Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

‘How Many Other Killings Are They Concealing?’ ICE Shot Ruben Ray Martinez in Texas Last March

Spread the love

Original article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

A federal immigration agent fatally shot Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old US citizen, early on March 15, 2025 in South Padre Island, Texas. (Photo by Rachel Reyes/Mission Park Funeral Chapels & Cemeteries)

“Americans deserve immediate answers and an independent investigation of the shooting,” said Congressman Greg Casar.

Demands for accountability are mounting after internal records revealed this week that an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations fatally shot Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old US citizen, almost a year ago in South Padre Island, Texas.

“While Martinez’s death was reported in local media at the time, the reports did not identify HSI involvement or disclose that a federal agent fired the shots through the driver-side window,” Newsweek reported, citing publicly available information and records obtained by American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

RECOMMENDED…

Renee Good's Brothers Give Public Testimony On Violent Use Of Force By DHS Agents

Body Camera Footage and Texts Show DHS Lied About Shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago

U.S. military deports 80 Guatemalan migrants from Fort Bliss facility in El Paso

Texas Lawmakers Sound Alarm on ‘Torture, Killing, and Inhumane Treatment’ of Detainees in Fort Bliss ICE Facility

“It shouldn’t take 11 months and a FOIA lawsuit to learn that the government killed someone,” American Oversight said on social media late Friday. Separately, the watchdog noted that “the details sound similar to the death of Renee Good,” a 37-year-old US citizen and mother of three fatally shot by officer Jonathan Ross last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Good’s killing, and two Customs and Border Protection agents’ subsequent fatal shooting of 37-year-old US citizen and nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, have fueled outrage over President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, resulting in a congressional funding fight that has partially shut down the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees both agencies.

ICE’s internal report on the Texas shooting states that HSI agents were helping redirect traffic at the site of a major accident early on March 15, 2025. Martinez and his passengers aren’t named, but the document claims that the driver of a blue four-door Ford “failed to follow instructions,” including verbal commands to stop and exit the vehicle.

Instead, the driver “accelerated forward, striking a HSI special agent who wound up on the hood of the vehicle. Upon observing this, HSI group supervisory special agent utilized his government-issued service weapon, discharging multiple rounds at the driver through the open driver’s side window,” according to the ICE report—a version of events that a DHS spokesperson echoed in a Friday statement added to the Newsweek article, which was initially published Wednesday.

The DHS spokesperson also said that the incident remains under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Ranger Division, whose press secretary, Sheridan Nolen, confirmed that “this is still an active investigation by the Texas Rangers, and no other information is currently available.”

Back in March LAST YEAR, ICE shot and killed a US citizen teenager through his car window, and it never admitted its role. ICE claims it was assisting traffic control (!?!) when the driver didn't follow its instructions. Fake cops. How many other killings are they concealing?

— David Bier (@davidjbier.bsky.social) 2026-02-20T14:35:23.264Z

Charles Stam, a lawyer for the Martinez family, told the New York Times that the 23-year-old was the driver in the ICE report. Stam and another attorney, Alex Stamm, also said in a statement that eyewitness accounts of the scene don’t match the document.

“It is critical that there is a full and fair investigation into why HSI was present at the scene of a traffic collision and why a federal officer shot and killed a US citizen as he was trying to comply with instructions from the local law enforcement officers directing traffic,” the lawyers said.

The Times also reached Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, who said her son worked at an Amazon warehouse in San Antonio and was out to celebrate his birthday. According to her: “He was a good kid. He doesn’t have a criminal history… He never got in trouble. He was never violent.”

Reyes challenged the federal government’s narrative about her son, telling the newspaper: “What they’re saying is different from what they told the family, so that’s adding insult to injury… They are making it sound different. I don’t appreciate their language.”

In a Friday interview with the Texas Tribune, American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu also called out the government: “What they’re telling the public is very different than what they’re doing behind closed doors. The only reason why we’re able to make these connections and really call into question the public statements that they’re making to mislead the public is because we’re able to get our hands on these documents… That should deeply concern everyone.”

