Last week’s passage and signing of the they want us dead bill is horrifying on every level so it’s hard to point to one “worst” element, but there’s a case to be made that giving Immigration and Custom Enforcements (ICE) $170 billion is at the top of the list. As a PIC abolitionist (prison industrial complex), I’m horrified by the $45 billion to nearly double the current immigrant detention capacity. Also horrifying is the fact we already have masked people (many of whom, I’m quite certain, railed against masking for public health but are quite happy to don a mask in order to inflict terror) showing up in neighborhoods with their guns, eager to fulfill their white supremacist dreams.

Here’s a video thread from independent L.A. journalist Mel Buer in Los Angeles today: UPDATED INFO BELOW**

from Mel Buer on Bluesky

From Mel Buer thread on Bluesky

These highly militarized and faceless people descended upon a community to inflict terror. Apparently, after Mayor Bass spoke to someone at Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the terror goons packed up and left as people from the community chased them out, shouting their disdain. One participant in the video thread said the goons released mace on their way out. Again, the thread can be found here.

** UPDATE from Ken Klippenstein: Operation Excalibur in Los Angeles Is “Show of Presence” (I don’t know whether to laugh or cry)

This morning I also happened upon Garrett M. Graff’s article Four Fears About ICE, Trump’s New Masked Monster. Reading Graff’s take opened my eyes to issues I hadn’t considered. For instance, he draws parallels with what happened when war criminal G.W. Bush played on post 9/11 fears to double the size of Border Patrol. Spoiler alert: an escalation in violence and corruption. Graff raises four major issues:

1) THE HOW — ICE can’t grow that fast.
2) THE WHO — We should fear specifically who the next 10,000 ICE officers will be.
3) THE WHAT — Funding ICE and CBP at this level marks a fundamental and dangerous shift in the balance of the rule of law and federal law enforcement.
4) THE WHY — Trump’s vast spending increase will coincide with an increasingly lawless administration.

I recommend reading the entire article, not a fun or uplifting read, but vital to our understanding of where we’re at in this country.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably thinking “Thanks for the doom and gloom, Tracy. What can we possibly do about all this?” Well, it’s true that we don’t have representation that listens to the will of the people (say, for instance, those sounding the alarm that “people will die if kicked off Medicaid so PLEASE DO NOT CUT MEDICAID!”), but we do have each other! And, as Mariame Kaba says, “People are in motion, everywhere.” All around this country, people are organizing for their communities and pushing back against the authoritarians. We are not helpless and the situation is not hopeless. This horrific moment provides room for people to come together to effect change. I guarantee there’s a mutual aid group in your community. (Note: our local group wasn’t on that map so we had to ask around and check bulletin boards.) Yesterday, Zippy and I met with a group here, and I not only left with joy in my heart to have connected with those folks but also a renewed commitment to building community.

I’ve shared this document from Mariame Kaba before–Some Actions That Are Not Protesting or Voting— and encourage you again to check it out for ideas on how you can take action in a way that works for you. I will also reshare this from Garrett Bucks: Thirty lonely but beautiful actions you can take right now.

The authoritarians are trying their hardest to inflict the most damage they can in the shortest amount of time, and they’re counting on us being overwhelmed and demoralized and passive. Instead, let’s keep our hearts soft and squishy, filled with compassion and empathy, and fight together for people and planet.

Please don’t hesitate to send a private message if you have questions, ideas, thoughts, or experiences you’d rather not share publicly. I’m here for you. Solidarity.