US politics
fromIntelligencer
20 hours agoDemocrats Better Not Squander This
Democrats can leverage public outrage over Minneapolis immigrant killings to pressure the Trump administration for modest ICE/DHS reforms and funding restrictions.
"Even though I don't directly work on the things that power things like ICE, I feel like I have to stand up and represent and be a force of good where I can," said Alphabet software engineer and AWU member Daniel Freedman.
The killings in Minneapolis of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have been compared to the murder of George Floyd, because they all happened within a few miles of one another, and because of the outrage they inspired. There's an important difference, though: In 2020 the United States was in turmoil, but it was still a state of law. Floyd's death was followed by investigation, trial, and verdict-by justice. The Minneapolis Police Department was held accountable and ultimately made to reform.
The interview came amid an unusual wave of Republican calls for investigations into the Minneapolis killings. Tur noted that GOP lawmakers, including several senators and House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer of Kentucky, have publicly questioned whether federal agents should remain deployed in the city at all. Garcia said the bipartisan reaction underscored the political danger of defending DHS's actions and reflected the scale of public anger.
Agents shot and killed a 37-year-old US citizen at about 9am on Saturday, with other observers watching and videotaping their actions, in an area called Eat Street, a corridor of largely immigrant-owned restaurants and businesses. Footage appears to show moment Alex Pretti is shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis video It is the second killing in the city after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot dead by a federal agent in south Minneapolis on 7 January.