On Thursday evening, a group of grassroots organizations led by Indivisible called for “mass action” protests this weekend, calling to get “Ice Out for Good.” Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, made the point that our job is to express outrage and demand that our elected officials do their jobs to hold Trump accountable for his lawless conduct.
Many readers (and call attendees) are looking for specific directions on when, where, and how to protest.
The “when” is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, January 10 and 11.
The “where” is everywhere that anyone who cares about our democracy can be seen and heard legally.
The “how” is up to us. A mass action protest can be coordinated at the national level, but it is impossible to plan and direct thousands of individual protests.
You can sign up for an “Ice Out for Good” protest here on the Mobilize US site. See list here, Ice Out for Good or use Map search to locate by geography.
Or you can host your own “Ice Out for Good” event by registering at the Mobilize US webpage, here: ICE Out For Good · Mobilize
Finally, although protesting through an organization is preferable, do not let the absence of an organized protest near you dissuade you from making your voice heard! Americans have a First Amendment right to peaceably assemble to petition the government for redress of grievances. So long as you follow the law and comply with local ordinances, Americans have a right to peacefully protest in public spaces. Put a sign in your front yard or window. Stand on the sidewalk at the nearest street corner. Wear a shirt or pin that says, ICE Out for Good!
As I wrote yesterday, “This will stop when enough of us say, ‘No.” If tens of millions of Americans show up this weekend to raise their voices in protest, it will make a difference! Be part of the mass action that will finally—finally!—break Trump’s stranglehold on the Republican Party, tech billionaires, frightened media moguls, and complicit politicians.
On Wednesday morning, reader Jenny B. sent the photo (below) showing the message of a “bridge brigade” in Oakland, CA, which used the title of yesterday’s newsletter. As I told Jenny, it brought tears to my eyes:
Jill and I will be at several protests on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We hope to see some of you out there! And for those who will be protesting in frigid weather, you have our admiration and respect! You are true patriots.
This all stops when enough of us say, “No.”
An overview of the news.
On Wednesday, there were a dozen major stories competing for our attention. Each, standing alone, would have constituted a weeks-long crisis before 2017. Today, acts of unimaginable lawlessness and cruelty have a half-life of two hours (or less).
The compression and velocity in the news can be overwhelming. In truth, many of the developments are part of a handful of common threads that bind dozens of different stories.
The administration is lying about and covering up the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Despite the hateful language and tough-guy posturing, administration officials are running scared—as they should be. They know Renee Nicole Good was killed in an unjustified act of malice that supports the indictment and conviction of the ICE officer.
Trump is losing his iron-clad grip over congressional Republicans, losing two significant votes in the House and Senate over the last 48 hours, including a War Powers Resolution in the Senate that restricts his ability to use additional force in Venezuela. Predictably, Trump lashed out against the Republicans who voted against him, saying, “They should never be elected again!”
Trump continued his egomanicial quest to take over independent nations in America’s “sphere of influence.” In an interview with the NYTimes, Trump validated his “great power” theory of world dominance, saying that the possibility of China invading Taiwan was “up to President Xi.” In the same interview, Trump asserted that the only limit on his power as president was his subjective sense of morality.
Border Patrol Agents shot two people in Portland, but have released virtually no information about the shootings. The victims are in the hospital, condition unknown.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the stories.
The killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
The FBI ended its cooperation with local Minneapolis police investigating the killing of Renee Nicole Good. See WSJ, FBI Blocks State Law Enforcement From ICE Shooting Investigation. (Gift article accessible to all.) DHS Secretary Kristi Noem falsely claimed that Minneapolis police do not have jurisdiction to investigate the killing of a person in the city of Minneapolis. That position is ludicrous.
The FBI’s stonewalling reeks of bad faith and cover-up. Three senior administration officials—Trump, JD Vance, and Kristi Noem—declared Renee Good to be a domestic terrorist and the aggressor in the confrontation. After those statements, it will be impossible for the US Attorney’s office in Minnesota to conduct an impartial investigation.
