Anti-ICE demonstrations: it’s all fun and games until it’s not
Do you recall that the press seemed okay with ICE before Trump came along? Here’s a video that might remind you; unfortunately, it can’t be embedded but you can view it here.
There’s also this:
2016. Obama’s Press Secretary is asked about reports that during immigration raids, ICE agents were storming into homes, going room to room looking for illegals, and making children tremble with fear.
I thought only fascist Presidents do that sort of thing.
Why was the press so civil? Why weren’t they crying or at least calling Obama a nazi?
How come nobody was shaving their head in protest? Surely there were a bunch of angry white liberal wine moms outside the building screaming at the top of their lungs, right?
Always keep in mind how fake and performative the outrage is.
I don’t think the present rage is fake. I’m basing this on the rage against ICE of some people I know. It’s real, and it’s created, fostered, and nurtured by Democrats and the press coverage as well as social media. It’s no accident at all, it’s deliberately drummed up, but the rank-and-file are for the most part sincere.
Some of the most active protesters seem to not understand that this is serious, and that their actions could be deadly serious – to themselves. For example, there was this:
Ask yourself what [Renee] Good’s partner’s conceptual world has to be like for her to scream [after Good was killed] “Why did you have real bullets?”
This is the outrage of someone who is discovering the hard limits of social construction.
Indeed. It’s also the result of too much reliance on imagology and not enough awareness of reality. Perhaps that’s saying more or less the same thing. But it doesn’t pay to live in a fantasy world where federal agents arresting criminals don’t have real bullets in their weapons, and impeding them – or even trying to run them down in your car – won’t have potentially very dire consequences resulting from the use of very real bullets.
It’s also a reflection of the fact that in this country, protesters are not shot unless they do something very dangerous. Despite the left’s rhetoric about ICE, the officers are not going around murdering people and demonstrations against them would be fine if those demonstrations were non-violent. So based on that knowledge, perhaps demonstrators get into a mindset of “anything goes” because they believe there will never be serious retaliation on the part of ICE. It’s paradoxical, but it makes a certain amount of sense – they hate ICE but rely on ICE’s general tolerance of dissent.
Who’s funding the training of these people? Here’s a piece that attempts to find out.
The left wants martyrs and is happy to have them and to exploit their deaths to fire up even more rage against ICE and Trump. It’s pretty much the Black Lives Matter playbook, only it’s not about race this time.
[NOTE: More from that tweet:
I’m reminded of a news story I read a couple of weeks ago. White couple out on the town, approached by a random black street psycho, random psycho insults the girl and spits at the guy, guy squares up to fight him.
The girl grabs her man’s arm and says “Don’t fight”. While she’s restraining him and his attention is distracted, black psycho stabs him to death.
That girl lived in a universe where everything was head pats and cookies and good intentions. So does Becca [Renee Good’s spouse]. And so, I’m pretty sure, did Renee Good.
I wonder about that analysis of the street fight. If an unarmed person is confronted at close quarters by someone with a knife, it’s very dangerous. I don’t think a fist fight necessarily stops the potential knifing at all – it might be best to try to get away as fast as possible. Knife attacks can be very quick, and even if the victim has a gun the knife often is faster at close quarters or even semi-close quarters.
Looking it up just now, I tried to identify the murder. If it was this one, the facts are significantly different from the description in that tweet:
Carson and his girlfriend were coming home from a wedding when the apparently unprovoked attack occurred, ABC New York station WABC reported.
The suspect walked past the couple while they were seated on a bench at a bus stop, police said. They then begin to walk toward the suspect, who started to damage scooters, police said. The suspect said to Carson, “What are you looking at?” according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
“Mr. Carson immediately places himself between the male and his female companion to protect her,” Kenny said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
As Carson tried to de-escalate the situation, the suspect swung a knife at him, Kenny said. Carson backed up and tripped, falling to the ground. The suspect then stabbed him three times, with the knife piercing his heart, Kenny said.
“As Mr. Carson laid dying on the sidewalk, the male with the knife kicks him in the chest, threatens to stab the woman companion and spits in her face,” Kenny said.
