest shooting does seem to be totally unjustified. There is another truth that Minneapolis is a Haven for illegal immigrants and they are well tolerated by the Democrat government that impedes ice. Every chance it gets worse than that, it riles up the people to interfere. There is another truth and that is that the Trump administration is handling all this in a terrible manner. Their reaction in their words is way over the top. And truth will nobody trust that administration to do a fair investigation. I am seeing all this as a person who recognizes that we have a terrible immigration problem, and it was not caused by Donald Trump. You could lay the finger right at Joe Biden and the Democrat party, but it is Trump who was in charge now.
What is the "terrible immigration problem" that we have, which is unlike any previous immigration problem experienced by this "nation of immigrants?" And what I'm looking for here is more than its mere illegality: that virtually no drives at the posted speed limit does not make it a "terrible" problem.
I am sick and tired of people who use "sources" which are usually biased and phony to determine what agents were dealing with when they were in a physical struggle with an idiot who was there to cause trouble. I don't care if you have a concealed carry permit or not. Showing up to cause trouble at a law enforcement operation with a gun is a good argument that this idiot should probably have never been given a permit. And stating that U. S. attorney Bill Essayli should resign is asinine! There was nothing wrong with his comment. It was common sense. I just wish there was something we could charge the disgusting mayor and governor with because they are inflaming the situation and obstructing law enforcement!
Define “causing trouble.” He was bending down to help a woman who had been pushed down by BP when he was grabbed from behind, pushed to the ground and beaten by a crowd of men.
Were you there to witness this?
No, but video evidence from those who were there is pretty damning. Like this affidavit filed by a woman who was standing ~ 5 ft away:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26505743-tinchersealedwitnessdec012426pdf/
Why would you carry a loaded weapon to a "peaceful" protest, unless you planned to use it?
Because you’re a freedom-loving American exercising your God-given right to self defense as spelled out in the Second Amendment. Maybe he had to walk through a bad neighborhood to get to the protest (which wasn’t violent until the agents started shooting). Your willingness to spout left-wing gun control arguments as a justification for government agents to use deadly force against a citizen in a bullying and incompetent manner is stunning.
Pure speculation, MK. Why won't the MN leadership cooperate with Federal law enforcement, instead of protecting criminals? This is one reason Democrat approval rating is even lower than Trump's. Keep it up. You'll lose again in November.
Van Jones had an excellent post last week in which he walked through how conservatives and liberals are looking at Minneapolis and seeing two entirely different stories. It’s fair and even-handed, and I commend it to your attention: https://open.substack.com/pub/vanjones/p/america-isnt-divided-on-ice-its-divided?r=18ruq&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay
As a conservative in MN I’m at the point where I view this as a persecution of our state motivated by Trump’s desire to “own” Walz and Noem’s desire to put notches in her belt. BP is creating a very dangerous situation here. People are starting to patrol their neighborhoods armed. We are being pushed to the point where some people are going to think this is exactly the situation the Second Amendment was created for.
Who could have predicted that the trans-friendly, “looksmaxxing,” adulterous dog-killer would turn out to be this bad at her job?? (Sarcasm.)
Noem needs to go.
Pull out of MN, and leave them to their craziness. These riots are serving Walz and cronies as a great distraction from the theft the state is engulfed in.
Mr. Pretti's death is a tragedy. I doubt any person of circumspect demeanor would think otherwise. Nevertheless. I wholeheartedly agree the situation is one of the elected officials in Minnesota's own making.
They are following a progressive playbook that says, create a problem then scream you're the victim.
Illegal entry into our country is a crime. That's it. And it's not Minnesota's place to decide what laws they feel like following and which they can simply ignore. Check with George Washington (Whiskey Rebellion) or Andrew Jackson (Nullification Acts) how they handled such situations.
If the officers were wrong we have courts to determine that. If you disagree with the law or how it's being enforced, protest peacefully; don't impede law enforcement officers who are only doing their jobs.
I know many people here in MN who are far-left activist types, kind-hearted liberals, or simply people who have grown fond of the immigrants in their neighborhoods, in their churches, or in their favorite Mexican restaurants. My impression is that they view our current immigration system, and the laws it's based on, similarly to how decent people viewed Jim Crow laws in the 60's. MN liberals feel they're on the side of morality and brotherhood and bemoan the fact that others don't share their humane, reasonable (as they see it) desire to welcome immigrants, many of whom do just want to come here to create a better life for themselves. Most of MN's Hispanic immigrants, including those here illegally, are hard-working and not throwing their weight around and causing problems the way our Somali immigrants have been doing.
Personally I'm disgusted the unions got LBJ to end the Bracero Program which had allowed Mexican migrants to work legally in the US; I'm angry Congress has proved unwilling to fix this situation for many decades now; I'm super annoyed Obama did little to reform immigration in his first two years when he had both houses of Congress; I'm furious with Biden for his completely disastrous handling of the border; and I'm angry at how Trump has shifted from the goal of deporting criminals to deporting everyone he can lay hands on.
My frustration and the frustration of my friends and neighbors is that no one seems to be able to achieve a humane and reasonable immigration reform. And when people believe laws are unjust and they feel powerless to change them, sometimes people feel called to break them in civil disobedience -- as Rosa Parks did -- or to march peacefully, as Minnesotans did in the (reportedly) tens of thousands through downtown Minneapolis. I think it's a mistake to sneer at MN liberals and characterize them all as lawless left-wing radicals. It's also a mistake to think they are doing these things because Walz egged them on: they're doing these things because they feel solidarity with the Hispanic immigrants being targeted, and because they've observed the belligerent, callous, increasingly violent behavior of Noem's and Bovino's poorly trained agents.
