These are not protests, these are riots. Who gave the stand down order for Chicago police to abandon the federal agents? Why was this violent insurrectionist terrorist released in a jurisdiction with strict gun control laws? Leftist mayors, governors, and judges are going to get people killed if they keep going down the path of anarcho-tyranny.
Yuri! Long time no see, could have sworn we buried your ass in the nineties.
It is borderline unbelievable how willingly (primarily city and state) democrat pols are lining up to obstruct law enforcement. ICE has appeared heavy handed at times, but you see the riots, haranguing and taunting…I think that normal folks of any political persuasion understand that those agents have one of the most thankless, difficult and dangerous jobs in American right now…and are inclined to cut them some slack as they enforce the federal law of the USA. Looking back, Dems will think that this oppositional strategy was a bonafide political disaster.
Also, for what it's worth, I'm in Chicago and literally no-one I talk to ever mentions these "protests". Like literally not once. Maybe people are cowed into silence or maybe, just maybe, nobody cares. Count me in the latter.
This is theater manufactured for the news cameras and the local pot-stirring pols.
Notably, yuppie-oriented newsletter/websites try to hype it up in between blurbs about restaurant reviews:
It's a sad situation. One has to feel for people who are so desperate that they're willing to enter a country illegally. It cannot be an easy decision. I see lots of workers that I would willing to bet are not here legally. I see them working hard and it's hard not to sympathize with them.
But the situation got wildly out of control during the OBiden administration and is untenable. Letting all these people in was not an act of generosity, it was not humane and it was not done out of concern for anyone other than those who can take advantage of the cheap labor or those who want to pad the rolls of social services or precinct tallies and take advantage of putatively cheap votes.
Exactly. They are here to exploit. They were exploited on the way here, and they are still paying their debts to the ruthless people who controlled our border during the Biden administration, the cartels. They are also working for less money than other Americans (can you say exploited??). What happens when they get hurt on the job????????? See there....
My current belief is the southern border was flung open, combined with magnet draw of sanctuary communities, to tip the scales on census and resulting re-districting. Trump is working now to unwind this. And it’s messy and going to get messier. The 1850's in this country were also ripe with States flipping the middle finger to the Federal government. This is a power-game, and ICE & protesters of ICE are pawns amongst a larger battle.
this country, particularly for those south of the border. I’m highly empathetic to those that just want to come here, be functioning members of society, and care for their families…that is the vast majority of these people. Good folks in dire straights looking for something better.
Biden did these people such a tremendous disservice. Even too much of a good thing is a disaster…so what did he think the results of unchecked irregular migration would be?
His tacit approval of allowing people to kick off their personal “America experiments” by breaking the law will go down as one of the greatest abdications of presidential duty in American politics. Trump is literally trying to put the shit back into the horse. And while he catches the lefts ire for it, just a moments thought will lead you to the root cause…his predecessor.
First, I gotta admit you got a chuckle out of me with the "literally trying to put..." line. I'm stealing that one. :-) Thank you!
I'll go a step further than you though -- maybe you implied this -- but my feeling is that there was no real desire to help people on their personal American experiment.
I don't think they cared at all. The only goal, their only goal, was to disrupt US society, pad the voter rolls, import loads of inexpensive labor, and use these people for any other purpose for which they could be applied.
That the media clarion is so focused on the response to the infraction and not the infraction itself tells you everything.
I last voted Democrat in 2008 when I voted for Obama. I was verrrrry skeptical of a guy who came out of nowhere (a nonexistent legal career, a hollow academic career, no business or military experience, etc.) and who had just gotten a lucky break when he was elected to the Senate in 2004 despite these anti-qualifications.
That he turned around and announced two years later in early 2007 (after being sworn in in 2005) that he was running for President just seemed like a joke. I thought he was committing political suicide: the thought that a freshly-minted junior senator would declare himself ready for the Oval Office just seemed ludicrous.
Sadly, he proved my suspicions correct. It was all a con.
"Hope and change", my @$$. Well, I guess they weren't specific about the change part: "change for the worse" does fit though it of course contradicts most peoples' objectives as regards the "hope" part.
Fuck that mangy BS about "trying to put food on their families". All of the countries of origin created this situation by failure to control population growth. Every country in CA save 1 has seen 4x pop increase since 1970. The only one that has not, Costa Rica, sends no migrants.
Interesting -- more stats to look into. That's an angle I had not heard and which both explains the impetus and arguably also reduces sympathy for the associated governments.
And...to your point: why is it that we never hear about how rapidly the US population has increased since the mid-1980s?