The revelations this week have generated concern. André Treiber, the Democratic National Committee’s Youth Coordinating Council chair, wrote on social media Friday evening that “ICE murdered a Texan last March and we are only just learning about it now. They are once again offering the excuse that this was done in self-defense, but forgive me if I am extremely skeptical after they’ve been caught lying about that exact same thing multiple times already.”

Another death. Another truth coming out late. Another failure of accountability.Ruben Martinez should still be alive.ICE has killed multiple people, and we're still uncovering cases after the fact. This is what unchecked power looks like. It must stop.

— MoveOn (@moveon.org) 2026-02-20T17:45:10.616Z

Federal lawmakers also sounded the alarm on Friday. Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) declared that “Americans deserve immediate answers and an independent investigation of the shooting.” Another Texas Democrat, Congressman Joaquin Castro, similarly called for “a full investigation,” including into the monthslong “cover-up.”

US Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), whose Chicagoland district has also faced a recent ICE invasion, pointed to other deaths tied to the agency, including those of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, who was shot by ICE in the Chicago suburb of Franklin Park last September; Keith Porter Jr., who was shot by an off-duty agent on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles, California; and Linda Davis, a special education teacher in Savannah, Georgia, who was killed in a Monday car crash that involved a man fleeing ICE.

“For a whole year, DHS hid that they murdered Ruben, a young man in Texas, after a traffic stop. Just like they did with Silverio, Renee, Keith, Alex, and Linda, they lied and avoided accountability,” said Ramirez, who supports abolishing ICE. “How many more people have to be executed before my colleagues realize that reforms are not enough?”

Original article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Continue Reading‘How Many Other Killings Are They Concealing?’ ICE Shot Ruben Ray Martinez in Texas Last March

Every Single Participant in NYT Focus Group Preferred Progressive Candidates Over Moderate Ones

Spread the love

Original article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Over 13,000 people pack Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, for mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s New York Is Not For Sale rally on October 26, 2025. (Photo by Neil Constantine/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“The Democratic Party needs to embrace voices that resonate with people,” said one participant

The New York Times’ “America in Focus” series has assembled dozens of focus groups in recent years, often asking supporters of President Donald Trump how they feel about his domestic and foreign policy one year into his second term—but political observers suggested Tuesday that the newspaper’s latest focus group should capture the attention of Democratic leaders who have been condemned for capitulating to the president and refusing to embrace and learn from the victories of progressive leaders like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The newspaper spoke to 13 Democratic and independent voters including retirees from Indiana and Michigan, working people from states such as North Carolina and Nevada, and an unemployed voter from Iowa. The topic of discussion was the participants’ frustrations with the Democratic Party as it faces the Trump administration and the president’s aggressive deployment of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the country.

RECOMMENDED…

62nd Munich Security Conference

As Dem Voters Seek a ‘Fight’ With the Superrich, AOC is Now Their Favorite Candidate: Poll

Data Center Giant Secures $14 Million Deal to Consume 40% of Pennsylvania Town's Excess Water

Data Center Giant Secures $14 Million Deal to Consume 40% of Pennsylvania Town’s Excess Water

“Spineless” was one word a participant had for the Democratic Party when asked to describe it. Another said the party appears “paralyzed” while a 46-year-old Latina woman from Nevada said Democrats in Congress are “sellouts and suckers.”

Terrill, a 68-year-old retired Indiana resident, agreed that the party leadership has “sold out.”

“I just feel we were never being governed,” said Terrill. “We’re being looted. The Democratic Party lined their pockets and created—they created this mess.”

A number of respondents expressed ire over the decision by eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus to vote with Republicans last November to end a record-breaking government shutdown—without securing any concessions on protecting healthcare for millions of Americans who rely on Affordable Care Act subsidies.

The response from participants “tracks 100% with what I’ve seen on the streets, from No Kings protests to the resistance against ICE,” said commentator Hasan Piker.

