Moral Depravity in Minnesota

Thousands gather downtown in sub-zero temperatures as hundreds of Minnesota businesses close in a statewide “ICE Out” protest and strike against federal immigration enforcement and the expanded ICE operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jan. 23, 2026. Photographed by Erin Trieb for NPR.

Perhaps it’s too early to tell whether the wanton murders of American citizens at the hands of ICE agents in Minnesota will be the political Waterloo for the cruel, inhumane and un-American regime of the current president.  But we do know that what has happened in Minneapolis is a true moral catastrophe, a depraved and lawless assault on human life, our Constitution and the entire notion of the rule of law.  The moral catastrophe is enmeshed in an official skein of lies and remarkable fabrications of truths we can see with our own eyes.  The official use of the phrase “domestic terrorists” to describe Renee Good and Alex Pretti shamefully mis-appropriates the language of recent American suffering at the hands of real terrorists to describe ordinary citizens exercising their rights to speak and protest official misconduct.

We have all witnessed real terrorism — the awful scenes from 9/11, planes flown into buildings by the acolytes of Osama bin Laden, with thousands dead and maimed; the horrific 1995 bombing of the federal center in Oklahoma by a real domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh killing 168 and injuring hundreds.

SHAME on members of the current administration who have denigrated Renee Good and Alex Pretti by equating their actions with those of actual terrorists.  SHAME on an administration that seeks to excuse the brutality of its agents by claiming that the ICE shooters were “in fear for their lives” as if Renee Good, Alex Pretti and the immigrants they sought to warn and help were otherwise unconcerned for their own safety.  The videos show otherwise — Renee Good, a mother and poet, was trying to warn immigrants of impending danger; Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, was trying to protect two women who were violently pushed to the ground by the ICE agents.

What is in danger of being lost in our anger and horror at the appalling murders of Good and Pretti is the alleged reason why thousands of ICE agents have descended on the otherwise-peaceful realm of Minneapolis, a cold northern city with a warm heart and welcoming soul.  ICE invaded Minneapolis at the behest of a president whose racism and nativism is immense, who has found willing collaborators in his cabinet officers and the thousands of people willingly deputized to wear the garb of official intimidation and brutality.  Outfitted with their camo and kevlar vests and helmets and pepper spray and guns, these agents of official violence are allegedly seeking out undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.  In Minneapolis, the search was supposedly focused on Somalian immigrants.  But the real reason seems to be less about immigration and more about political retribution against the governor and mayor who are Democrats; some commentators have even suggested that Minneapolis is a test case for regime change nationally.  We will see.

If any good can come out of the scandalous deaths of Good and Pretti, it may be this: the People of this nation are awakening from a too-long slumber ignoring the rising authoritarianism of the president and his agents.  The anger and outrage over the deaths of American citizens exercising their right to protest crosses aisles; the utter disgust at the official lies is increasingly loud and forceful.

So what can We, the People do in a moment like this?  We must speak up!  Let’s remember the truth of the statement that says that, “The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing.”  Let’s not be those who do nothing in the face of official violence and lies.  Let’s call it out every single time it happens.  Let’s do more — let’s insist that our elected members of Congress take action to stop this ugly and unnecessary infliction of official harm against so many people.

More, let’s stand proudly with our brothers and sisters who are immigrants to this nation, who have come here in search of peace and security but, instead, in the current regime are finding only fear and threats and violence.  No human being is “illegal” and No human being has a right to denigrate or threaten or snuff out the life of another.  Pope Leo XIV has spoken out forcefully on behalf of immigrants, and so have the U.S. Catholic bishops.  Just yesterday, Cardinal Tobin of New Jersey went so far as to call for ending funding for ICE and he urged Catholics to speak out and be counted.

And this is no time for the studied “neutrality” that too many universities have adopted… higher education must speak out about the abuses of law and morality taking place in Minnesota.  We must show our students that we stand for their rights, their lives and freedoms.

In this 250th year of America, we have a choice: to renew our commitment to the founding purpose of our nation to raise up “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all — or to be co-opted into abject agreement with a regime that is the antithesis of American values.  Our choices this year will determine whether the American Democracy will be here to celebrate its next milestone birthday.

Pray for them and all those being killed, beaten, intimidated and hurt by lawless government actions: