Trump wants an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act. EVERYONE knows it. He’s tried to create an incident to ‘justify” it, most notably in Los Angeles. Minnesota and Minneapolis in particular is a much more inviting target. It’s got a small but thriving group of people who escaped Somalia. AND the state has a former Somali now U.S. citizen in Congress. Gov. Tim Walz was on the ticket that came close to beating him in 2024. Minnesota gives Trump ample reason to be vindictive and he remembers the George Floyd protests five years ago. I’m betting his goal is to create worse, to provoke Minnesotans into doing to ICE what he had his mob do to the Capitol on Jan. 6. To give him political and legal cover to invoked the Insurrection Act. Yes, if only to his inner circle he’s declared that “Minnesota is the place!”
We all learned in school about Brigham Young’s famous declaration in geography lessons when it was time to talk about Utah. On that difficult trip to fulfill Joseph Smith’s (the founder of the Mormons) prophecy Young and his party were told about the Salt Lake Valley. He agreed when he finally made it, although there is nothing in contemporary records to back up the famous “This is the place, move on” quote we all know. No matter, just as if Trump never formally spoke the words Minneapolis is the place to provoke something that will let me invoke the Insurrection Act he expressed that sentiment. I’m sure he knew ICE was the proper tool for the job and told Noem to have her THUGS ‘rain down hell.’
ICE (and others from DHS) have been doing exactly that. As this article from the LA Times notes Minneapolis’ police force is only 600 officers. ICE bum rushed the city with double that and DHS presence quickly grew to over 2000 agents. Since the killing of Renee Good and people refusing to back down they’ve surged in more. It’s said as many as THREE THOUSAND federal goons, THUGS are there now. Roaming the streets. Yanking even white folks out of cars, roughing them up and detaining them. That it’s not working, that Minnesotans are standing up to the bullying infuriates them. It’s also infuriating Trump.
Remember when he said of people trying to cross our southern border ‘Why can’t you just shoot them?’ I’d be willing to bet he’s stomping around, cursing Bondi and Noem for not ‘unofficially’ ordering a raft of shootings of people in vehicles since bullshit claims of people using vehicles as “weapons” has become a go-to line for Team Trump. The thing is, via VP J.D. (stands for Justa Dumbass) Vance they’ve got Absolute Immunity. Actually there is no such thing in federal, state or local law. LE does enjoy a legal protection called Qualified Immunity and long ago learned saying “I was in fear for my life” is a devastatingly effective Get Out Of Jail Free card. Almost always.
In sad, infuriating reality Trump will pardon any of the ICE agents no matter what they do. Sure, the state can try to prosecute them in state court but as federal agents on orders to operate in Minneapolis but (any lawyers feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) the U.S. Attorney there will get the case moved to federal court. Technically I suppose come 2029 and a U.S. Attorney appointed by a Democrat is in place the state could try to prosecute but with a defendant(s) holding a federal pardon I’m not sure there’d be any point.
However what matters is that Trump has got four, and perhaps five times as many federal agents in Minneapolis as there are local sworn police officers. Agents who’ve clearly been instructed to ‘Stir up as much sh*t as you can.’ You think for one second if one of his own agents gets badly hurt or killed he will care? However much they suffer before dying and their loved ones will suffer means NOTHING to Trump. The only thing he’ll care about is how much and how effectively he can exploit it to his own ends!
So far, ICE is trying like hell and yes there have been some clashes. Especially at night around the main ICE facility. As for the people there they are sick and tired of the federal presence:
For Twin Cities residents, the crackdown can feel overwhelming.
“Enough is enough,” said Johan Baumeister, who came to the scene of Good’s death soon after the shooting to lay flowers.
He said he didn’t want to see the violent protests that shook Minneapolis after Floyd’s death, causing billions of dollars in damage. But this city has a long history of activism and protests, and he had no doubt there would be more.
These are resilient and tough people. I’ve seen my share of pictures and memes of Minnesotans in winter. For example last week I saw one of a guy using a snow blower with a caption to the effect that nowhere else would you see a dude snow blowing his driveway in a bowling shirt! Trump on the other hand is a wimp. Decades ago he became a classic Snowbird, as in someone with the means to buy a winter residence in Florida to escape the cold and snow in their home cities. That why he acquired Mar A Lago. Maybe someone should remind folks in Minnesota about that – that the tough-talking President spends as much time as he can away from the cold. Because even being transported around in fancy helicopters or armored limos is too much for him to take in DC. Yep, he’s a wimp for sure. THAT thought will warm a lot of hearts out there in the cold and snow standing up to him and his ICEstapo.
The George Floyd protests were big, sustained and sometimes ugly. After things settled down I’m sure people took stock, and resolved to utilize ‘Minnesota Nice’ should some other tragedy occur. For the most part people have taken note of the warnings from their Governor and Minneopolis’ Mayor that Trump wants to provoke a big, ugly incident and to not ‘Take the bait.’ Overwhelmingly albeit not always folks have heeded that advice. Let’s hope they continue to do so.
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
