The tremendous efforts by the people of Minnesota — with the backing of Americans across the nation — achieved a significant victory over the last 48 hours. Trump backed down in a tactical retreat designed to quell the massive “anti-ICE” backlash by members of his own party, right-wing media, mainstream media, Congress, and, most importantly, the American people.
Here’s the point: Our protests worked. Although Trump’s retreat is a limited and temporary victory, it is nonetheless significant because it teaches us that when the people rise in unison, they are an unstoppable force. The madness will stop when enough of us say “No.” That is the lesson of Minnesota’s victory on Monday.
To be clear, Trump has not retreated because he fears our protests. No, he is focused only on media criticism and skyrocketing unfavorability polls. But those around Trump understand that ICE’s brutal murder of innocent citizens and the blatant lies by senior administration officials are inflicting severe damage on the Republican Party, the administration, DOJ, DHS, and ICE.
Our response to the victory must be to increase the pressure on Trump and the Senate. We have a rare opportunity for a “do-over” to repair the damage inflicted by the collapse of seven Democratic Senators, who ended the last government shutdown without obtaining anything in return. Their surrender gifted ICE a ‘war chest’ of $75 billion intended to insulate ICE funding from the usual appropriation process through 2029, thereby avoiding exposure to Senate filibusters.
This week, however, Democrats can refuse to fund DHS until Republicans agree to reform ICE and claw back some of the funds appropriated in the Big Ugly Bill. If it were up to me, I would abolish ICE entirely and start from a clean slate. But I realize that may be a bridge too far for many people.
Because ICE has a $75 billion slush fund, shutting down the government will not directly affect ICE. But a shutdown would affect ICE’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, thereby indirectly exerting pressure to reform ICE.
Those reforms should include a drastic reduction in funding, a requirement that every officer wear and use a body camera at all times, increased training, terminating every ICE officer who was not required to pass background checks or who received only 47 hours of training, rescission of the internal legal memo asserting that ICE agents can use administrative warrants to break into homes, the firing of Cory Lewandowski and Kristi Noem.
There is more, but you get the picture: Democratic senators have maximum leverage at this moment. The people are on their side in overwhelming numbers. Shutting down the government is hard, but allowing a rogue paramilitary force to execute citizens in public with impunity is worse.
This is a moment of moral clarity. There is no equivalency between shutting down the government over policy differences and continuing ICE’s license to kill US citizens and residents.
Trump believes Democrats do not have the courage to sustain a shutdown and will collapse before achieving victory—because that is what eight Democratic caucus members did on November 9, 2025, only a week after Democrats crushed Republicans at the ballot box. See Talking Points Memo, Looks Like the White House Is Daring Senate Dems to Vote Down Full Funding Package. (“The White House on Monday urged the Senate to pass the six-bill appropriations package to avert a partial government shutdown and signaled it doesn’t want Department of Homeland Security money separated out.”)
Except for Senator John Fetterman, who has already surrendered to Trump’s demands, it appears that most of the eight senators who capitulated last November have had a change of heart. See WSJ, Risk of a Partial Government Shutdown This Weekend Is Rising. Here’s Why.
As I noted above, Trump’s retreat is tactical; he is concerned only about “PR” and “favorability ratings.” He doesn’t care about the substance of his horrendous policies. If he were serious about reforming ICE, he would direct the DOJ and FBI to conduct proper investigations of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
If Trump had experienced a true change of heart, he would also fire Kash Patel, Kristi Noem, Todd Blanche, and Stephen Miller, each of whom has labeled Good and Pretti as “domestic terrorists.” Having prejudged their guilt, Patel, Noem, Blanche, and Miller have no place in the executive branch, which is charged with prosecuting law enforcement officers who deprive citizens of their civil rights by engaging in unjustified killings.
The media is making much of the “change in tone” in Trump’s conversations with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey on Monday. See NPR, Amid lawsuits and protests, Trump signals changes to Minnesota immigration surge. But the fact that Trump has managed to hold a civil conversation with a governor and a mayor means nothing. That is how presidents are supposed to act. The fact that Trump managed to adhere to the minimum standards of decorum and civility for 30 minutes on Monday is not praiseworthy.
But the fact that Trump has apparently fired ICE Commander Greg Bovino is a positive step forward. See The Atlantic, Greg Bovino Loses His Job.
Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon, according to a DHS official and two people with knowledge of the change. [¶]
Even better would be the firing of Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski, who serve as the true architects of ICE’s stormtrooper tactics. Per The Atlantic,
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her close adviser Corey Lewandowski, who were Bovino’s biggest backers at DHS, are also at risk of losing their jobs, two of the people told me.
At the same time, Trump took a step backward by dispatching “Border Czar” Tom Homan to take charge of the situation in Minneapolis. Homan has a history of violent rhetoric and holds no official position in the administration because he was under investigation by the FBI for accepting $50,000 in an undercover sting operation to expose government corruption. See International Business Times UK, Tom Homan’s Bag Of Cash Scandal Explained: Border Czar’s Serious $50K Bribery Accusations And Why He Still Got The ICE Nod From Trump.
Firing Bovino, Noem, and Lewandowski would be a start, but it is not enough. DHS actively blocked the state of Minnesota from investigating the murders of Good and Pretti. The senior leaders in DHS and ICE should be investigated and, if appropriate, prosecuted for obstruction of justice—if not under federal law, then under Minnesota law (a crime not subject to a presidential pardon). See MN Statutes § 609.50.1
There is some basis for hope that the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti will be investigated. Many Republicans are calling for Congress to hold oversight hearings regarding the killings, including unexpected support from Senator Ted Cruz. See Texas Tribune, Cruz, McCaul call for probe after feds’ Minneapolis shooting.
If such hearings are held, they will undoubtedly force the disclosure of body camera footage from several officers who were wearing body cameras. See NBC News, Alex Pretti’s killing was recorded on body-camera videos, DHS says. As horrific as the available videos are, videos from the perspective of the killers will be worse—and may force the hand of Todd Blanche and Pam Bondi to conduct a real criminal investigation.
The far-reaching impact of the public execution of Alex Pretti was demonstrated in the decision by a GOP Minnesota lawyer to drop out of the race for governor. See HuffPost, GOP Candidate And Lawyer For Renee Good’s Shooter Drops Out Of Minnesota Governor’s Race Over ICE Mess.
The surprise withdrawal of Chris Madel from the governor’s race was more shocking because (a) he is representing the ICE agent who killed Renee Good, and (b) he released a statement explaining that he could “no longer look his daughters in the eye” to explain why he was still a Republican.
Madel said,
I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of this state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so,” Madel said, noting that he supports the idea of deporting immigrants accused of serious crimes.
He went on to say that he felt he could not look his daughters in the eye and tell them he was running as a Republican when federal immigration agents sent by a Republican administration were detaining people on the basis of skin color.
Madel’s words likely express the feelings of many persuadable independents and Republicans who have seen enough. Our actions from this point forward should explicitly call for former Trump supporters to join us in defending the rule of law and protecting American citizens from a rogue paramilitary organization answerable only to Trump.
The victory on Monday in Minnesota is not complete, but it is a good start. Senate Democrats must complete the victory by defunding DHS in the current budget negotiations until Republicans agree to significant reforms in ICE.
The people of Minnesota achieved this important victory with your help. Everyone should be rightly proud of the role they played in this victory!
The government abandons its appeal from court decision that Trump’s attack on DEI was unconstitutional
In the opening months of his administration, Trump threatened to withhold funds from educational institutions unless they repudiated their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sadly, many institutions succumbed to Trump’s demands without a fight. They quickly (and perhaps too eagerly?) eliminated policies designed to advance diversity and inclusion on their campuses.
Other educational institutions fought back. Those who fought back won. Every time. Trump’s policy was a blatant infringement on the educational institutions’ constitutional rights, including free speech. It was obvious it would not stand.
The Trump administration appealed its losses in the lower courts to delay the day of reckoning for its unlawful policy. On Monday, the Trump administration withdrew its appeal of one of those losses, effectively conceding that withholding appropriated funds to restrict educational institutions’ free speech rights violates the Constitution. See Los Angeles Times, ‘The damage is done’: Why Trump’s DEI retreat in court may be too late for many colleges.