Democratic leaders, he added, “are oblivious to the anger” felt by voters. “They’re speaking into an echo chamber of consultants who tell them what they want to hear.”

With voters expressing such intense dissatisfaction with the leadership of establishment Democrats, “how on Earth do Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries still manage to cling to their leadership roles?” asked journalist Mehdi Hasan, referring to the Senate and House minority leaders, who both represent New York.

But along with unloading their frustration about the Democrats who continue to back ICE—even as support for the agency craters among voters—and refuse to develop what one voter called “clear, concise messaging” that communicates how the party will fight for working Americans, the participants talked about the political leaders who “excite” them about the future of the party and the country.

Mike, a 33-year-old telecommunications professional in North Carolina, said that Mamdani, a democratic socialist, exemplifies what the party “should be doing more of.”

Less than two months into his mayoral term, said Mike, Mamdani has provided voters in New York and across the country with a “clear and concise” message about how he plans to govern and what he plans to prioritize.

Mike drew a comparison to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an early backer of Mamdani who is continuing the Fighting Oligarchy nationwide tour he began last year, speaking to crowds in both red and blue districts about the need for policies that serve working families rather than billionaire political donors and corporations.

“Bernie has said the same thing since the ‘80s,” said Mike. “You’ve got to tax the billionaires. You’ve got to tax the upper class. He’s never changed. That’s the messaging. You’ve just got to drill it into them, and Zohran did it. Man, it’s beautiful.”

While other respondents expressed some enthusiasm about more moderate leaders like Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, several participants agreed with Mike’s comments on Mamdani and one independent voter named Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), another outspoken democratic socialist and a potential 2028 contender, as a leader who “excites” them.

If given a choice between voting for a moderate candidate in an election or a progressive, all 13 participants said they would choose the progressive.

A 29-year-old independent voter named Panth from Arizona said the term moderate reminded him of “people like [former West Virginia Sen.] Joe Manchin, who hold up some of the policies that I would want supported.”

“I feel like moderates are happy with the status quo and will basically do what we’ve always done. The system is working for them and they want to keep it the same. I think for a large part of Americans, the system isn’t working, so we need something new,” said Panth.

Days after taking office, Mamdani announced that he and Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had finalized a deal to fund his universal childcare plan for the city. He also announced the launch of “rental ripoff” hearings to hold landlords accountable for abuses, intervened in a major renters’ dispute, personally aided with snow removal, and repaved a dangerous bump in the road on the Williamsburg Bridge.

Progressive policymakers “actually do stuff,” summarized Panth.

The widespread expression of enthusiasm for progressive candidates came a week after grassroots organizer Analilia Mejía’s victory in the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, after which Sanders asserted that victories on the left “can be done everywhere.”

As Trump has ramped up his attacks on immigrant communities and First Amendment rights, leaders including Schumer and Jeffries have incensed progressive commentators by backing down on demands to rein in ICE, refusing to clearly condemn the administration’s arrest and attempted deportation of pro-Palestinian protesters, and expressing frustration at advocacy groups that have demanded they fight the Trump agenda.

“The Democratic Party needs to embrace voices that resonate with people,” said Panth. “When you hear Bernie, he has energy because he really believes in what he’s saying. It’s the same reason Trump resonates with people, because he acknowledges some of the struggles that they’re facing. Sure, he blames the wrong groups, but he at least voices it. The Democratic Party doesn’t do the same.”

Alex Jacquez, a former Obama administration official who’s now chief of policy and advocacy at the economic justice group Groundwork Collaborative, commented: “Bingo.”

Original article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.

Continue ReadingEvery Single Participant in NYT Focus Group Preferred Progressive Candidates Over Moderate Ones

Twin Cities Unions Planning ‘Largest US Rent Strike in 100+ Years’ as ICE Occupation Drives Eviction Crisis

Spread the love

Original article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Minneapolis City Council Member Aisha Chughtai speaks at a rally outside the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority alongside labor and tenant organizers in support of a statewide eviction moratorium on January 31, 2026 in Minneapolis. (Screenshot from a video posted by Twin Cities Tenants/Instagram)

“Tenants in Minnesota are in a crisis,” said Minneapolis City Council Member Aisha Chughtai. “The federal invasion forced many of our neighbors to stay home and devastated our local economy.”