Awful, horrible, but the woman was not restraining Carson and he was trying to get away, having seen the knife. He was murdered because he tripped and fell, affording the murderer the opportunity to stab him. The perp spitting on the woman occurred afterwards.]
If you haven’t seen this yet, please do. It explains a lot of the fake protestors. https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/beautiful-trouble-how-outrage-is-scripted-and-why-most-protests-look-the-same/
Where I came from: run from a knife, charge a gun.
This is assuming in either instance that your assailant is more or less in-your-face close.
Although guns were not common back then. It was mostly knives. Sometimes straight razors. Either way: run — or, at the least, back away very fast.
Also: run from someone wielding a pool cue. I learned this [literally] the hard way.
This is somewhat related-
Because that county’s government sees ICE police as “very dangerous”, and “possibly deadly”, The Los Angeles County’s government has voted to make [some L.A. County properties, and L.A. County offices], into “ICE-free zones”, to keep the ICE police out of L A County.
Can the L A county government, legally do that?
From what I understand, no: county, or town, or state, or any property or government in The USA- can declare it has authority over- The USA’s, Federal Government, or the federal government’s law enforcement officers.
I think the Federal government’s laws, + the Federal government’s/the USA’s constitution, forbid this action.
Can the L. A. County legally make this ban?
Here’s a link to the news story, about this event:
https://nypost.com/2026/01/13/us-news/ice-free-zones-approved-in-la-county-after-unanimous-vote/
Please tell me what you think of this LAC event.
Looks flatly illegal, TR.
So the ICE police are “very dangerous” and “possibly deadly”?
OK. And did they, or do they plan to, similarly ban the LAPD and the LASO from those same properties. I’m pretty sure you can find people who can provide the numbers to show that the “ICE police” cannot hold a candle to those LA agencies when it comes to handling hostile “clients”.
ICE should make a point of entering one of those properties and checking IDs, just to establish who has jurisdiction over whom. (Or is it “who”?)
None of the people calling Trump a dictator, and calling ICE Gestapo, would be doing so if either of them really were.
We have been letting state governments get away with encroaching on areas belonging to the feds. There does not seem to be any downside for the states. This is one area where the states need to be crushed.
“What are you looking at? ” This is the bully response to anyone. Back before COVID I was standing in line at McDonald’s. It was very busy with a lot of people waiting. Some NFL sized black guy got loud and mouthy with the staff and then challenged a much smaller white guy who had said nothing with ” What are you looking at?? “
Is it a sex thing? But not a sexual thing.
Males learn that mouthing off to other males can get your ass kicked. Or being careless with hand tools can cause immediate pain and injury, AKA getting aquatinted with physics.
Have these AWFLs or LARPers never experienced the FAFO that comes from ignorance or bad judgement?
Part of what is happening with the ICE obstruction (not protests) is that many people hold and repeat the false belief ICE jurisdiction is limited to illegal aliens and they can’t arrest US citizens. (I believe Good and her partner were referencing this when yelling they were US citizens during their confrontation.) They are sworn Federal LEOs who can arrest anyone committing a crime in their presence which includes obstructing their activities.
There seems to be a related meme going around now that ICE has to have an ‘arrest warrant’ to take somebody into custody. Mamdani just released a weasley PSA about dealing with ICE that, while avoiding the worst false information, does include the claim that ICE has to have a warrant to arrest someone, presented as the false claim that an order for removal is not sufficient authorization for them to take an illegal alien into custody.
Still waiting for any examples of gangs of 20-40 *masked* men breaking into houses and yanking people out of cars in our recent history? Weird how actual (well-trained) policemen don’t wear masks when performing their dangerous jobs, innit?
Keith Greising has apparently never been doxed or SWATed.
Funny how Antifa have been wearing masks for years innit, eh, Keith. Funny how the left now chants death to ICE, eh, Keith, innit?
Funny how many LEOs are assassinated every year Keith.
ICE is forced to wear masks because the left will dox them and send their leftist brown shirts after the agents AND their families.
A cop once told me resisting arrest will get you charged with resisting arrest after you get out of the hospital.
Keith, the “nacht and neibel” Nazis are on to you now. You will be mist.
Hopefully the knife attacker was executed by the state, but I have my doubts.
Neo,
Part of it is that everybody has a movie camera in their pocket now: they didn’t in 2016. In 2020, the Derek Chauvin/George Floyd arrest footage was filmed on an iphone, which was relatively rare; most people used that function for home movies, not for random arrests on the streets.
Now? Literally almost everyone has a phone camera (at least in the US). I counted at least four different angles on the Renee Good shooting, including a home security camera. Plus, you have a population that’s increasingly big and increasingly pissed off, and they’ll follow the ICE brigade wherever they will go, to film every action from every way possible.
The Keith Greising I locate is an elderly man retired into a job at the library of the state college in Marquette, Michigan.
Youtube has lots of videos of ICE agents taking down protesters. Most likely the protesters are out asap.
Christopher B on January 14, 2026 at 2:27 pm said:
Part of what is happening with the ICE obstruction (not protests) is that many people hold and repeat the false belief ICE jurisdiction is limited to illegal aliens and they can’t arrest US citizens. (I believe Good and her partner were referencing this when yelling they were US citizens during their confrontation.) They are sworn Federal LEOs who can arrest anyone committing a crime in their presence which includes obstructing their activities.
That sort of false info seems to be deliberately spread, to increase the level of confrontation and perhaps to achieve results like the Good shooting.
The same with things like California banning the use of masks by LEOs (exempting CHP, of course). Such a law won’t apply to the feds, but the AWFLs don’t understand that, and will become more confrontational if they think ICE is in violation of the state law. As such California wasn’t just play acting in passing the law; they are using it to drive up the temperature and encourage more active harassment of ICE.
Keith Greising on January 14, 2026 at 2:38 pm said:
Still waiting for any examples of gangs of 20-40 *masked* men breaking into houses and yanking people out of cars in our recent history? Weird how actual (well-trained) policemen don’t wear masks when performing their dangerous jobs, innit?
Disingenuous much?
ICE is using large teams because they have to deal with the violent street thugs the Democrats employ. They wear masks because they will be doxed, they and their families will be targeted by violent Democrats. But you know this.
BJ:
Only in your wet dreams sonny.
The worst part about people claiming ice can’t arrest citizens is nate the lawyer has done a bunch of videos
here
and here
Where he goes over the facts of the case and points out yes, yes they can. People in the comments actually tell him he’s wrong even though he mentions the law that says they totally can. It’s like watching those weird arguments about how people claim they don’t have to pay taxes. (Then they get in court and they find out no, you do have to pay.)
@Keith Greising
Someone is trying to memory hole the Mar a Lago raid, among others.
Also it is routine to wear face concealing clothes during a raid when there is fear of retaliation. As a California native who has researched drug wars fairly intensively, this should be fairly clear. If it is routine to have LEOs who fear for their lives on the witness stand wear face concealing and even voice distorting equipment, why the devil would you expect that to be different in the actual field?
It’s funny how you are either spectacularly ignorant or assuming we are.
All this ICE confrontation seems like leading to some very bad things happening. To me, these people who are interfering, are leading the US into a second Civil War.
SHIREHOME, I too believe we are headed to a form of civil war, with actual shooting between citizens. I believe the Left wants that and is preparing, doing everything they can to provoke confrontation.
I’d like to see Trump declare insurrection in Minneapolis, at least, given the mayor, governor, Attorney General, police chief, and city council instigating the violent confrontations with ICE and refusal to enforce the laws of their own city/state.
My neighborhood is prepared if worst comes to worst.
Beware large gatherings of Democrats with “sincere” concerns who have eschewed the time-honored American tradition of seeking redress of grievances by peaceful means.
This is one of their “by any means necessary” pathways to the thing they cherish more than anything else – power.
@Om,
“Only in your wet dreams sonny”
Why, Om, I didn’t know you cared…;)
Here are some of Tm Walz’s beloved “friends and neighbors” that ICE has arrested:
Sriudorn Phaivan, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of strong-arm sodomy of a boy & strong-arm sodomy of a girl with a deportation order since 2018.
