ICE | Breaking Big Money's Grip on America

On January seventh, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three children, was shot to death at point blank range by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. Seventeen days later, Alex Pettri, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot multiple times and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents also in Minneapolis. Neither of these killings were justified and should never have happened.

The people of Minneapolis are outraged. Yet their vigils and protests have been both peaceful and relentless. They will not be denied. At the same time, the outrage has been rapidly spreading across the country. Fifty-nine percent of voters nationwide believe ICE is too aggressive.[1] Over 1,000 protests have already been held across the country in just the first month of 2026.[2]

In response, Trump has put U.S. border czar Tom Homan in charge of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. He said federal agents would shift away from the broad street sweeps that have resulted in the two recent killings. Homan also indicated he would reduce the 3,000-strong force of agents if he received “cooperation” from state and local leaders, noting he has had productive meetings with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.[3]

Meanwhile, the number of Republicans turning against the Trump regime is growing. On Thursday, seven Republican senators voted with all their Democratic colleagues to block a huge funding package that included money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),[4] which oversees ICE. As a result, DHS was eliminated from the package and will be addressed separately in accordance with the Democrats demands.[5] Additionally, two Republican senators have even joined the Democrats’ call to oust DHS Secretary Noem.[6]

While we are still in deep trouble, the widespread protests have clearly impacted Trump and his regime. The growing opposition to Trump’s presidency is also reflected in the latest polling. According to the Pew Research Center, Trump’s approval rating is down to 37%. Much of that decline is due to Republicans. Last year, 67% of Republicans said they supported all or most of Trump’s plans and policies. Today, 56% do.[7]

For those Americans who have been thinking that saving our democracy is a lost cause, recent events provide new hope that the tide is turning in our favor. The No Kings rally planned for March 28^th promises to be the biggest anti-Trump protest yet.[8] Still. it’s time for this movement to proclaim what it is for, not just what it opposes. What will replace Trump’s authoritarian regime?

Check out AmericaFWD, an emerging national movement powered by people committed to building a new alliance devoted to developing safe, affordable, resilient, thriving communities within a generation for all Americans.[9]

As we protest what we are against, we must also visualize the future we intend to create. Having a positive vision is critical for building a successful mass movement.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. (See bruceberlinauthor.com) He is the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-59-voters-say-ice-too-aggressive-up-10-points-since-july

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/trump-protests-data

[3] https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/29/border-czar-tom-homan-gives-first-press-conference-in-minnesota

[4] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/7-republicans-join-dems-block-172127053.html

[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/us/politics/democrats-dhs-spending.html

[6] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/hill-democrats-even-republicans-plot-014708908.html

[7] https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/01/29/confidence-in-trump-dips-and-fewer-now-say-they-support-his-policies-and-plans/

[8] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/no-kings-protests-minneapolis-march-28/

[9] https://www.motherjones.com/sponsored/the-movement-to-build-the-future-america-promised/

The winds of change are in the air and signs that the tide may be turning in favor of democracy are beginning to appear.

One such indicator is the retirement of some elder Democratic Congresspeople. Rep. Jerry Natler, a 78-year-old New York liberal, has been in Congress for more than 30 years since 1992. He believes it’s time for a younger generation to take the reins of power and that they may be better able to save the nation from Trump’s autocracy.[1] And he’s not alone.

As of September 2, 10 Congressional Democrats are not running for re-election next year. I’m sure more will follow them. Another one calling it quits is Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81, of Illinois. She feels it’s time to pass the baton.[2]

Additionally, some young Democrats are challenging elder incumbents in next year’s primaries. Politico reports that they “are chafing at what they see as feeble leadership protecting the status quo in Washington…They’re channeling the burbling anger inside the Democratic Party base that’s not only furious at President Donald Trump, but also at the way congressional leaders have failed to mount a meaningful resistance.”[3] A new wave of younger, more assertive Democrats is clearly emerging. Will it be big enough and strong enough to overcome Trump and his MAGA movement remains to be seen.

At the same time, Trump’s inept handling of the economy offers evidence that his autocratic leanings are not good for the American people. The unemployment rate is the highest in almost four years and “millions of workers are unable to find full-time employment,” according to Alex Jacquez at the progressive advocacy organization Groundwork Collaborative. And Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) noted that Trump inherited a solid economy and “in just seven months, he’s managed to screw it up…Now, working families are getting squeezed from every direction: higher prices, Republicans’ Big Ugly Law ripping health care away from millions, and a job market that’s slowing down.”[4]

The conservative Wall Street Journal agreed. It placed the blame for the slowdown on Trump and his unilateral tariff crusade, which is wrecking the very industries—like mining and manufacturing—that he campaigned on saving last year. Its editorial board wrote, “Repeat after us: Tariffs are taxes, and taxes hurt economic growth.”[5] And, according to a new NBC poll, more than 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation.[6]

Moreover, Trump’s immigration policy is actually undermining his efforts to expand American manufacturing. Last week ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raided a new Hyundai plant in Georgia that will produce electric car batteries, and detained 475 workers, most of them South Korean nationals. In 2022, Georgia’s Republican governor called the plant “the largest economic development project in our state’s history.”[7] This unnecessary, Trump-generated disruption will be detrimental to both countries’ economies as well as to their overall relationship. It is but another example of why Trump’s authoritarianism is bad for America.

Meanwhile, the controversy over the Epstein files continues to embroil Trump. Though he insists it’s all a Democratic hoax, a massive poll conducted by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) found that over 90% of respondents did not agree with Trump that the case was a hoax and called for the release of all the evidence that would likely incriminate many wealthy Trump supporters, if not the president himself.[8] Other Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga), are demanding the release of all the Epstein files. “We campaigned on transparency issues,” she argued. “All of a sudden, there’s this hard stance coming from the Republican leadership and many of the members and the administration, and I’m shocked by it…The truth needs to come out,” Greene concluded.[9]

There are other examples of Trump’s dictatorial efforts floundering, e.g. his regime’s vaccine and labor policies, which need to be addressed as well. But what is now becoming abundantly clear is the vulnerability of Trump’s fascist regime. What is not so clear is whether the majority of Americans who oppose it[10] will stand up to his autocracy and build a stronger democracy in our country.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. He is the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democratic-rep-jerry-nadler-to-retire-from-congress/ar-AA1LFXEO?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[2] https://thedailybs.com/2025/05/05/longtime-dem-congresswoman-calls-it-quits-after-26-years/

[3] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/09/democrats-age-primary-campaigns-032542

[4] https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-august-jobs-report

[5] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/murdoch-paper-slams-trump-after-disastrous-jobs-report/ar-AA1M1oEH?ocid=BingNewsVerp

[6] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/midterm-warning-signs-nbc-poll-140951595.html

[7] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/08/trump-warns-foreign-companies-hyundai-immigration-raid-south-korea-00550030?utm_content=user/politico&utm_source=flipboard

[8] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-epstein-hoax-remark-firmly-rejected-in-republicans-online-poll/ar-AA1M0Yl0?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[9] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mtg-launches-fresh-assault-gop-171024200.html

[10] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-approval-rating-poll-august-vaccines-b2821821.html