It is worth pausing to note that prior to Trump, American presidents scrupulously avoided commenting on the guilt of people accused of committing federal crimes. The statements by Trump, Vance, and Noem violate long-standing democratic norms and principles of fairness in the administration of justice.
The administration’s panicked cover-up is understandable. As news outlets began to examine the video evidence frame by frame, it became obvious that the claim of self-defense by the ICE agent, [Jonathan Ross,](http://who/ is Jonathan Ross? ICE Agent Who Shot Minneapolis Woman - Newsweek) is not supported by the evidence. See the analysis by the New York Times, Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis - The New York Times. (Gift article accessible by all.)
The Times’s analysis makes clear that Good was not attempting to “run down” ICE agent Ross. The fact that DHS continues to assert that lie in the face of video evidence to the contrary is relevant to the shooting of two people in Portland, Oregon, by two Border Patrol Agents. As has become routine, the Department of Homeland Security claims that the victims of the shooting had “weaponized” their car and were attempting to “run down” Border Patrol agents. See Oregon.com, Feds say shooting in Portland by Border Patrol was self-defense; witness describes agents cornering truck.
But, as reported in the Oregon.com article above, witness accounts say that the Border Patrol agents shot at the victim’s car as it drove away:
One officer pounded on the truck’s window, and the driver appeared scared, the [witness] said. The driver then backed up and moved forward, striking a car behind him at least twice, before turning and speeding off, he said.
About five shots rang out from the contingent of officers as the truck raced away, he said. He added that it appeared one car was too “smashed up” to drive and remained in the lot of the medical office.
Per the witness, the shots were fired as the vehicle drove away—contradicting the notion of “self-defense.”
Meanwhile, protests were held across America. See the “pro-democracy protest photos” below, as well as this article: Global News, Protests erupt in U.S. after fatal ICE shooting of Minneapolis woman - National.
The protests over the unjustified killing of Renee Nicole Good are just beginning. As long as administration officials continue to slander Good’s character and lie and cover up the truth about the shooting, Americans will remain in the streets. If it turns out that the administration is lying about the Portland shooting, Americans will respond with larger protests. Help make history by breaking Trump’s grip on congressional Republicans!
Trump suffers multiple defeats in Congress.
On Thursday, Trump lost two significant votes that may signal congressional willingness to rein in Trump. See Politico, Donald Trump can’t count on Congress to have his back any more.
The Senate passed a War Powers Act resolution that requires Trump to obtain congressional approval before using additional force in Venezuela. See Time, Senate backs war powers measure intended to block Trump in Venezuela. Per Time,
The War Powers Resolution advanced 52 to 47, with Democrats joined by five Republicans: Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Todd Young of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky. The resolution is set to soon move to the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority and previously rejected a similar measure. Its prospects there remain uncertain, and even if it were to pass, Trump is expected to veto it.
Although the prospects for the House backing the War Powers Resolution are challenging, 17 Republicans joined Democrats in a discharge petition vote to extend ACA health premium subsidies. See LA Times, House passes bill to extend healthcare subsidies in defiance of GOP leaders.
It is unlikely that the Senate will pass the ACA subsidy bill. But the combination of the War Powers Act resolution in the Senate and the ACA subsidy extension in the House indicates that Trump is losing his ironclad grip in Congress.
Trump’s interview with the New York Times confirms megalomania and dangerous foreign policy views
Trump gave a two-hour interview to the New York Times. Trump’s statements were shocking, revealing a president who believes that he has no legal constraints on his power. See New York Times, Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality*’ | On topic after topic, President Trump made clear that he would be the arbiter of any limits to his authorities, not international law or treaties. (*Gift article accessible to all.)
Per the NYTimes,
President Trump declared on Wednesday evening that his power as commander in chief is constrained only by his “own morality,” brushing aside international law and other checks on his ability to use military might to strike, invade, or coerce nations around the world.
Asked in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times if there were any limits on his global powers, Mr. Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
“I don’t need international law,” he added. “I’m not looking to hurt people.”
When pressed further about whether his administration needed to abide by international law, Mr. Trump said, “I do.” But he made clear he would be the arbiter when such constraints applied to the United States.
