Politics
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January 14, 2026
(Ben Brewer / Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos)
It’s not simply the awe-inspiring neighbors of Minneapolis, who’ve continued to come back out in epic numbers to defend residents and noncitizens alike from the violence of ICE and different immigration officers, within the wake of the homicide of Renee Nicole Good final week. Within the final two days, we’ve seen new defiance even from USJJustice Division officers, rebelling in opposition to the best way the Trump administration is dealing with the investigation into Good’s homicide.
On Monday 4 attorneys within the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division resigned, as a result of their unit wasn’t concerned within the putative investigation. The division usually takes a number one position into legislation enforcement shootings. On Tuesday, an astonishing six attorneys within the Minnesota US Legal professional’s workplace additionally resigned, as a result of they’d been assigned to look into the political affiliations of Good’s spouse, Becca, and never into the actions of assassin Jonathan Ross, based on The New York Instances. I’m sorry, I’m not utilizing “allegedly” to switch homicide, as a result of I’ve seen all of the movies, even the one the administration thought exonerated Ross—merely as a result of it confirmed Becca Good to be a protesting lesbian, and Renee Good to be unafraid of ICE.
“That’s positive, dude. I’m not mad at you,” she instructed Ross. These have been her final phrases.
The DOJ thought that proved she deserved to die?
Good’s calm appears to have enraged Ross, who allegedly referred to as her a “fucking bitch” after he shot her. I do say “allegedly” about that, since we aren’t certain he stated it, however the phrases have been captured on his personal cellphone video after the homicide. I don’t know.
Joseph Thompson, second in command on the US Legal professional’s workplace, overseeing the social companies fraud probe that first despatched federal officers into Minnesota, stop Tuesday, The New York Instances reported. At first the tales stated solely three attorneys resigned; later it got here out that there have been six. Thompson stop as a result of he objected to wanting into the background of Becca Good, as a substitute of probing the unlawful use of pressure by Ross. He was additionally sad that the DOJ shut out Minnesota legislation enforcement, which might usually be concerned in such probes.
Present Challenge
Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara stated Thompson’s departure imperils the fraud instances he was investigating. “Once you lose the chief accountable for making the fraud instances, it tells you this isn’t actually about prosecuting fraud,” O’Hara stated.
We’ve seen Justice Division attorneys stroll out earlier than this yr. When Trump in some way acquired corruption fees in opposition to former New York Mayor Eric Adams dismissed, Southern District of New York attorneys, even some conservatives, walked. However loads of the attorneys who simply left have put up with loads of dangerous selections.
One thing in regards to the homicide of Renee Good is placing them as worse.
The New York Instances reported Monday night time, in a narrative that had big holes, that investigators have been turning their consideration to Renee Good’s alleged connections to anti-ICE teams. Advantageous, however the story didn’t present one single connection. Trump, the paper reported, described Good and her spouse as being “skilled agitators,” and promising that an investigation would “discover out who’s paying for it.” Trump provided no proof to help his claims, and the Instances story didn’t both.
It famous that pet killer Kristi Noem referred to as Good a “home terrorist,” however acknowledged she produced no proof. Nonetheless, the headline—”F.B.I. Inquiry Into ICE Taking pictures Is Inspecting Sufferer’s Potential Ties to Activist Teams”—gave the non-story credibility.
The Instances story Tuesday featured extra reality—reporting the shortage of any proof that Renee Good, or her spouse Becca, had anti-ICE ties. However as standard, the Instances and main media aren’t rising to this gutting event.
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Ethnic cleaning czar Stephen Miller is unmoved by the defiance of both Minneapolis residents or Justice Division staff. Final night time on Fox, and afterward X, he issued even darker warnings to protesters:
To all ICE officers: You may have federal immunity within the conduct of your duties. Anyone who lays a hand on you or tries to cease you or tries to impede you is committing a felony. You may have immunity to carry out your duties, and nobody—no metropolis official, no state official, no unlawful alien, no leftist agitator or home insurrectionist—can forestall you from fulfilling your authorized obligations and duties. The Division of Justice has made clear that if officers cross that line into obstruction, into prison conspiracy in opposition to the USA or in opposition to ICE officers, then they are going to face justice.
Tuesday, we additionally noticed Senator Mark Kelly, who by no means cowered underneath Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s threats to cut back his rank and pension over Kelly’s reminder to American troopers that they don’t must adjust to unlawful orders, sue Hegseth for these threats. I’m not stunned by Kelly’s transfer—he’s a warrior—however it’s one other signal that pushback is coming from in every single place.
In simply the final week, we’ve additionally seen Republicans defy Trump to attempt to rein in his Venezuela adventures and to cross a belated extension of Inexpensive Care Act subsidies. It’s somewhat bit enraging that Republicans are rising most energetically to defend Fed Chair Jerome Powell, one other Trump “enemy” the demented president is persecuting, as a result of solely the markets matter. (And even the markets haven’t reacted to Trump’s menace to prosecute Powell.) However the agitation remains to be an indication of recent political life. Trump is overreaching in so some ways, he’s making an unimaginable variety of new enemies. I welcome them as buddies.
Extra from The Nation
Prajwal Bhat
On January 7, an ICE agent shot and killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis—state violence rooted in racism, concern, and impunity, echoing America’s darkest histories.
OppArt
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Andrea Arroyo
Ben Lorber
Elizabeth Warren
Jeet Heer
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