Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
The Battle of Minneapolis Is Not Over by Ryan Cooper
It appears, at first glance, that the brutal murder of Alex Pretti by a pack of Customs and Border Protection thugs has set the Trump administration on the back foot. CBP’s pint-size Obergruppenführer Greg Bovino has been sent packing back to California with his Nazi coat, and Trump has reportedly ordered some of the rank-and-file goons to be sent elsewhere. Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem is in danger of losing her position as well, with two Republicans calling for her ouster. (Perhaps she’ll found a dog shelter.) Even Stephen Miller is equivocating, suggesting that CBP may not have followed correct protocol.
Many in the media have declared this a significant change of tone for Trump, if not a major defeat. The New York Times declared in a four-byline piece that “the moment was a rare example of the president moving to mitigate the harsh optics associated with a crackdown his administration has otherwise celebrated.” Trump told ABC News that he might consider a “more relaxed” approach to immigration, which “appear[s] to signal a shift in tone for Trump,” the network reported. Elsewhere, he briefly suggested a “de-escalation.” USA Today reported that the administration is now in “damage control” mode, and that it is now working with Democratic officials in Minnesota.
Lost amid these stentorian pronouncements of tonal shifts are the actual circumstances on the ground in Minneapolis. ICE and CBP thugs are still stalking the streets of the city, abusing and kidnapping people at will. There is little sign that they are actually going to leave, absent a lot more pressure from outside. The focus on words out of Washington rather than the place that triggered the reaction is a serious mistake.
Blood-boiling stories are still pouring in from all over the Minneapolis region. Here’s ICE storm troopers tearing a husband away from his wife and daughter even as she begs to be deported with him. Perhaps most shockingly, ICE attempted to break into the Ecuadoran consulate in Minneapolis—which, according to the norms of international diplomacy, is tantamount to an act of war.
Many in the media have declared this a significant change of tone for Trump, if not a major defeat. The New York Times declared in a four-byline piece that “the moment was a rare example of the president moving to mitigate the harsh optics associated with a crackdown his administration has otherwise celebrated.” Trump told ABC News that he might consider a “more relaxed” approach to immigration, which “appear[s] to signal a shift in tone for Trump,” the network reported. Elsewhere, he briefly suggested a “de-escalation.” USA Today reported that the administration is now in “damage control” mode, and that it is now working with Democratic officials in Minnesota.
Lost amid these stentorian pronouncements of tonal shifts are the actual circumstances on the ground in Minneapolis. ICE and CBP thugs are still stalking the streets of the city, abusing and kidnapping people at will. There is little sign that they are actually going to leave, absent a lot more pressure from outside. The focus on words out of Washington rather than the place that triggered the reaction is a serious mistake.
Blood-boiling stories are still pouring in from all over the Minneapolis region. Here’s ICE storm troopers tearing a husband away from his wife and daughter even as she begs to be deported with him. Perhaps most shockingly, ICE attempted to break into the Ecuadoran consulate in Minneapolis—which, according to the norms of international diplomacy, is tantamount to an act of war.
https://prospect.org/2026/01/29/ice-trump-minneapolis-alex-pretti-border-protection-kristi-noem-stephen-miller/]