I still have an advertisement from a 1984 (maybe early 1985?) advertisement from Scientific American. It was to the effect of, "Of the 235 million people in America, only a fraction can use a computer":
An LA Kings/United Front triad proxy at the Mayors office. If it actually matters, you would think the DOJ can open a corruption probe at the Chicago City government.
I appreciate Racket’s/Ford’s ability to write a short description of these events akin to an old school wire service report. It lays out both sides’ position clearly, starting with the first event in the timeline (alleged ambush of agents by a convoy) and tracing through what the defendant and law enforcement alleged happened.
Just this morning, I read the WSJ’s account of this same event. It is pathetic. There are paragraphs upon paragraphs of statements from activists that ignore all the facts law enforcement allege, and turn up the emotional temperature in a way that would induce the uninformed reader’s rage against the administration. Buried deep in the article, far beyond where most would stop reading, is the admission that there may have been some precipitating event by the driver and accomplices.
Millions of Americans are being propagandized by news sources like never before. Thank you for just getting back to the basics here. It’s so refreshing.
Happy to! You all deserve the plaudits. I was feeling like I had made myself into an antagonist after needling Matt over some of his Charlie Kirk reflections, so it’s nice to cleanse that feeling.
All of what I comment here—critique and praise alike—comes from a place of tremendous respect for what you all are doing at Racket. I just wish there was more you/all of us could do to break through to those inside their seemingly impermeable partisan news/epistemic bubbles. That’s why I’ve occasionally beat the drum to have Matt get out and start debating legacy media people (and legacy-adjacent people like Gladwell) face to face more often. You all do journalism right, and more people should see its stark contrast with the “Hate Inc” model.
Greg, are you familiar with Wesley Winter in the UK? He's a citizen journalist who's been covering the Populist protests (which include immigration backlash) on the ground there and across EU for last several years.
Sure, and I think informed citizens have a responsibility to shout from the rooftops how abjectly awful and mendacious what passes for reputable media are in the 2020s.
Additionally, the Twitter Files followed by the Meta/Google admissions of the last weeks: it was far more than “former” agents going to work for legacy media outlets. This was a vast bureaucratic effort to swallow up digital media in government/IC control. I think there is much that could still be revealed on this front. But what we know already is appalling and historically unprecedented (and has nary more than a passing mention in these allegedly reputable media outlets, by the way).
So, if the agents aren’t retired or are retired, yet still promoting a government narrative, dishonest or not, is that still a free press according to the above definition, ie, ‘not run by the government’?
What of the abject disaster that has become NPR, a known government-funded news source that is probably the most lost in terms of impartiality, though it has long been touted as so neutral that it achieves a perpetual state of bland, the beige of news media?
I'd say that is not a free press, and NPR always seemed like an iffy proposition, even though it's mostly supported by listeners and NGOs (Yes, but where do the NGOs get a lot of their funding?)
El Gato Malo was just talking about this in a substack piece yesterday - these are quotes from his essay:
"it’s all the simple, well worn playbook of “force your enemy into an impossible choice and then make the story about how they react.”
"they call it “putting your target in a decision dilemma.”
"the same people who flooded the country with illegal intruders to shift the census, electoral college, congressional seat counts, and to taint voter rolls (often using tax dollars to do it) always knew that the day might come when people got fed up and sought to reverse this.
they also know how incredibly difficult this would be, the draconian actions it would require, and how bad this could be made to look.
they were already prebunking this issue before the election. “if the bad guys win, they will round you up and put you in boxcars! it will be fascism! genocide! they will not follow the law!”
lost in this and absent from the barrage of talking points is the lawlessness, manipulation, and outright aggression ingrained in flooding communities with these groups and then leaving them protected by law and process but unbound by restrictions or standards.
the manner in which they were brought in was wildly illegal, and now the selfsame perps demand law be applied.
the whole point is to be so provocative and violent that only violence can serve to resist or constrain it, then they call you violent.
what just happened in Chicago is a prime example."
Absolutely. The sheer scale implies that there will be "edge cases" that won't look good.
Given the volume, the number of "edge cases" is probably going to be uncomfortably large.
It was an unbelievably callous action on the part of the OBiden administration. The executive branch is responsible for the execution of the laws passed by Congress. The level of dereliction was so great as to border on traitorous. This was not an accident, this was a cynical, heartless attempt to exploit the poor and dispossessed of other countries while simultaneously undermining the well-being of the poor already in this country.
But, yes, to your point, it's easy to open the gates and let them in -- getting them returned is vastly, prohibitively more complicated and difficult.
I don't know how many times I've heard "THEY'RE DEPORTING US CITIZENS", but then EVERY SINGLE TIME I look into it, it's a parent being deported and taking their children. (If those children were left in the US, then Trump would be BREAKING UP FAMILIES, so you can't really win.)