Tou Vang, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under age 13 and procuring a child for prostitution with a deportation order since 2006.
Chong Vue, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of the strong-arm rape of a 12-year-old girl and kidnapping a child with intent to sexually assault her, with a deportation order since 2004,
Ge Yang, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of strong-arm rape, aggravated assault with a weapon, and strangulation with a deportation order since 2012.
Pao Choua Xiong, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of rape and child fondling with a deportation order since 2003.
Kou Lor, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of rape, rape with a weapon, and sexual assault with a deportation order since 1996.
Hernan Cortes-Valencia, Mexican illegal alien convicted of sexual assault of a child and DUI with a deportation order since 2016.
Abdirashid Adosh Elmi, a Somalian illegal alien convicted of homicide.
Gilberto Salguero Landaverde, a Salvadoran illegal alien convicted of three counts of homicide with a deportation order since June 2025.
Gabriel Figueroa Gama, a Mexican illegal convicted of homicide who has been previously deported in 2002.
Galuak Michael Rotgai, a Sudanese illegal alien convicted of homicide.
Thai Lor, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of two counts of homicide with a deportation order since 2009.
Mariana Sia Kanu, an illegal alien from Sierra Leone convicted of two counts of homicide with a deportation order since 2022.
Aldrin Guerrero Munoz, a Mexican illegal alien convicted of homicide with a deportation order since 2015.
Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, a Somalian illegal alien convicted of manslaughter with a deportation order since 2022.
Mongong Dual Maniang Deng, a Sudanese illegal alien convicted of attempt to commit homicide, weapon possession, and DUI.
Aler Gomez Lucas, a Guatemalan illegal alien convicted of negligent homicide with a vehicle and DUI with a deportation order since 2022.
Shwe Htoo, a Burmese illegal alien convicted of negligent homicide.
BJ:
Care? Not enough to wizz on you if you spontaneously combusted.
The AWFLs, LARPers, Antifa, and BJs depend on numbers, a mob, to insulate themselves from consequences of their bad life choices and faulty mental skilzs.
Chris Bray had a good piece on this echoing a lot of your thoughts.
https://chrisbray.substack.com/p/testing-a-cultural-theory-with-little
Nate:
That is a classic.
The media and the many activist orgs are fomenting rebellion against Federal law enforcement.
Their strong holds in “sanctuary” cities are now emboldened by Minnesota’s example, which goes far beyond Democrat Governor of Alabama standing in the University door way, which now seems tepid racism.
This is getting out of control.
Two graphic posts on Monday put this into stark relief.
“ More Voices Openly Calling for Armed Insurrection, Civil War After Minneapolis ICE Shooting”: https://www.shootingnewsweekly.com/politics/more-voices-openly-calling-for-armed-insurrection-civil-war-after-minneapolis-ice-shooting/
Only one example of video posted online by a Minneapolis Antifa radical: Meet Kyle. “Kyle is a domestic terrorist and member of Antifa who openly claims the country is under ‘occupation’ and calls for people to use guns against those he considers the enemy.”
AMOAR:
“Cage Match For America Grows Ever More Vicious ~ VIDEOS”, which is lengthy and thoughtful: https://www.ammoland.com/2026/01/cage-match-for-america-grows-ever-more-vicious/
THIS Rebellion must be put down.
I don’t need to remind anyone reading this here, but it must be said: it is the Democrats insisting on kinetic defiance of Federal Supremacy—yet AGAIN.
@Om,
Awww, you’re so sweet. Tell you what, if I spontaneously combust while I’m any where near you, I’ll give you a big hug as a going away present, so we can meet the Grim Reaper together. Stay gold, ponyboy!
According to this brief graphic, Trump isn’t even in the same league for deportations than these three recent US Presidents. Oddly enough, Presidents who got no protests about their more flagrant deportations.
https://x.com/TinyMouse2023/status/2010126103608778961/photo/1
BJ appears to have already self-combusted, he’s made an ash of himself.
Own goal, boy, own goal. Now run along and hang with your fellow furries.
@ Chases Eagles > “ICE is forced to wear masks because the left will dox them and send their leftist brown shirts after the agents AND their families.”
