I have heard a few pundits speculate on the somewhat hopeful possibility that ICE agent Jonathan Ross’ murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis in broad daylight in front of a crowd of incredulous and outraged spectators just might be the one event that finally turns the tide against Trump and his MAGA army of darkness. After all, video footage clearly shows the agent shot Good in the face for no justifiable reason whatsoever. And yet Trump’s Department of Justice has predictably made the decision that there is nothing to see here and therefore nothing to investigate, and a recent poll found that 61 percent of Republicans believe that Good essentially deserved what she got and that Ross was not in the wrong.
That’s bad enough, though not necessarily shocking, given where most of those Republicans likely get their news. But what is also a cause for concern is the reaction of Democrats in Congress to the proposal of defunding ICE; while some acknowledge this may be the best way to shut down the out-of-control agency wreaking havoc in non-white communities across the country, others seem to be hesitant about the consequences of shutting down an entire agency as punishment for the rogue acts of a few bad apples.
On the surface, that may make sense. And it’s understandable to wonder whether such an approach has any chance of succeeding in a Congress still controlled by Republicans. But radical times call for radical measures, not moderation. Whatever ICE was before Trump, that’s not what they are now. Right now, they are a clear and present danger to the lives of American citizens and immigrants, and if that’s not a reason to shut down their operations, then I’m not sure what is.
We also need to keep in mind that a mind-boggling 75 Democrats voted in favor of ICE raids in June of last year when they were storming Los Angeles. With friends like this, who needs enemies? From Axios on June 11, 2025:
“SEVENTY-FIVE HOUSE DEMOCRATS voted on Monday in support of a resolution that praised President Donald Trump’s deportation regime.
The vote came as Trump deployed more than 1,700 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to crush protests against increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and mass arrests.”
If our elected leaders are still this divided about what to do about a threat to our own lives and our neighbors' lives…?