Some of it is violence, but some of it is just chaos. Create enough chaos, disorder, extreme levels of noise, and too many visual cues for any human to process, and eventually some errors in perception and judgement become inevitable. Throw in real threats to the safety of law enforcement and there will be people injured and killed by mistake.
More than anything else the politicians and demagogues stirring the pot with imprudent rhetoric will have blood on their hands. These blue state and city politicians should be taking significant measures to create safety zones so that ICE has a clear zone around federal facilities and unobstructed access to those facilities. Instead they are egging on the unhinged activists and failing to keep order in their jurisdictions. For goodness sake, this is not going to end well and Pritzger, Newsom, and the nitwit pols in Oregon really need to quit grandstanding right now.
Everyone of those "protesters: who are throwing things at law enforcement vehicle as committing a crime. The fact that this is allowed to happen by Mayor Johnson and the CPD is inexcusable
They had an interesting article in WSJ recently about Jackson, MS. The Capitol police have expanded their jurisdiction, because downtown was unbearable. Then the usual “community leaders” loudly protested, citing police brutality or whatever. I suppose the real reason for their protest is it encroaches on their grift.
I go to the local HHS. I am the only English as primary language speaker in 14 ppl, all ALL under 35 with anchor babies getting full welfare benefits while hubby (not reported in the US) goes to work in Aspen under the table for 50-100$ an hour, and she can be seen working at local jobs while 3/4 of our taxes go to schools that are now 80% primary Spanish soeakers with half not knowing English in Kindergarten. Schools went from A to D and a couple Fs. Average in RE-1 : less than 27% can read and less than 17% math at 3rd grade level. This is largely due to an attitude, type of discipline, values and cultural experiences that are much different in home countries.
Only 2% of landscapers and carpenters are anglo now They wont even hire white guys! The (lack of) quality of workmanship reflects a lack of skilled Vermont styled carpenters that USED to populate our valley with yes dishonest, "Im a carpenter. im a plumber, Im a whatever you need." Pay is good but it is a closed shop.
She had a concealed carry permit? In Chicago? In Illinois? These are two of the most stringently gun controlling jurisdictions in the country in terms of handgun permits. You have to have a state permission card to buy AMMUNITION, much less carry a gun. I very much doubt that she had any such thing.
There is nine. You can check rukes for out of state. No concealed carry. Also you have to be a citizen, lawful green card or similar doesn't count . Not sure if that matters
https://ccspdtraining.com/ccw-chicago/ ". . .Yes, you can conceal carry in Chicago, but there are specific rules and restrictions to follow. While Illinois has a statewide concealed carry law, certain locations in Chicago are off-limits for carrying a firearm, even with a valid permit. These include government buildings, schools, public transportation, and bars where alcohol sales make up more than 50% of revenue. Additionally, private businesses and property owners can prohibit firearms by posting proper signage. . ."
Another question is why would someone go to a protest knowing that tensions will be high and engage with and harass law enforcement while carrying a gun, licensed or otherwise?
The poor judgement in bringing a gun to a protest is arguably grounds for the revocation of that permit.
hmm that sort of argument was made about Kyle Rittenhouse event, and it was struck down rather strongly not only by courts and legal experts but by public opinion in high numbers.
Good point. In Rittenhouse's case, as I understand, he and others were present due to the lack of police protection (possibly because the police were overwhelmed). Also, Rittenhouse wasn't opposing the authorities but putatively opposing the people who were opposing the authorities.
I should have been more precise: if you're going to protest to the point of directly confronting the police, be careful about bringing weapons.
In this particular context, it was more of a procession than a protest: ". . .The officers were acting as a “security detail” and were “followed by a convoy of civilian vehicles,” including a silver Nissan Rogue driven by Martinez and a black GMC Envoy driven by Ruiz, according to the complaint. . ." https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/06/attorney-woman-shot-ice-brighton-park-release/
From that article: "Hennessy said both Martinez and Ruiz were part of a convoy of cars that had been following agents as they conducted immigration enforcement operations, and that before the crash and shooting near 39th and Kedzie, Martinez had been broadcasting the pursuit on Facebook Live, “laying on her horn” and “yelling loudly” at the agents."
At what point would that constitute obstruction of justice? The agents work for the federal government and have been charged with a task. The people in this "procession" were interfering with that work.
That one agent may have used a "naughty word" is, in my humble opinion, completely irrelevant.
Can you imagine the stress these agents are under? People apparently feel free to harass them as they please and the agents have no idea which ones may or may not be armed or pose a threat.
I thought the same thing also. I'd like to see the story about how she got a CCW in Chicago of all places. It does not sound like the gun was secured. Was it loaded? Does it match allowed weapons on her CCW license? Inquiring minds want to know.
Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t…Jeff Childers of Coffee and COVID wrote about the onshoring of the manufacturing of Sharpies back to the US from China. Maybe it’s a convenient excuse to say we can’t do without illegal immigrant labor…?
You're in the Aspen AKA Roaring Fork Valley, we used to get foreigners and people from other states that wanted to take advantage of the Great outdoor lifestyle and high pay to come and work here I myself an educator with a master's degree have worked cleaning rooms in Aspen. Then they had to offer family ski passes. Now they can save money on that and also for every 3-8 people they hire, at least one is illegal I know this from being an office manager for construction- it's now 2/3 illegal- company 2007-10 thro
Is this the same convoy that pinned the ICE agents patrol car ( or cars) in with 10 cars surrounding them? Also, if the gun was on the passenger seat of the car ramming into the ICE vehicle, is that a “ concealed carry?” I don’t think so. Who wrote the report that did not include the women’s gun info? Was he/she directed by the same police chief that sent a dispatch to the local police telling them not to respond to the ICE agents’ emergency, life threatening situation? If so, I believe the police chief broke the law.
It's clear to me that the LA Kings are organizing the ICE contentions because they are choking the human traffick and drug pipelines to Canada. When the LA Kings feel just fine placing a 10K bounty onto an ICE officers death and 10 cars show up to blockade the facility, opening fire - that's drug gangs. They own the Mayor's office. The Mayor doesn't really care if he violates the law because legal conformance is all theoretical. The purpose of Chicago law is to prosecute political crimes against the revolutionary cause. The Mayor declared he is at war with US civil law and the Trump administration. He's not going to win.
Democrats are unwilling to call out the insane in their party. That is why this is happening. Nothing more. Until that changes, we're just arguing over the silverware on the titanic.
The purity spiral continues and normal Democrats are being pushed out of the party. The politicians have a very small window to save their future, but it looks like they're not interested in turning down the temperature even a little.
So these armed, fanatical insurrectionists ambushed Federal officers, and one of the terrorists got shot as a result. Along with the Chicago mayor, they deserve long prison sentences.
I hope Racket goes back and gives us a accurate record of what the leaders of the fifty states did to their citizens during Covid. I think that we need a true record of how the scam was handled and what freedom was taken from Americans by propaganda.
These are not protests, these are riots. Who gave the stand down order for Chicago police to abandon the federal agents? Why was this violent insurrectionist terrorist released in a jurisdiction with strict gun control laws? Leftist mayors, governors, and judges are going to get people killed if they keep going down the path of anarcho-tyranny.
Yuri! Long time no see, could have sworn we buried your ass in the nineties.
It is borderline unbelievable how willingly (primarily city and state) democrat pols are lining up to obstruct law enforcement. ICE has appeared heavy handed at times, but you see the riots, haranguing and taunting…I think that normal folks of any political persuasion understand that those agents have one of the most thankless, difficult and dangerous jobs in American right now…and are inclined to cut them some slack as they enforce the federal law of the USA. Looking back, Dems will think that this oppositional strategy was a bonafide political disaster.
Also, for what it's worth, I'm in Chicago and literally no-one I talk to ever mentions these "protests". Like literally not once. Maybe people are cowed into silence or maybe, just maybe, nobody cares. Count me in the latter.
This is theater manufactured for the news cameras and the local pot-stirring pols.
Notably, yuppie-oriented newsletter/websites try to hype it up in between blurbs about restaurant reviews:
https://blockclubchicago.org/
It's a sad situation. One has to feel for people who are so desperate that they're willing to enter a country illegally. It cannot be an easy decision. I see lots of workers that I would willing to bet are not here legally. I see them working hard and it's hard not to sympathize with them.
But the situation got wildly out of control during the OBiden administration and is untenable. Letting all these people in was not an act of generosity, it was not humane and it was not done out of concern for anyone other than those who can take advantage of the cheap labor or those who want to pad the rolls of social services or precinct tallies and take advantage of putatively cheap votes.
It's a scam. A callous, heartless, cynical scam.
Exactly. They are here to exploit. They were exploited on the way here, and they are still paying their debts to the ruthless people who controlled our border during the Biden administration, the cartels. They are also working for less money than other Americans (can you say exploited??). What happens when they get hurt on the job????????? See there....
My current belief is the southern border was flung open, combined with magnet draw of sanctuary communities, to tip the scales on census and resulting re-districting. Trump is working now to unwind this. And it’s messy and going to get messier. The 1850's in this country were also ripe with States flipping the middle finger to the Federal government. This is a power-game, and ICE & protesters of ICE are pawns amongst a larger battle.