I tend to disagree, but cannot dispute your comparison points of the Whiskey Rebellion and Nullification Acts. Well argued.
I appreciate the comment, Neil. Thanks.
I love it when someone hits me with something I had not considered. (I never get any smarter being right.) Your comment caused me to revisit the Whiskey Rebellion in particular, after which I would offer the following for your consideration.
With the Whiskey Rebellion, President Washington was responding to what he thought was an actual armed insurrection, not stockboys running across parking lots in an attempt to avoid being deported, or mere protesters. Federal authority was being tested for the very first time, not after more than two hundred years of this being without question. Unlike with what is now going on in Minnesota, his actions were broadly supported by the public. Finally, when two soldiers in the federalized militia killed people, Washington arrested and then turned them over to state authorities.
Let me here emphasize that this is not to dismiss the point you have made, which I continue to believe quite valid. Sanctuary jurisdictions are not all that different from the southern states that were determined to defy Brown v. Bd. of Education. I only offer them as nuances that might suggest a slightly less forceful approach. In particular, I AM ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED that were the feds to say that they will only be detaining people either facing or convicted of criminal charges, and stop the disturbing practice of asking random (brown) people for their papers, those protesters would completely disappear.
Valid points. There are a number of things I don't like regarding the way the feds are handling the present situation. Still, they have a job to do and mistakes are going to be made.
From a legal standpoint, federal officers are not authorized to stop and question someone unless they have an "articulable suspicion" that a crime has taken place or the individual might be carrying a weapon with the intention of harming others or causing harm.
Race alone does not, and never will, justify the probable cause requirement. Case law is replete with examples. Violate that and they subject themselves to civil suit if not incarceration.
I see what is happening in Minesotta more analogous to the Nulification Acts. State officials can simply not place themselves above federal law because they don't like it.
Washington's reaction was the first test of the Supremacy Clause, but the principle remains valid today. That said, I appreciate the points you raise and frankly, it's enjoyable discussing this with you.
ICE can actually stop anyone on the street if they have a "reason to believe" they might be in the country illegally. But in the Twin Cities ICE/BP agents have been stopping people -- including non-white off-duty local police officers -- apparently based solely on their appearance, and in some cases harassing or detaining them until they can prove their citizenship. In one case, with guns drawn, they interrogated a female off-duty cop in my suburb of Brooklyn Park and knocked her phone out of her hand. Our police chief gave a press conference (https://youtu.be/DRURdXNW3A4?si=9BtP0vt6sQPXyBVv) airing local police chiefs' concerns.
"Under Section 287(a) of the INA, ICE officers can arrest individuals without a warrant if they have 'reason to believe' the person is in the U.S. in violation of immigration law...
"ICE...can question anyone they believe may be an undocumented immigrant about their right to be in the United States.
"Inside your home:...ICE needs a judicial warrant or your consent to enter.
"Public sidewalk or street: Minimal privacy expectation. ICE can arrest based on probable cause alone."
- https://allaboutlawyer.com/yes-ice-is-law-enforcement-but-their-authority-has-limits-you-need-to-know/
I get what you're saying, Mary. Any officer can arrest based on probable cause. When I reference "stopping" someone on the streets, I was paraphrasing the "articulable suspucion" ruling set down by the Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio. That's still the law.
I didn't mean to suggest some officers get it wrong. They're human and humans make mistakes. That's why we have courts.
Race, religion, or ethnic origin don't qualify. e.g. "I stopped him because his skin was brown." Even if someone is here illegally, they still enjoy the protections our constitution affords.
That said, if an illegal stop takes place, that individual will be freed. However, if information is developed during the course of an investigation that shows they entered the country illegally, they can be rearrested or detained on a new charge. I don't have a problem with that.
I've said many times, if you're here legally, I'll defend to the death your right to be here. If not, sign the guest book, catch the next flight out, and come back when it's your turn.
I really wish the administration would consider a compromise along the lines of what I have discussed; striking a deal with local and state officials to the effect that if they FULLY cooperate in getting rid of the bad guys, they will leave everyone else alone. As you might already have guessed, I don't support what ICE is doing in Minnesota. However, in light of the very valid (federal supremacy) concerns that you have raised, I'm not sure I want to see the feds completely back down either. (You made me smarter!)
Excellent points. Tom Homan may be more open to that. It's what should be done anyway. Cooperation between state and federal government and between the various law enforcement agencies isn't an alien concept.
I suspect the resistance centers on Donald Trump personally due to jis bombast and the way he conducts himself. If Barak Obama were in charge I doubt we would see the same vehemence. It appears, to me at least, one segment of the party and population are adamantly committed to resist everything he does whether it's beneficial or not.
In 1963, the images of Birmingham on Bull Connor's ordering the attack dogs on the children became a turning point for many. I wonder if the images from yesterday will be remembered in a similar light.
Erick, I "heart" that you consider the obvious murder of an American citizen by approximately seven masked and unaccountable agents of the Secret Police "nebulous." I am starting to fully realize that, unlike the anti-Trump Erick Erickson of 2016, who recognized MAGA's criminality, corruption, conspiracies, and lies, the 2026 Erick Erickson is ALL IN with The Regime. As Trump has past stated, he could literally shoot people in the face on 5th Avenue and not lose any of his supporters. Other than the location of the murder - Minneapolis, in this case - Erick proves every day that Trump is fully accurate in his assessment about his unyielding MAGA faithful. Hopefully, one day you'll reaccess your moral core, and the Erick Erickson of 2016 will emerge reborn.