@ Don > “They wear masks because they will be doxed, they and their families will be targeted by violent Democrats”
Democrat insurrectionists just turned the dial to 11.
Headline at PJM indicates the AntiTrumpDeepState is alive and well.
So, yeah, anything to hurt Trump, even if it gets American law enforcement agents and other people killed.
https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2026/01/14/federal-dhs-whistleblower-doxxes-identities-of-thousands-of-ice-and-border-patrol-agents-n4948300
@ Niketas > “None of the people calling Trump a dictator, and calling ICE Gestapo, would be doing so if either of them really were.”
That’s like what I’ve said since 2016:
“If Trump were Hitler you would be dead. You aren’t, so he isn’t.”
However, whenever my kids pulled a “You always xxx” (“make me wash the dishes,” for instance),
my answer was: “No I don’t always xxx, but I can make it true if you want.”
If they keep up the “Trump always acts like a dictator,” they are eventually going to make it come true, because insurrection and violence have reached levels not containable any other way.
“Don’t start none, won’t be none,” as the cowpokes would say.
The Parks and Recreation clip is hilarious.
I learned something very interesting from the commenters:
@AbeRodriguez79 3 years ago
When I first saw this episode, I knew nothing about Armisen. I could not stop laughing not just because it’s a funny character, but because as a Venezuelan I was noticing that he was not just playing a generic Latin American strongman, he was playing a Venezuelan “militar”. It was the first time I ever saw a Venezuelan being portrayed in American television, comedically. He not only nailed the accent. He and his crew play exactly how a Venezuelan military man behaves, particularly under Chavez & Maduro. I was blown away. Then I found out he’s half-Venezuelan, and that explained it all. He clearly spent alot of time there, and is close to the culture. Bravo!
I am reminded of the old saying, play stupid games, get stupid rewards.
“Why did you use real bullets?”
“Why did your wife drive a real car into an ICE agent?”
Neo:
It’s no accident at all, it’s deliberately drummed up, but the rank-and-file are for the most part sincere.
—————–
Sorry, that’s a contradiction – a person so easy to adopt fashionable falsehoods and don emotional poses is not – can no longer be – sincere about anything.
That is what these cosmopolitan wokesters have lost – or had taken from them.
Sincerity is the more delicate Siamese twin of Integrity. Both are weakened each time the Left successfully convinces us to accept their contradictions and fantasies in silence. Successfully humiliates us by denying reality and forcing us to go along.
Everone who compliantly talked about this woman having a wife has allowed themselves to be mau-maued and distracted. MAGA Americans are now fighting for greater clarity, for restoration of objective truth as an ethical standard and organizing social principle.
The climate
Covid
The palestinians
Ukraine
Trump
It’s really all one lie, one confused, amoebic lack of integrity seeking any shape.
Saint Sparkes and her Acolyte Drive, Baby, Drive weren’t married? Inconceivable.
they called it ‘Tim Blair’s law’ all of the absurdities, all blended together,
sadly most of his work, is now behind the Australian paywall
that is not to say, there cannot be sophisticated arguments about this or that policy, but thats rarely what is offered,
isn’t it though, they seem to have adopted piracy, wesley’s profession, but that rarely works,
right up there with the kamikazi scotsman, and the brandishers of bananas,
Tourists to Yellowstone Park who get out of their cars to photograph buffaloes sometimes are surprised when the buffaloes charge.
Richard Cook on January 14, 2026 at 1:51 pm:
“We have been letting state governments get away with encroaching on areas belonging to the feds. There does not seem to be any downside for the states. This is one area where the states need to be crushed.”
Not disagreeing with you, but this also draws out the parallel that we have also been letting the federal government get away with encroaching on areas belonging to the states.
Perhaps welfare is an example:
https://lawliberty.org/the-unconstitutionality-of-social-security-and-medicare/
https://x.com/ilan_wurman/status/2005815709071286588
What I find somewhat interesting is that many on the left call others intolerant or unsympathetic; but, they are showing by their own actions how unsympathetic they are themselves.
When a police office is surrounded by several people all shouting at/harassing him it is only natural for him to assume (and previous actions of other agitators support this) that his life could be in danger.