Tenant and labor unions in Minneapolis and St. Paul have announced plans to carry out what they said would be the “largest rent strike in the United States in the last 100 years.”

Beginning on March 1, if Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz does not meet their urgent demands for an eviction moratorium and rent relief, a coalition of nearly 26,000 workers has pledged to withhold rent, which they said could create a massive economic disruption.

RECOMMENDED…

Federal Agents Descend On Minneapolis For Immigration Enforcement Operations

Undeterred by Freezing Temps, Statewide Minnesota Strikes Demand ‘ICE Out Now’

Fury Over ICE Brutality and Lawlessness Fuels Push for Minnesota ‘General Strike’

Fury Over ICE Brutality and Lawlessness Fuels Push for Minnesota ‘General Strike’

The plans were announced on Tuesday by the tenants union Twin Cities Tenants, which is joined by five labor unions: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 26, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota/Iowa, UNITE HERE Local 17, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 1005, and Communication Workers of America (CWA) 7250.

They argued that a freeze on rents is desperately needed after “nearly three months of federal occupation” under President Donald Trump’s “Operation Metro Surge,” which sent nearly 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigration agents to the area, resulting in multiple fatal shootings and a wave of civil rights violations, including explicit racial profiling.

The unions said the daily presence of militarized agents “has taken a painful economic toll on poor and working-class tenants across the Twin Cities.”

“Over 35,000 low-income Twin Cities households were already unable to afford the rent before the federal siege,” they said. “Estimates show over $47 million in lost wages among people who have not been safe to go to work, and at least $15.7 million in additional rental assistance needed due to lost household income—leaving many of those households at imminent risk of eviction.”

Evictions in Hennepin County spiked by 45% between this January and last, while requests for financial assistance have nearly doubled, according to a report this month from the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

As the federal siege wore on and immigrants remained trapped in their homes, community members raised tens of thousands of dollars through GoFundMe campaigns. But it proved far too little to help the thousands of families suddenly at risk of losing their homes.

On January 30, tenant organizers, union members, and other local activists staged a sit-in at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority and called for an immediate halt to evictions. Another group gathered outside the governor’s mansion in St. Paul.

“We’re here today because federal immigration enforcement, eviction courts, and the police power of the state are converging to terrorize the same families,” said Jess Zarik, co-executive director of HOME Line. “Housing instability is being used as a weapon, and the scale of this crisis is unlike anything we’ve seen in our 34-year history.”

While city and state leaders have fought back rhetorically against the Trump administration’s highest-profile abuses—including the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by agents last month—and called for accountability, organizers said they’ve been slow to remedy the wider effects it has had on working-class residents across the Twin Cities.

“A lot of people just can’t get to and from work because ICE has been stopping random cars on the road, largely based on what they think the skin color of the driver is,” said Klyde Warren, a Minneapolis renter and Twin Cities Tenants organizer. “How are you supposed to go to work and make money to pay your rent in those conditions? The answer is a lot of people just can’t right now, but the eviction courts are still operating as if things are normal and they’re not normal.”

Last week, Walz’s office told Axios that the governor “does not currently have the legal authority to enact an eviction moratorium.”

Walz enacted an eviction moratorium in early spring 2020, which tenant organizers said allowed renters to stay home safely to avoid risks from the Covid-19 pandemic. He did this using what is known as a “peacetime emergency” declaration, which allows the governor to circumvent typical rulemaking procedures during extraordinary circumstances.

The city councils of both Minneapolis and St. Paul voted unanimously last month for nonbinding resolutions calling on Walz to take similar action to protect vulnerable residents from displacement.