I understand the economic magnetism of
this country, particularly for those south of the border. I’m highly empathetic to those that just want to come here, be functioning members of society, and care for their families…that is the vast majority of these people. Good folks in dire straights looking for something better.
Biden did these people such a tremendous disservice. Even too much of a good thing is a disaster…so what did he think the results of unchecked irregular migration would be?
His tacit approval of allowing people to kick off their personal “America experiments” by breaking the law will go down as one of the greatest abdications of presidential duty in American politics. Trump is literally trying to put the shit back into the horse. And while he catches the lefts ire for it, just a moments thought will lead you to the root cause…his predecessor.
First, I gotta admit you got a chuckle out of me with the "literally trying to put..." line. I'm stealing that one. :-) Thank you!
I'll go a step further than you though -- maybe you implied this -- but my feeling is that there was no real desire to help people on their personal American experiment.
I don't think they cared at all. The only goal, their only goal, was to disrupt US society, pad the voter rolls, import loads of inexpensive labor, and use these people for any other purpose for which they could be applied.
That the media clarion is so focused on the response to the infraction and not the infraction itself tells you everything.
I last voted Democrat in 2008 when I voted for Obama. I was verrrrry skeptical of a guy who came out of nowhere (a nonexistent legal career, a hollow academic career, no business or military experience, etc.) and who had just gotten a lucky break when he was elected to the Senate in 2004 despite these anti-qualifications.
That he turned around and announced two years later in early 2007 (after being sworn in in 2005) that he was running for President just seemed like a joke. I thought he was committing political suicide: the thought that a freshly-minted junior senator would declare himself ready for the Oval Office just seemed ludicrous.
Sadly, he proved my suspicions correct. It was all a con.
"Hope and change", my @$$. Well, I guess they weren't specific about the change part: "change for the worse" does fit though it of course contradicts most peoples' objectives as regards the "hope" part.
Fuck that mangy BS about "trying to put food on their families". All of the countries of origin created this situation by failure to control population growth. Every country in CA save 1 has seen 4x pop increase since 1970. The only one that has not, Costa Rica, sends no migrants.
Interesting -- more stats to look into. That's an angle I had not heard and which both explains the impetus and arguably also reduces sympathy for the associated governments.
And...to your point: why is it that we never hear about how rapidly the US population has increased since the mid-1980s?
I still have an advertisement from a 1984 (maybe early 1985?) advertisement from Scientific American. It was to the effect of, "Of the 235 million people in America, only a fraction can use a computer":
http://www.macmothership.com/gallery/gallery3.html
So the US population (340 million as of 2024 according to Google) has increased by roughly 45% in the last 40 years?
Has the number of jobs increased commensurately?
Gee....what with the rise of "automation", methinks not.
Democrats did something similar in 1861.
Also in Little Rock in 1954. I have 24 more examples.
the Ads for Border PATROL HIGHLIGHT A $50,OOO SIGN ON BONUS
= 1 Cava bag
Who do you think, 'Yuri'?
An LA Kings/United Front triad proxy at the Mayors office. If it actually matters, you would think the DOJ can open a corruption probe at the Chicago City government.
Oh c'mon. Chicago has NEVER had a corruption problem
;)
That is the plan.
They want their George Floyd immigration totem.
Credit due for maintaining a consistent criminal beatification theme.
I appreciate Racket’s/Ford’s ability to write a short description of these events akin to an old school wire service report. It lays out both sides’ position clearly, starting with the first event in the timeline (alleged ambush of agents by a convoy) and tracing through what the defendant and law enforcement alleged happened.
Just this morning, I read the WSJ’s account of this same event. It is pathetic. There are paragraphs upon paragraphs of statements from activists that ignore all the facts law enforcement allege, and turn up the emotional temperature in a way that would induce the uninformed reader’s rage against the administration. Buried deep in the article, far beyond where most would stop reading, is the admission that there may have been some precipitating event by the driver and accomplices.
Millions of Americans are being propagandized by news sources like never before. Thank you for just getting back to the basics here. It’s so refreshing.
That is so nice. Thank you for taking the time to write that. It really means a lot.
Happy to! You all deserve the plaudits. I was feeling like I had made myself into an antagonist after needling Matt over some of his Charlie Kirk reflections, so it’s nice to cleanse that feeling.
All of what I comment here—critique and praise alike—comes from a place of tremendous respect for what you all are doing at Racket. I just wish there was more you/all of us could do to break through to those inside their seemingly impermeable partisan news/epistemic bubbles. That’s why I’ve occasionally beat the drum to have Matt get out and start debating legacy media people (and legacy-adjacent people like Gladwell) face to face more often. You all do journalism right, and more people should see its stark contrast with the “Hate Inc” model.
Greg, you did a terrific job of just showing the situation without pressing finger on any scale. Bravo to you sir.