That officer has not only the right, but the duty to his family, to defend himself to go home safely to his family.
@om,
Ouch! Good one, Grandpa. But you better get your eyeglasses checked: the only one partying with furries is Trump. You can check out his Mar a Lago gala for guests in canine masks.
https://people.com/mar-a-lago-gala-dog-masks-rococo-gowns-11886133
@charles,
No. The primary duty of a police officer is to protect and serve the public. That’s why LEO candidates are psychologically screened, given at least six months of rigorous training at the police academy, and constantly monitored and screened thereafter. Want to be an FBI agent? That means at least two years of law school, in addition to all the other tests a LEO has to pass. Very, very few people make the cut at a competent police department.
If all you want to do is be safe and go home to your family at the end of the day, there are thousands of jobs where you can do that. But being a LEO is not one of them.
The primary duty of Law Enforcement Officers is, wait for it, it requires reading comprehension, to enforce the law.
Some laws are focused on protecting the safety of the citizens and general public. As opposed to protecting the world at large from OMB.
Children who can’t read or think make bad citizens and bad decisions. Like BJ.
BJ’s next point? ICE and CBP aren’t real LEOs? It’s one of the leftist scripts. Gets people killed. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, BJ.
@BJ:If all you want to do is be safe and go home to your family at the end of the day, there are thousands of jobs where you can do that. But being a LEO is not one of them.
LEO is not even in the top 10 of fatality rates by occupation. Granted that it’s more dangerous than most people’s work. Logging, fishing and hunting, roofing, garbage collection, and aircraft pilots / flight engineers are the occupations with the highest fatality rates. LEO fatality rate is about half of the #10 structural iron and steel workers.
Lot of jobs carry a risk of death; lots of jobs carry a risk of killing other people.
@BJ
Excuse me? The idea that LEOs do not have the duty or right to defend themselves so they can go home is absurd. It may not be their primary duty or responsibility any more than a soldier’s is, but it is a part of it. In part due to it is tied to the inherent rights of humanity, and one’s rights as a citizen in particular. It may be a right and duty that has limits placed upon it due to the duties of a law enforcement officer in much the same way a firefighter also has those, but it is never entirely removed.
This is a comforting illusion, but that is in fact what it is. An illusion. There’s a reason why multiple legal precedents exist that establish how police do not have a specific legal obligation to defend you, often under rather absurd or harsh cases. Warren vs DC and Castle Rock vs Gonzalez come to mind. The police have a general duty to protect the public and its welfare, but that duty is general and limited. Their overriding charge is to protect and enforce The Law. Which may be a good that will help protect others in the long run, but which also means counting on them to protect or defend you or the public is a bad idea.
Especially as police may be called upon to enforce laws that “the public” hates, rightfully or wrongly.
And not, ya know, that psychological screening has become much more common throughout multiple businesses and how LEOs do not as a general rule want jittery, PTSD addled officers or staff walking the streets or policing temporary holding cells for their own purpose. Totally.
And anyone who has studied the newly released information from the FBI admitting they had no probable cause to raid Mar a Lago should see how that worked.
And several of those that get washed out the hardest are idealists who actually uncritically believe TV soap opera cop shows and advocate Protect and Serve the Public as the main duty of police to the extent of things like trying to shoot out the tires of a car driving at you.
Correct but that does not mean officers do not have the right and duty to defend themselves so they can go home, or that it can and does supersede several others. It just is that it comes in second or lower banana to other considerations like enforcement of the law and maintenance of peace.
@ Army Mom’s link, in the top-posted comment, goes to a very good Legal Insurrection post, but the final tweet, which is not expanded there, is very important.
I certainly hope the funding for the Left dries up even more, now that we know they are embezzling from the US taxpayers to fund enterprises to … destroy the US taxpayers.
https://x.com/LukeTaylorUSA/status/2011147517262774298
The REAL kind of insurgency.
Luke’s tweet is responding to this one:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/2011130745125826859
They also have the oh so concerned fellow travelers on the interwebs (e.g. BJ) posting misinformation in comments to shape the narrative.