“Tenants in Minnesota are in a crisis. The federal invasion forced many of our neighbors to stay home and devastated our local economy,” said Minneapolis City Council Member Aisha Chughtai (D-10). “We need real solutions for the cliff of the rental crisis we are facing on March 1.”

“I will be going on rent strike on March 1, and I call on my constituents to join me, until we can get a real solution from our state government for this crisis,” she said.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU3t58mkX7r/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=540&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org&rp=%2Fnews%2Fminnesota-rent-strike-ice#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1033.9000000059605%2C%22ls%22%3A402.7999999821186%2C%22le%22%3A918.9000000059605%7D

Even as ICE’s operation draws to a close, some agents are still deployed and arresting Twin Cities residents. Organizers said that even after the surge itself ends, the economic fallout will need to be addressed.

“We absolutely need an eviction moratorium,” said Geof Paquette, the internal organizing director at UNITE HERE Local 17. “Our members were struggling to keep up with housing costs before ICE occupied our streets. It has now become an emergency as many of our members are behind in their rent. It’s well past time for some relief.”

The unions have estimated that if just 10,000 of their members withheld their rent, it could cause $15 million in economic disruption and pressure the city and state government into action.

“The people of Minneapolis and St. Paul have shown the way, fighting a federal invasion and caring for their neighbors; their fight and their care continue in this historic rent strike,” said Tara Raghuveer, director of the Tenant Union Federation. “Tenants and workers have decided that… they have no other choice but to strike. In taking this step, they join a storied tradition of struggle. The struggle can end whenever the governor steps in to do what’s right.”

Original article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.

Continue ReadingTwin Cities Unions Planning ‘Largest US Rent Strike in 100+ Years’ as ICE Occupation Drives Eviction Crisis

‘This Occupation Has to End!’ Omar Argues After Homan Says Most Agents Will Stay in Minnesota

Spread the love

Original article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

US Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) speaks during a rally outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Headquarters on February 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

“Every single ICE and CBP agent should be out of Minnesota,” the congresswoman said. “The terror campaign must stop.”

President Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, announced Wednesday that 700 immigration agents are leaving Minnesota, but with around 2,000 expected to remain there, Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, whose district includes Minneapolis, declared that the drawdown is “not enough.”

As part of Trump’s “Operation Metro Surge,” agents with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have invaded multiple Minnesota cities, including Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and committed various acts of violence, such as fatally shooting Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

RECOMMENDED…

US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING

‘Do Your Job!’: Protesters Gather Outside Walz’s Office to Demand Criminal Charges for Trump’s Killer Agents

Federal Agents Increase Immigration Enforcement In Minneapolis

Omar Warns Trump Aims to Provoke Enough Agitation in Minnesota So He Can Declare ‘Martial Law’

In a pair of social media posts about Homan’s announcement, Omar argued that “every single ICE and CBP agent should be out of Minnesota. The terror campaign must stop.”

“This occupation has to end!” she added, also renewing her call to abolish ICE—a position adopted by growing shares of federal lawmakers and the public as Trump’s mass deportation agenda has hit Minnesota’s Twin Cities, the Chicago and Los Angeles metropolitan areas, multiple cities in Maine, and other communities across the United States.

In Congress, where a fight over funding for CBP and ICE’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, is playing out, Omar has stood with other progressives in recent votes. The bill signed by Trump on Tuesday only funds DHS through the middle of the month, though Republicans gave ICE an extra $75 billion in last year’s budget package.

During an on-camera interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas, Trump said that the reduction of agents came from him. After the president’s factually dubious rant about crime rates, Llamas asked what he had learned from the operation in Minnesota. Trump responded: “I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough.”

“We’re really dealing with really hard criminals,” Trump added. Despite claims from him and others in the administration that recent operations have targeted “the worst of the worst,” data have repeatedly shown that most immigrants detained by federal officials over the past year don’t have any criminal convictions.

Operation Metro Surge has been met with persistent protests in Minnesota and solidarity actions across the United States. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Wednesday that “the limited drawdown of ICE agents from Minnesota is not a concession. It is a direct response to Minnesotans standing up to unconstitutional federal overreach.”

