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Podcast Host (1:34)
Hey everybody. It's a tough one today, you know, for a change because there are still thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minnesota. A friend of the podcast, Norm Ornstein, joins us to discuss whether or not they'll be pulling back some of their forces and whether Homeland Security will adopt new rules of engagement in the state and around the country. Now, Norm and I recorded our conversation on Thursday evening. So as this drops on Sunday, a few things have changed in terms of the congressional spending package. We will have a shutdown, but it seems it will be only for a few days and with real reforms we hope in ICE and how ICE and CBP operate now, I don't know what impact that will really make on the ground. I know Minnesotans only hope for the day that ICE is off our streets entirely. Norm and I of course discuss the ongoing tensions between the armed mass agents who have been terrorizing the state and the tens of thousands of Minnesotans who are protesting and standing up to them and volunteering to assist immigrant families. It's remarkable but traumatizing for everyone. So before we get to our conversation with Norma, I want to share a bit with you about my time in Minneapolis this past week. I have to tell you, Minnesotans have been remarkable during this emotionally rugged period. The murder of Alex Preddy was. Was horrifying, as were the obscene statements coming from Nome and Trump and Lovino and Patel and Stephen Miller blaming Preddy for his. His own. His own death. And I've continued hearing stories of federal agents abusing their power, unjustly detaining and manhandling people. Thousands of vulnerable families are not leaving their homes. Sometimes volunteers pick up kids to take them to school. One school administrator told me that they have many children who are still attending school only to spend the day getting sleep because they are too afraid when they try to sleep at home at night. Ice's presence is in hospitals has been particularly disturbing. I was told about a NICU where half the babies aren't receiving visitors because their families are too scared that ICE will show up at the hospital. The same hospital worker said that when ICE is detaining people, they often injure them. So hospitals have developed protocols so that when ICE brings in injured detainees, the agents can no longer make decisions for the patient. That's right. The agents were trying to make healthcare decisions for the patient that they injured. Now, patients can be seen alone without an ICE agent present, but they're still in detention. People are scared, but they aren't standing down. And Minnesotans made it very clear to me that there is a way for everybody to get involved. There have been some high profile protests. Thousands marched again in Minneapolis on Friday as more than 50,000 had the Friday before braving sub zero temperatures. And then nationwide, this past Friday, marches all over the country. And while there's a lot of us who are participating in the protests, there's also a need for folks called constitutional observers. Sometimes you'll hear them called legal witnesses. The entire idea is accountability and advocacy. I was among 200 people who gathered for almost a couple hours to learn about best practices for documenting and reporting ice. The trainers shared information on what rights we have as observers and what rights the targeted immigrants have. Immigrants have the right to remain silent, not open the door unless there is a search warrant or arrest warrant or to refuse to sign anything and a right to legal representation. Now, this isn't like a citizen's right to a public defender, but there are many nonprofit legal services that are being provided for these folks, and the observing works. So ICE has begun using tactics where they try to lead observers away with Decoy cars. While the main convoy continues, Minnesotans continue to support their vulnerable neighbors, friends and families. The level of mutual aid is astounding. That means things like buying groceries for families, providing transportation for kids to and from school. I think most of us have heard these stories, but the scale at which they're occurring is what's really amazed me. I spoke with an organizer who says they started their grocery delivery program just four weeks ago. The first week they helped 50 families, the second week, more than double. And now on their fourth week, they've delivered to over 300 families, providing food for over 1400 people. So that's 1400 people too scared to leave their homes. Most have lost their jobs and require financial assistance to make rent or pay their phone bills. So they're raising and providing funds to cover these costs. For these folks, the level of generosity is just inspiring. Meanwhile, ice's actions continued to disgust me. One of the worst that I heard is vulnerable families received a link to a mutual aid request form to have groceries brought to them. So they filled them out, their address, the number of people in their household, and then when they thought food was arriving, ICE showed up at the door instead. That just, just awful. This level of deception is just obscene. Ice, as well as online extremists, have also been working to infiltrate the networks that Minnesotans have established. They. They've gotten into some signal groups and exposed the members identities online, threatening them. They've spread misinformation and they've spewed heat. But the community is there to motivate one another to keep going. At a Native American community gathering, one of the speakers said, don't let infiltration of signal groups deter you from what you're doing. That's what's effective against them. If they weren't effective, they wouldn't be trying to sew division. Sometimes after ICE detains folks, they release them and then file charges against them. Things like assault or interference. I've heard from organizers that ICE is using Minnesota as a testing ground. So Minnesotans are documenting all their efforts to pass on to other cities when ICE comes for them. For every terrible story about ICE snatching an innocent person off the street, there are 10 stories of Minnesotans coming together to support each other. We cannot let ICE win. Minneapolis and our cities nationwide must continue to stand strong against Trump and his administration's racist and violent agenda. And I urge you all to find a way to take action, be it protesting or donating, constitutional observing, or any way that helps people. Thank you all for listening and continuing to Call out these ongoing injustices. Let's go to my conversation with our friend Norm Ornstein. It's a great one, you know, for a change.