A few of our stories and columns are now in front of the paywall. We at The Chief remain committed to independent reporting on labor and civil service. It's been our mission since 1897. You can have a hand in ensuring that our reporting remains relevant in the decades to come. Consider supporting The Chief, which you can do for as little as $3.20 a month.
The responsibility for the current turmoil in Minnesota lies completely with ICE. The tactics they're using are what's causing chaos there. Last week there was reporting that their indiscriminate traffic stops ensnared two Brooklyn Park police officers who were stopped and detained and when one tried to record the interaction, the phone was snatched from their hand.
This in no way resembles immigration enforcement. Where are the court orders that would list names, addresses, etc. of the offenders? Where are the deportation orders?
Are we to understand that they are tasked with instant immigration determinations on the street and that failure to do so can get someone deported on the spot? This is ludicrous!
I believe that the Trump administration is using Minneapolis as a training ground for larger cities and that ultimately these provocations and the ensuing upheaval they cause will be the excuse to even further escalate the hard-handed actions Trump wants to take against the particular groups of the American people he hates.
DHS/ICE/federal officials need to withdraw from Minneapolis immediately instead of giving ultimatums and threatening to send more ICE agents when there are already 2000 on the ground in a city with only 600 police officers.
Wanda Peaks
7 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
fcannisi
Wanda, the justification that Trump and his supporters use for the brutal, illegal tactics DHS is using in Minnesota, California, Illinois, Washington State, etc. is that the people voted for this. However, like most of Trump's statements it's a lie. He lost in every single one of the states and cities he has targeted for deportations.
I have been pleading since Trump was elected that he focus deportations in the two states that he won overwhelmingly with high immigrant populations - Texas and Florida. Governors Abbott and DeSantis will fully cooperate as will most state residents. Trump can concentrate his ICE thugs there and let's see what happens when the economies of those two states grind to a halt.
MAGA voters there should get exactly what they asked for.
Thursday, January 29 Report this
Valete
The devil is in the details.
The lawbreakers are the rioters; they are the perpetrators of the crime.
The law enforcers are ICE; they are the protectors of the law.
The honest citizens of Minneapolis are under siege; they are innocent victims.
The Governor and Mayor of Minneapolis are the instigators; they are comrades in arms.
The American public at large is bewildered; they are utterly confused.
The media have not condemned the rioters; they are Machiavellian.
The Democrats violate the Constitution; they are revolutionaries.
The Republicans want to uphold the Constitution; they are patriots.
The law-abiding illegals are the pawns; they are in checkmate.
Thursday, January 29 Report this
Valete
You have no idea what you’re talking about; your comments are nothing but political spin.
Immigration was the reason Trump returned to the White House. Former President Joe Biden lost control of the border and allowed record levels of illegal immigration during his term, but Trump vowed to secure it again.
Moreover, the apparent massive fleecing of Minnesota state welfare programs -- involving loads of Uncle Sam’s money -- perpetrated by Somali immigrants in Minneapolis.The Somali fraud is reported to be in the many billions of dollars. Democrat leaders -- including Walz, who’s been forced from his reelection bid -- are implicated, even if it was just turning a blind eye to the gargantuan theft. Doing that alone would be a crime -- a crime committed to, in effect, grease the palms of an important voting bloc for Minnesota Democrats.
Don’t underestimate Donald Trump’s chances of achieving ultimate victory. He’s committed to not only rectifying the immigration mess left behind by Biden’s administration, but also reshaping immigration policies and enforcement strategies for the future.
Don't bet against Donald Trump achieving ultimate victory. He’s dedicated to not only cleaning up the immigration mess created by Biden’s handlers, but resetting immigration policies and enforcement approaches for future times.
You’re witnessing a master at work. Continue watching; we can all learn from this. Go Trump, MAGA all the way.
Saturday, January 31 Report this
krell1349
A master at work? More like a bumbling idiot. His mental faculties are waning. He's on the road to dementia like his parents.
Sunday, February 1 Report this
Valete
Your inclination to name-call Mr. Trump rather than offer constructive criticism suggests a lack of genuine criticism of President Trump and his policies. In my opinion, Mr. Trump is effectively fulfilling his campaign promises regarding immigration, homeland security, and the economy. Regarding his mental abilities, I believe he is as sharp as a tack.
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
jlowenbraun
Let's not all get lost in the forest because you're just seeing the trees. We've needed comprehensive immigration reform for decades but our politicians have consistently kicked the can down the road because it's a great issue to campaign on. It's mostly Republicans, because they have nothing else to bring to the table except cutting taxes for rich people but there are Dems that succumb to the fear that voters will perceive them as soft on crime. Case in point, in Joe Biden's last year of office, a bi-partisan bill was presented to congress that was a Republican's wet dream of immigration repression which included sealing the border. It was all set to pass until Trump ordered his spineless minions to vote against it so he could run on it.
In the past, Little Marco Rubio has been active in creating legislation for comprehensive immigration reform but the he always voted against it when it came to the floor, along with all his Republican buddies.
Final thought: Donald Trump is dedicated to one thing and one thing only-to fleece this country of every penny he can get his hands on and skip town leaving our country in ruins. He'll have to hire someone with bigger hands than his to do this.
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
Valete
Initially, your post intrigued me, but when you mentioned Joe Biden’s bipartisan immigration bill, I realized it didn’t introduce any new ideas to the ongoing debate about illegal immigration.
A quick summary of Biden’s 2024 bipartisan border bill is as follows: The 2024 bipartisan border bill (H.R. 815 ) was a proposed $118 billion emergency package aimed at strengthening U.S. border security and reforming asylum laws, but it failed to pass the Senate in May 2024.
It aimed to tighten asylum standards, increase detention capacity to 50,000 beds, and trigger mandatory border closures if daily crossings “ exceeded 5,000,”while funding additional staff and technology.
The bone of contention regarding H.R. 815 was attributed to the “ Border Shutdown Authority" provision,
The bill did nothing to curtail illegal immigration or secure the U.S. border; thus, it was blocked in the Senate twice
(February and May 2024).
President Donald Trump vehemently opposed the deal, resulting in the withdrawal of support from numerous Republicans. Trump’s opposition stemmed from the fact that the average daily crossings of 4,000 for a week were deemed unacceptable. Progressive Democrats also criticized it for being too restrictive and for lacking a pathway to citizenship for "Dreamers".
Monday, February 9 Report this