Thanks, Matt!
Greg, are you familiar with Wesley Winter in the UK? He's a citizen journalist who's been covering the Populist protests (which include immigration backlash) on the ground there and across EU for last several years.
It’s why we have a free press. No one ever said a free press would be impartial, just that it isn’t run by the government.
Now the fact CIA and FBI agents go to work in the “free” press, that’s disturbing.
Sure, and I think informed citizens have a responsibility to shout from the rooftops how abjectly awful and mendacious what passes for reputable media are in the 2020s.
Additionally, the Twitter Files followed by the Meta/Google admissions of the last weeks: it was far more than “former” agents going to work for legacy media outlets. This was a vast bureaucratic effort to swallow up digital media in government/IC control. I think there is much that could still be revealed on this front. But what we know already is appalling and historically unprecedented (and has nary more than a passing mention in these allegedly reputable media outlets, by the way).
Many of us decided to do just that, throwing our hat into the industry and screaming into the void.
Well said
So, if the agents aren’t retired or are retired, yet still promoting a government narrative, dishonest or not, is that still a free press according to the above definition, ie, ‘not run by the government’?
What of the abject disaster that has become NPR, a known government-funded news source that is probably the most lost in terms of impartiality, though it has long been touted as so neutral that it achieves a perpetual state of bland, the beige of news media?
I'd say that is not a free press, and NPR always seemed like an iffy proposition, even though it's mostly supported by listeners and NGOs (Yes, but where do the NGOs get a lot of their funding?)
The free press has always been an OP run by spooks. Too much money on the line to ignore.
Also good is Marcy Wheeler over at emptywheel. Ms. Wheeler is unashamedly partisan, but she also digs into the facts in a way very few journalists do nowadays. https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/07/the-brutal-cbp-assault-tied-to-the-marimar-martinez-shooting/
El Gato Malo was just talking about this in a substack piece yesterday - these are quotes from his essay:
"it’s all the simple, well worn playbook of “force your enemy into an impossible choice and then make the story about how they react.”
"they call it “putting your target in a decision dilemma.”
"the same people who flooded the country with illegal intruders to shift the census, electoral college, congressional seat counts, and to taint voter rolls (often using tax dollars to do it) always knew that the day might come when people got fed up and sought to reverse this.
they also know how incredibly difficult this would be, the draconian actions it would require, and how bad this could be made to look.
they were already prebunking this issue before the election. “if the bad guys win, they will round you up and put you in boxcars! it will be fascism! genocide! they will not follow the law!”
lost in this and absent from the barrage of talking points is the lawlessness, manipulation, and outright aggression ingrained in flooding communities with these groups and then leaving them protected by law and process but unbound by restrictions or standards.
the manner in which they were brought in was wildly illegal, and now the selfsame perps demand law be applied.
the whole point is to be so provocative and violent that only violence can serve to resist or constrain it, then they call you violent.
what just happened in Chicago is a prime example."
https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/the-horns-of-the-ice-dilemma
Absolutely. The sheer scale implies that there will be "edge cases" that won't look good.
Given the volume, the number of "edge cases" is probably going to be uncomfortably large.
It was an unbelievably callous action on the part of the OBiden administration. The executive branch is responsible for the execution of the laws passed by Congress. The level of dereliction was so great as to border on traitorous. This was not an accident, this was a cynical, heartless attempt to exploit the poor and dispossessed of other countries while simultaneously undermining the well-being of the poor already in this country.
But, yes, to your point, it's easy to open the gates and let them in -- getting them returned is vastly, prohibitively more complicated and difficult.
Just a little reminder: "Barack Obama was famously labeled “deporter in chief” by critics in the immigrant-rights community" https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/obama-record-deportations-deporter-chief-or-not
Trump is way behind in the numbers there as well
It didn’t border on treason, it was treason.
We can have rule of law, passed by a democratically elected congress, or anarchy. Anarchy is always (and always will be) gang rule.
These are paramilitary gangs in the sanctuary cities/states
You only hear about the edge cases....
I don't know how many times I've heard "THEY'RE DEPORTING US CITIZENS", but then EVERY SINGLE TIME I look into it, it's a parent being deported and taking their children. (If those children were left in the US, then Trump would be BREAKING UP FAMILIES, so you can't really win.)
I would also hesitate to call it activism, it's terrorism, or terrorism-lite if you prefer.
It’s the communist revolution from within.
It's straight up political violence. I think too many Americans see every protest as "peaceful". Yeah, no.
Mostly peaceful…
Lol, oh yeah, I forgot the "mostly" part
Some of it is violence, but some of it is just chaos. Create enough chaos, disorder, extreme levels of noise, and too many visual cues for any human to process, and eventually some errors in perception and judgement become inevitable. Throw in real threats to the safety of law enforcement and there will be people injured and killed by mistake.
