ICE Is Imposing Autocracy in Minnesota – Damon Linker – Persuation

ICE Is Imposing Autocracy in Minnesota

The state has become Trump’s most radical experiment with militarized government.

By Damon Linker, Jan 17, 2026

Not only did the Trump administration and its media cheerleaders respond to the shooting of Renee Nicole Good by lying about and demonizing the victim while valorizing the shooter. They also used the event as an occasion to intensify ICE’s actions in the Twin Cities.

According to Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, there are currently 3,000 ICE officers swarming the city. That’s five times the total number of sworn officers who work on the city’s entire police force. They know they can act with impunity in inflicting violence on anyone they wish—undocumented immigrants, permanent residents, and American citizens.

I remain deeply uncertain about what we can and should do about this dawning reality. But there is value in simply documenting it in its appalling details. We need to have our eyes wide open about this as we prepare for more—and worse.

The Evidence

Last weekend, Noah Smith wrote a powerful post about the Good shooting and, more broadly, about what ICE is doing in Minnesota and around the country. The piece contains a paragraph with links to reports of abuses committed against people up to that point:

Here’s a video of ICE agents arresting two U.S. citizens in a Target. … Here’s a video of an ICE agent brandishing a gun in the face of a protester. Here’s the story of ICE agents arresting a pastor who complained about an arrest he saw. Here’s a video of ICE agents arresting an American citizen and punching him repeatedly. Here’s a video of ICE agents threatening a bystander who complained about their reckless driving. … Here’s a video of ICE agents making a particularly brutal arrest while pointing their weapons at unarmed civilians nearby. … Here’s a video of ICE agents savagely beating and arresting a legal immigrant. … Here’s a video of ICE agents pulling a disabled woman out of a car when she’s just trying to get to the doctor.

Things have gotten substantially worse in the intervening week.

Here’s a video of ICE using flash-bang grenades against protesters and reporters. Here’s a claim that ICE officers are knocking on doors, asking residents to identify the ethnicities of their neighbors. Here’s journalist Eric Levitz documenting how white nationalist memes and allusions have been posted on official government accounts over the past year. Here’s the news that the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over their statements condemning ICE activity.

And here’s the text of an email from Jonathan Oppenheimer, the brother of Substacker Daniel Oppenheimer, who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota and works in its public schools:

They are swarming our neighborhoods in unmarked cars; pulling people over at random; arresting and detaining people with no warrants or cause or justification other than being brown or black; intimidating people with assault weapons in their cars, at the local Target, and at nearly every immigrant-owned business; bashing out people’s windows after traffic stops and dragging them out of their cars; knocking on doors indiscriminately and asking people for documents or to turn on their neighbors …

[It] wasn’t real to me until I was seeing it up close and personal. Students of mine crying in my room because they’re scared to come to school. Students not showing up in the first place. Students getting pulled over for no reason and being told their car needed to be searched. Coming to work at a school every day where parents need to surround the premises in case they need to document a student or staff member being assaulted by a paramilitary force and whisked away to a detention center that our elected officials are not allowed to visit.

The Twin Cities Are Living Under Authoritarian Rule

This is wrong. And every American whose capacity for moral judgment has not been addled by partisan derangement should recognize it.

Until five minutes ago, nearly anyone who saw these images and read these accounts about any place in the world would conclude, quite reasonably, that the people there were living under a dictatorship. Probable cause, rights of the accused, the need for search warrants, due process of any kind—ICE is proceeding as if such restrictions on government power no longer exist. These are extra-constitutional acts, and they are now happening on the streets of a major U.S. city every single day. The Trump administration is attempting to turn it into a new American normal.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Damon Linker writes the Substack newsletter “Notes from the Middleground.” He is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and a senior fellow in the Open Society Project at the Niskanen Center.

A version of this article was originally published at Notes from the Middleground.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: ICE Is Imposing Autocracy in Minnesota – by Damon Linker

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, I stand before you to shed light on a topic that is often overlooked and undervalued in our modern society which is ‘the importance of getting enough sleep’. In a world where we strive to be constantly connected, where productivity and where efficiency are praised, we often sacrifice our sleep in pursuit of our goals. But today, I want to impress upon you the significance of a good night’s rest and how it can truly transform our lives.

Sleep deprivation, different from what most us know can have severe consequences on our physical and mental health. Studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation is linked to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even certain types of cancer. Furthermore, lack of enough sleep impairs our cognitive functions consequently affecting our memory, attention and decision-making abilities.

So, what happens when we sleep?, why is getting enough sleep so important? Our bodies and minds undergo a rejuvenation process during sleep as our brains consolidate memories, enabling us to retain information and learn more effectively. Sleep also plays a crucial role in regulating our emotions and mental well-being which in the long run helps to alleviate stress and improve our moods.

How much sleep is enough? Well, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults aim for a solid 7-9 hours of sleep each night. This begs us to ask the question ‘how do we prioritize sleep in a world that never seems to slow down?.’  Most importantly, we ought to establish a bedtime routine that allows us to unwind and signal to the body that it is time to sleep. This can include activities such as reading a book, listening to calming music or practicing relaxation techniques like meditation.

Now, let’s take a moment to reflect on the positive outcomes that can result from prioritizing sleep. Picture yourself with improved focus and concentration, making better decisions and achieving greater success in both your personal and professional endeavors. Envision a life with reduced stress levels, enhanced creativity and a stronger immune system. These are just a few of the remarkable benefits that await those who choose to prioritize their sleep and ensure that try have enough sleeping hours. By prioritizing our sleep, we invest in our overall well-being, allowing our bodies and minds to function at their best.

Thank you.

https://thegmetalworks0.wordpress.com/2024/10/30/informative-speech-the-importance-of-getting-enough-sleep/

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