“Minnesotans are winning against this attack on all our communities by organizing, resisting, and defending our constitutional rights. But this moment should not be a victory lap,” Hussein continued. “It must instead be a call to continue pushing for justice. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal immigration agents remain uninvestigated, and communities and prosecutors alike have raised grave concerns about violations of their oaths and the Constitution. This is not the time to pull back, it is the time to deepen our resilience, increase our support for one another, and keep fighting for our democracy and accountability until justice is served.”

The Not Above the Law coalition’s co-chairs—Praveen Fernandes of the Constitutional Accountability Center, Kelsey Herbert of MoveOn, Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, and Brett Edkins, of Stand Up America—similarly said that “Tom Homan’s announcement that 700 federal immigration agents will be withdrawn from Minnesota is more a minor concession than a meaningful policy shift.”

“The vast majority—approximately 2,000 federal agents—remain deployed in the state, and enforcement operations continue unabated,” the co-chairs stressed. “This token gesture does nothing to address the ongoing terror families face or the constitutional crisis this administration’s actions have created.”

“The killings of Minnesotans demand real accountability,” they added. “Families torn apart by raids and alleged constitutional violations deserve justice. Real change means the complete withdrawal of all federal forces conducting these operations in Minnesota, full accountability for the deaths and violations that have occurred, and congressional action to restore the rule of law. The American people deserve better than political theater when constitutional rights hang in the balance.”

On Tuesday, the state and national ACLU asked the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to “use its early warning and urgent action procedure in response to the human rights crisis following the Trump administration’s deployment of federal forces” in the Twin Cities.

“The Trump administration’s ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota are being carried out by thousands of masked federal agents in military gear who are ignoring basic constitutional and human rights of Minnesotans,” said Teresa Nelson, legal director of the ACLU of Minnesota. “Their targeting of our Somali and Latino communities threatens Minnesotans’ most fundamental rights, and it has spread fear among immigrant communities and neighborhoods.”

Original article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.

Continue Reading‘This Occupation Has to End!’ Omar Argues After Homan Says Most Agents Will Stay in Minnesota

Citing Threat of ‘Authoritarian Regime,’ Judge Orders ICE to Stop Tear-Gassing Protesters in Oregon

Spread the love

Original article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Federal agents deploy pepper balls, tear gas, and flashbang grenades on hundreds of people who marched from Portland City Hall to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility to protest against the agency’s actions in Portland, Oregon on February 1, 2026. (Photo by Sean Bascom/Anadolu via Getty Images)

In “a well-functioning constitutional democratic republic,” said US District Judge Michael Simon, “free speech, courageous newsgathering, and nonviolent protest are all permitted, respected, and even celebrated.”

Warning that President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrant communities, protesters who speak out for civil and human rights, and journalists who are reporting on the president’s mass deportation campaign has placed the nation at a “crossroads,” a US judge on Tuesday temporarily barred federal agents from launching tear gas, projectiles, and other chemicals at demonstrators in Portland, Oregon.

US District Judge Michael Simon in the District of Oregon ruled that for at least the next 14 days—a period that could be extended—federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security or other agencies can no longer use chemical or projectile munitions like tear gas or pepper balls unless the specific target poses an imminent threat of physical harm to a law enforcement officer or someone else.

RECOMMENDED…

‘You Have Lost All Legitimacy’: Portland Mayor Demands ICE Leave City After Tear Gassing Kids

‘You Have Lost All Legitimacy’: Portland Mayor Demands ICE Leave City After Tear Gassing Kids

Protesters Denounce ICE Outside Chicago-Area Facility

‘Reign of Terror’: ICE Builds Appalling Record of Killings, Beatings, Kidnappings, and More

Officers are also prohibited from firing any munition at a person’s head, neck, or torso except in cases where deadly force would be justified, and from using a less lethal munition if doing so would endanger someone who doesn’t pose an imminent threat.