More than anything else the politicians and demagogues stirring the pot with imprudent rhetoric will have blood on their hands. These blue state and city politicians should be taking significant measures to create safety zones so that ICE has a clear zone around federal facilities and unobstructed access to those facilities. Instead they are egging on the unhinged activists and failing to keep order in their jurisdictions. For goodness sake, this is not going to end well and Pritzger, Newsom, and the nitwit pols in Oregon really need to quit grandstanding right now.
ICE protestors wearing Free Palestine shirts? Do you get double pay for that?
If you look closely, they're re-using the 'Bush with a hitler mustache' signage. Recycling!
Good noticing! Well, you know the left is always champion recycling as saving the world!
Everyone of those "protesters: who are throwing things at law enforcement vehicle as committing a crime. The fact that this is allowed to happen by Mayor Johnson and the CPD is inexcusable
They had an interesting article in WSJ recently about Jackson, MS. The Capitol police have expanded their jurisdiction, because downtown was unbearable. Then the usual “community leaders” loudly protested, citing police brutality or whatever. I suppose the real reason for their protest is it encroaches on their grift.
Obvious astroturf.
Those people are being paid.
The government probably sends them a check also,
USAID…
I go to the local HHS. I am the only English as primary language speaker in 14 ppl, all ALL under 35 with anchor babies getting full welfare benefits while hubby (not reported in the US) goes to work in Aspen under the table for 50-100$ an hour, and she can be seen working at local jobs while 3/4 of our taxes go to schools that are now 80% primary Spanish soeakers with half not knowing English in Kindergarten. Schools went from A to D and a couple Fs. Average in RE-1 : less than 27% can read and less than 17% math at 3rd grade level. This is largely due to an attitude, type of discipline, values and cultural experiences that are much different in home countries.
Only 2% of landscapers and carpenters are anglo now They wont even hire white guys! The (lack of) quality of workmanship reflects a lack of skilled Vermont styled carpenters that USED to populate our valley with yes dishonest, "Im a carpenter. im a plumber, Im a whatever you need." Pay is good but it is a closed shop.
She had a concealed carry permit? In Chicago? In Illinois? These are two of the most stringently gun controlling jurisdictions in the country in terms of handgun permits. You have to have a state permission card to buy AMMUNITION, much less carry a gun. I very much doubt that she had any such thing.
I was wondering the same thing. Legal carrying (concealed or not) in Chicago is not a thing, as far as I know.
There is nine. You can check rukes for out of state. No concealed carry. Also you have to be a citizen, lawful green card or similar doesn't count . Not sure if that matters
https://ccspdtraining.com/ccw-chicago/ ". . .Yes, you can conceal carry in Chicago, but there are specific rules and restrictions to follow. While Illinois has a statewide concealed carry law, certain locations in Chicago are off-limits for carrying a firearm, even with a valid permit. These include government buildings, schools, public transportation, and bars where alcohol sales make up more than 50% of revenue. Additionally, private businesses and property owners can prohibit firearms by posting proper signage. . ."
See also https://isp.illinois.gov/Foid/Ccl , https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/ccw_reciprocity_map/il-gun-laws/ and https://web.archive.org/web/20250815034310/https://concealedcarryofillinois.com/blog/getting-your-il-concealed-carry-permit ". . .After decades of efforts from the NRA and other organizations, as well as countless individuals, residents will now be able to obtain their long-awaited concealed carry permit in Illinois. This has come to the delight of millions of registered gun owners throughout the state, as well as the Chicago area. . ."
Another question is why would someone go to a protest knowing that tensions will be high and engage with and harass law enforcement while carrying a gun, licensed or otherwise?
The poor judgement in bringing a gun to a protest is arguably grounds for the revocation of that permit.
hmm that sort of argument was made about Kyle Rittenhouse event, and it was struck down rather strongly not only by courts and legal experts but by public opinion in high numbers.
Good point. In Rittenhouse's case, as I understand, he and others were present due to the lack of police protection (possibly because the police were overwhelmed). Also, Rittenhouse wasn't opposing the authorities but putatively opposing the people who were opposing the authorities.
I should have been more precise: if you're going to protest to the point of directly confronting the police, be careful about bringing weapons.
Want he protecting private property during a riot?
I see what you mean, Kyle was defending property and all, not ramming into law officers.
If I recall the police were standing around letting the city burn. But maybe that was the dozens of other cities where that was done.