As noted in the Los Angeles Times headline, “it may be too late” to repair the damage to the reputation of the institutions that capitulated to Trump. The University presidents who capitulated to Trump, and every member of the board of trustees who approved that capitulation, should reflect on their decisions. A true leader would apologize to students and faculty for letting them down during a crisis.
One reason that Trump has continued his unlawful reign of terror, including in cities like Minneapolis, is that major institutions “obeyed in advance” without putting up the pretense of a struggle to defend the Constitution. The lesson that Trump learned from their surrender is that he should continue to ignore the Constitution because he will get away with it most of the time. When we fight, we win.
I hope every university and college that scrubbed its websites and curriculum of commitments to diversity and inclusion will go back and restore those policies to their prior position. It is the least the institutions can do to begin the long road back to repairing the rule of law.
Venezuela
Uh, oh. See The Independent, Venezuela’s acting leader says she has ‘had enough’ of US orders
Opportunity for Reader Engagement
Looking ahead to the midterms, Focus for Democracy is honing in on a strategic plan to take back the House and Senate this year. This Wednesday, January 28th, at 5 PM PT/8 PM ET, they will be focusing on the Senate—an area where there’s real work to be done!
Join Focus for Democracy on Zoom to learn about the surprising races that could determine control of the Senate and what we can do to maximize our victory.
Wednesday, January 28th, 5 PM PT/8 PM ET
Register at this link.
Concluding Thoughts.
As readers know, I have started including short interviews in my Sunday “non-newsletter,” which is designed primarily to open the Comment section during a day of respite for us all. The short interviews are intended to address the most frequent question from readers: “Given the hundreds of competing demands, where should I direct my political donations?”
There is no simple answer to that question. As a community, we must support hundreds of candidates and initiatives to ensure victory in 2026 and 2028. No single individual is responsible for supporting every organization. But we can each identify a particular organization or candidate who speaks to us and support them. My short videos on Sunday are intended to highlight organizations and candidates for your consideration.
Last week, I interviewed Kristin Hook, who is running for Congress in Texas CD 21—which is Chip Roy’s old seat. For those of you unfamiliar with Chip Roy, he was the most extreme member of the extreme Tea Party caucus in the House. He is not running for reelection in CD 21 because he is running to become Attorney General of Texas.
That development, along with the redistricting Texas undertaken at Trump’s behest, has made CD 21 in Texas more competitive. Kristin Hook courageously entered the 2024 election against Chip Roy because no Democrat stepped up to challenge Roy. It was a brave act, and she learned much that will help her in 2026.
Kristin has an impressive résumé and, as you will see in the interview below, she is thoughtful and passionate. If you are interested in supporting an effort to flip a seat in the Texas congressional delegation, I invite you to spend 15 minutes with me as I interview Kristin Hook.
I had intended to run this last Sunday. As Kristin and I ended taping of the interview last Thursday, I said “I’ll run this on Sunday barring any major developments between now and Sunday.” Sadly, ICE killed Alex Pretti on Saturday morning, so I delayed publication of the interview until today.
Even if you’re not particularly interested in supporting a congressional candidate in Texas, I think the interview is still worth watching. It is refreshing and inspiring to hear from a young, passionate, aspiring leader with a scientific background and deep roots in the Latino community in Texas. Talking to Kristin gave me a measure of hope. I hope it will do the same for you. Check out Kristin’s website here: Dr. Kristin Hook for Congress.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Pro-democracy protest photos
Eugene, OR
Stand With MN protest in Chicago in the early afternoon Sunday the 25th
Santa Barbara, CA, vigil
Hancock, NH, vigil
Traverse City, MD
Santa Cruz, CA
Fairbanks, Alaska
Driggs, Idaho. A lone protester across the street from the Corner Drug Store. Photographer: Niki Richards.
Evanston, Il,
Boulder CO
At the site of Alex Pretti’s murder at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue South in Minneapolis.
Oakland, CA
Needham Visibility Brigade
Although violation of § 609.50 might be limited to a misdemeanor under state law, the penalty is three months in jail for each violation. Something is better than nothing, and any time in jail for those who blocked the state investigation would be an important statement in dissuading others from similar conduct.
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