Simon emphasized that he arrived at the ruling in order to preserve the United States’ status as “a well-functioning constitutional democratic republic.”

In such a country, wrote Simon, free speech, courageous newsgathering, and nonviolent protest are all permitted, respected, and even celebrated.“

“In an authoritarian regime, that is not the case,” he continued. “Our nation is now at a crossroads. We have been here before and have previously returned to the right path, notwithstanding an occasional detour. In helping our nation find its constitutional compass, an impartial and independent judiciary operating under the rule of law has a responsibility that it may not shirk.”

The ruling pertains to the vicinity of the Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Building, which has been at the center of protests against the agency’s arrests and detention of immigrants in the Portland area.

Simon handed down the ruling days after thousands of residents assembled near the building to speak out against Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, in which a majority of the people who have been detained in recent months have had no criminal records despite the president’s claims that ICE is targeting the “worst of the worst” violent offenders. DHS agents have shot at least 13 people since September, and have killed two—Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. An off-duty ICE agent also fatally shot Keith Porter in Los Angeles.

The protest on Saturday in Portland was nonviolent and family-friendly, with children and senior citizens among those who gathered to speak out against the killings, deportations, and detentions.

But ICE agents nonetheless deployed tear gas at the crowd. They did so again the next day when hundreds of protesters rallied at City Hall and marched to the ICE Building. DHS claimed the protesters “threw objects at law enforcement and rocks at cameras.” lreported that it had not verified those claims.

The ACLU, which filed a legal complaint to the judge Sunday night on behalf of protesters who had been affected by ICE’s use of tear gas, said Tuesday that “not only are DHS’s extreme actions violating protesters’ First Amendment rights, but they also pose an imminent risk that officers will seriously maim or kill someone, as they have done repeatedly within the last few weeks in other parts of the country.”

Kelly Simon, the legal director for ACLU of Oregon, said that “it has been inspiring to see Oregonians rising together with love, nonviolence, and creativity to oppose the Trump administration’s cruelty.”

“The Department of Homeland Security’s pattern of violently retaliating against protesters and documenters flies in the face of any notion of order, safety, or freedom,” she said. “This ruling affirms that, in Oregon, we still love our neighbors and believe in the power of our constitutional freedoms, including the freedoms of assembly, speech, and the press, to build a better future for all of us.”

In its filing, the ACLU described several alleged acts of violence and excessive force by federal agents against peaceful protesters and journalists, including the use of a chemical impact munition against an 84-year-old woman who was “peacefully holding a sign on a public street” when she was hit in the head. She walked home “soaked in blood” and was later diagnosed with a concussion at an emergency department.

A freelance journalist was also allegedly shot in the groin with projectile munitions and suffered bruises, and on another occasion was maced in the face by an officer.

Jack Dickinson, a protester who has been dubbed the Portland Chicken for the chicken costume he’s worn at anti-ICE demonstrations, said he was “grateful that Judge Simon agreed that cruelty is not an appropriate response to dissent.”

“Since June, the Trump regime has subjected people in Portland to chemical weapons and violence because they are offended by our words,” said Dickinson. “This administration should hear our grievances and halt their barbaric treatment of our communities. Until then, I hope Portland will continue to show up and exercise our First Amendment rights. Our voices are needed most in times like now.”

Federal agents’ use of tear gas and other chemicals also prompted a separate lawsuit recently, with a property management company joining a group of residents in an apartment building about 100 feet from the ICE building suing DHS because tear gas has clouded their homes for months—forcing some to sleep wearing gas masks.

One resident said she was also struck by rubber bullets that left her with welts and bruises.

Lawsuits challenging federal agents’ deployment of chemicals and munitions have also been filed in Minnesota and Chicago.

An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for March 2 in Simon’s courtroom regarding the question of whether the court should grant a preliminary injunction, further limiting the use of tear gas and other weapons against protesters and journalists.

Original article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.

Continue ReadingCiting Threat of ‘Authoritarian Regime,’ Judge Orders ICE to Stop Tear-Gassing Protesters in Oregon