In this particular context, it was more of a procession than a protest: ". . .The officers were acting as a “security detail” and were “followed by a convoy of civilian vehicles,” including a silver Nissan Rogue driven by Martinez and a black GMC Envoy driven by Ruiz, according to the complaint. . ." https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/06/attorney-woman-shot-ice-brighton-park-release/
Thank you for that link. Interesting
From that article: "Hennessy said both Martinez and Ruiz were part of a convoy of cars that had been following agents as they conducted immigration enforcement operations, and that before the crash and shooting near 39th and Kedzie, Martinez had been broadcasting the pursuit on Facebook Live, “laying on her horn” and “yelling loudly” at the agents."
At what point would that constitute obstruction of justice? The agents work for the federal government and have been charged with a task. The people in this "procession" were interfering with that work.
That one agent may have used a "naughty word" is, in my humble opinion, completely irrelevant.
Can you imagine the stress these agents are under? People apparently feel free to harass them as they please and the agents have no idea which ones may or may not be armed or pose a threat.
I thought the same thing also. I'd like to see the story about how she got a CCW in Chicago of all places. It does not sound like the gun was secured. Was it loaded? Does it match allowed weapons on her CCW license? Inquiring minds want to know.
All valid questions!
yeah i was wondering if the card she had was from like… Texas.
The democrat party has returned to their old south roots, in that they are obsessed with cheap labor.
Not only obsessed, but it’s essential to a viable economy. Just like the peculiar institution was essential for the ante-bellum South.
Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t…Jeff Childers of Coffee and COVID wrote about the onshoring of the manufacturing of Sharpies back to the US from China. Maybe it’s a convenient excuse to say we can’t do without illegal immigrant labor…?
Not only a convenient excuse, but supporting extreme exploitation of labor (slavery) in order to prop up your country is immoral.
True!
The governor of WISCONSIN came out and said this yesterday!!
Maybe if you state relies on slave labor, that's YOUR fault, Mister governor!
I guess it's easier to go after the rich like they're doing here in Colorado they want to raise taxes on people making over $300,000 again.
Those are the people who can afford the fines.....
You're in the Aspen AKA Roaring Fork Valley, we used to get foreigners and people from other states that wanted to take advantage of the Great outdoor lifestyle and high pay to come and work here I myself an educator with a master's degree have worked cleaning rooms in Aspen. Then they had to offer family ski passes. Now they can save money on that and also for every 3-8 people they hire, at least one is illegal I know this from being an office manager for construction- it's now 2/3 illegal- company 2007-10 thro
Funny thing that it turned out to not really be essential..
robots and AI are being developed to address those kinds of things.
democrats are still living on their 1850s shattered dreams of exploiting humans.
How US Agriculture built the ICE crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCVyhqgO8a4
Is this the same convoy that pinned the ICE agents patrol car ( or cars) in with 10 cars surrounding them? Also, if the gun was on the passenger seat of the car ramming into the ICE vehicle, is that a “ concealed carry?” I don’t think so. Who wrote the report that did not include the women’s gun info? Was he/she directed by the same police chief that sent a dispatch to the local police telling them not to respond to the ICE agents’ emergency, life threatening situation? If so, I believe the police chief broke the law.
It's clear to me that the LA Kings are organizing the ICE contentions because they are choking the human traffick and drug pipelines to Canada. When the LA Kings feel just fine placing a 10K bounty onto an ICE officers death and 10 cars show up to blockade the facility, opening fire - that's drug gangs. They own the Mayor's office. The Mayor doesn't really care if he violates the law because legal conformance is all theoretical. The purpose of Chicago law is to prosecute political crimes against the revolutionary cause. The Mayor declared he is at war with US civil law and the Trump administration. He's not going to win.
https://www.thebureau.news/p/exclusive-chinesemexican-syndicate?r=ew9ue&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Democrats are unwilling to call out the insane in their party. That is why this is happening. Nothing more. Until that changes, we're just arguing over the silverware on the titanic.
The purity spiral continues and normal Democrats are being pushed out of the party. The politicians have a very small window to save their future, but it looks like they're not interested in turning down the temperature even a little.
I just wrote about this!
https://simulationcommander.substack.com/p/disastrous-decision-double-downs
Oooh, she didn't brandish the loaded firearm.
Nevermind.
She opted for the 200 horsepower over the 9mm.
not defending her but it truly does matter.
So these armed, fanatical insurrectionists ambushed Federal officers, and one of the terrorists got shot as a result. Along with the Chicago mayor, they deserve long prison sentences.
Dumb woman is fortunate the officer’s aim wasn’t so great.
I hope Racket goes back and gives us a accurate record of what the leaders of the fifty states did to their citizens during Covid. I think that we need a true record of how the scam was handled and what freedom was taken from Americans by propaganda.
It is a good idea I bet Taibbi would consider paying you for the article when you get it written.