“It depends what your definition of international law is,” he said.
Trump also suggested that it was up to China’s president Xi to decide whether to invade Taiwan:
When a reporter noted that Mr. Xi regarded Taiwan as a separatist threat to China, Mr. Trump said: “That’s up to him, what he’s going to be doing. But, you know, I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that. I hope he doesn’t.”
On Greenland, Trump talked like a real estate developer bickering for ownership of a prime building:
When asked why he needed to possess the territory, he said: “Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do, whether you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”
There is more, but you get the point. Trump is a delusional megalomaniac who believes he can control world events with the US military. Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, and North Korea beg to differ. Trump’s military romanticism and adventurism will catch up with him—and with all Americans and NATO, sooner rather than later.
Opportunities for Reader Engagement
Running for TX Governor in the shadow of ICE violence
I will be moderating a special livestream conversation with Latino Victory and Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa — Democratic candidate for Governor of Texas — on Tuesday, January 13 at 12:00 PM ET.
We’ll begin with what happened this week in Minneapolis, where an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an encounter captured on video — an incident that has sparked protests, drawn conflicting accounts from federal and state officials, and intensified national scrutiny of ICE operations and accountability.
We’ll also introduce Gina Hinojosa as a candidate and as a governing leader — why she’s running, what she believes Texas needs right now, and what it looks like to make the case for a new direction in a state that sits at the center of national fights over immigration, civil rights, and democratic norms.
I hope you’ll tune in. As always, you can subscribe to Latino Victory’s substack here. If you’d like to learn more about Gina or support her campaign, you can do so HERE.
Concluding Thoughts
It’s beginning. Be part of it.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Pro-democracy photos
Boston, MA
The friend I went with estimated the crowd size in the low thousands (like around 4000). . . .I was interviewed by one of Boston’s two NPR stations (WGBH) about my motivation for being there. I was very motivated by the murder of Renee Nicole Goode. I also told the interviewer that I read your newsletter, and that one of the things that you’ve told us is that the demonstrations are very important for setting an example of resistance . . . .
Phoenixville, PA
So heartening for me to see so many mostly young people tonight .
1/8/26 NH: The first is from Lebanon, about 25 people. The next ones are outside of the Merrimack Town Council meeting. The Town was recently ambushed to discover that ICE plans to use a vacant warehouse as a people-holding depot.
Chattanooga Bridge Brigade
A few snaps from two spirited protests on the village green in fair Montague, MA, on 8 January 2026.
Louisville, KY
Monterey, CA
Our little town of Weaverville, NC (5000) has had weekly protests on Main St ever since June, and we are continuing through the winter. We have had anywhere from 15-65 people, and this week we had 30!
It was a sober time today at our Visibility Brigade….Missoula MT
We just left a protest at City Hall in Philadelphia entitled: Vigil for Grief and Outrage. In our estimation, the crowd has gotten younger and more diverse, vis-a-vis protests we attended this past Spring and Summer.
This was one of many protests this afternoon and this evening in the Boston area. Waltham had about 500, gaining a lot of enthusiastic attention from rush-hour traffic.
This rally/memorial was organized in less than 24 hours. A sizable crowd showed up at City Hall. One of the speakers reminded us, “There are more of us than there are of them.
West Los Angeles Bridge Brigade
Ultimately, 45 people participated in this pop-up protest of the Venezuelan invasion, organized by local Indivisible, on the I-270 overpass just outside Frederick, MD. We got a lot of honks and waves from passing cars.
Our hearts are with Minnesota and Renee Good’s family. And we are angry. Wilson overpass in Pasadena, CA
Fellow Sky Rangers here in Santa Rosa, CA, asked me to send this photo to you that they took protesting on Jan 6th.
Indivisible SF called for a protest in front of the immigration court yesterday over the MN murder, and on very short notice, 200-300 people peacefully gathered on Sansome St, followed by a peaceful march down Market St to Civic Center.
In memory of Renee Nicole Good…
Daily Dose of Perspective
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