Pondering: Minneapolis: Holistic Interpretation: 21 things that I see and how they will shape my response (I could be off on any point). | Part 3

1. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Life always exists in context. We are at this critical juncture on immigration because both parties have failed to collaborate on a comprehensive plan for the last two to three decades. Both parties have used immigration as political fodder to leverage narratives against the other. Polarization, driven by the pursuit of power, is degrading our government, our nation, and ourselves.

2. The poorly managed influx of immigrants during the previous administration fueled a crisis and fostered tensions throughout the country. Various states were inundated and overwhelmed. There was no comprehensive plan to process and enfold immigrant families into the country at the rate at which they came. Roughly two-thirds of Americans believe immigration is a good thing for the country when done legally.

3. The excesses of the previous administration are being countered with the excesses of the current administration. This will be our national reality for the foreseeable future if we don’t change as people and as a government. Every 4-8 years, with each change of power, we will see reversals of previous policies and further extremes to counter past excesses and thwart future attempts to undo them. We will perpetually oscillate from one end of the pendulum to the other until collaborative effort in government is chosen. We should make politicians earn our vote and refuse to cast our ballot for polarizing antics.

4. Fraud was out of hand in our state. It happened in parts of the Department of Human Services and in pockets of the Somali community. Neither component makes up the whole in either case. Demeaning rhetoric about all Somalis is an affront to the Image Dei of every person. Just as we shouldn’t demean everyone in DHS, which is comprised of close to 80% white folks. Using the same type of rhetoric that’s been used about the Somali culture would be to infer that white government workers in Minnesota are fraudsters and should be expelled. A “majority culture” sees violators as individuals, not representative of the whole. The same courtesy and dignity should be extended to those from “non-majority cultures.”

5. Culture is a powerful influence. Within every culture, some things exemplify goodness, while others are contrary to God’s intention for humanity and need to be corrected. When there are detrimental social behavior, attitudes, or practices in any cultural sphere, the onus to change things for the better lies best with accountability and transformation embraced from within. This is true for the culture in ICE, the DHS, the Samali community, the White community, the Black community, the faith community, or any other community. External checks and balances are healthy and should be welcomed.

6. A substantial majority (about 80%) of Americans support deporting immigrants without legal status who have committed violent crimes. If one went to another country with or without permission and committed a violent crime, imprisonment and deportation would not be surprising

7. The most prolific pushback on ICE and the administration is the excessive and unchecked nature and practices. This is a reasonable point of contention. Resistance is not about the ill-rhetoric that implies resistors want “violent criminals to run free.” It’s indiscriminate targeting and profiling that is profoundly problematic. If there is genuine concern about specific individuals, a surgical approach is far more appropriate than the broad-spectrum approach underway now. The pretense of finding violent criminals was used as a reason to send ICE to Minneapolis. While it’s likely true that some have been found, the reach has expanded to undocumented immigrants with no criminal record and to refugees with legal status to be in the country.

8. Staunch supporters of the Second Amendment often cite the potential overreach of the government as a reason to bear arms and resist. The aggressive nature of this operation invites resistance that would be supported if the circumstances were different. Consider the aggressive resistance to mask requirements as government overreach during COVID. Sending military forces to Minneapolis for a government-induced resistance is ironic.

9. The ICE agency and the administration should welcome accountability; they currently do not. What are the appropriate checks and balances for these actions? Checks and balances are essential in our constitutional republic.

10. The ICE agency should be entirely and immediately transparent as to where people are being detained and for what reason. Detainees should remain as close to their home city as possible. Due process should be honored to the extent possible, and third-party checks and balances on deportation should be in place, with clear guidelines and policies that must be followed. This should not be a “make it up as we go” thing.

11. When ICE makes a mistake, it should be self-revealed, and an apology should be issued. It’s a violation of the law to detain American citizens for no reason. Caring about and following law and order is not a one-way social contact. The onus for law and order rests first with the agencies charged with enforcing it. Those with this power should be law and order’s most faithful adherent. Approaching the situation surgically rather than with a broad-spectrum approach would significantly reduce this risk. Those who are mistakenly detained should be released to the spot where they were picked up.

12. There are ample reports of immigrants following the required legal processes who are being detained, separated from their families, and sent to another state. When they are released, they are not released back to where they were picked up, causing unnecessary hardship.

13. The permission granted by the Supreme Court to racially profile people is a heartbreaking and demoralizing step backward for our country. There are many reports of citizens being harassed and detained. Many people of brown skin, legally here as they may be, are deeply concerned about going to work or their kids going to school. Many have taken to carrying their passports at all times.

14. Our young people have been through an incredibly trying era. From school shootings to state representatives being murdered, to people hatefully setting others on fire, to unarmed people being killed, to burnings of buildings, to federal forces marching the streets in military gear, to wars around the globe, and all being viewable in the palm of their hands. On top of all of this, they are subject to visceral rhetoric between would-be adults. That’s a lot. What will this era do to the emerging generation?

15. God ordained three central societal institutions: the family, the Church, and the government. Family was the first institution established by God, so maintaining family unity is something we should take seriously. If we apply Innocence/Guilt in the strictest sense to all of us and give the maximum consequence for any infraction, the consequences could be disastrous and outlandishly expensive. There is hope in redemption; no one is defined by their single worst moment.

16. What happened between the ICE officer and Renee Good is a tragic outcome. The current administration’s approach is antagonistic. Renee and the parties involved that day were likewise antagonistic. There is an inherent risk in impeding law enforcement, and it sets the stage where anything can happen.

17. Context matters. Should the officers have engaged differently to de-escalate? Should the shooting officer, from a tactical standpoint, have approached the vehicle from the side rather than the front? Should more time have been given to ascertain the circumstances and level of resistance? Did the officer pulling his vehicle past Renee Good’s create an unnecessary pinch point? Anger, fear, and distrust conspire to short-circuit reasoned thinking. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Use of Force policy, updated in 2022, requires its federal law enforcement personnel to employ de-escalation tactics and techniques when feasible to gain voluntary compliance before resorting to force, emphasizing valuing life and using force only when necessary. This policy applies across all DOJ agencies. Did the ICE agents violate their department's protocols?

18. As the car moved forward, the wheels were turned all the way to the right. This does not reflect that her intent was not to act as a projectile toward the officer. Describing it as such, along with referring to Renee Good as a domestic terrorist, is irresponsible rhetoric. It is also true that the position of the shooting agent made it unlikely that he was able to see the position of the tires and, therefore, responded to the initial forward movement of the vehicle toward him.

19. What does the gut expression about the woman immediately after the shooting reveal about the heart of the officer? Were there unhealthy and unresolved underlying issues? How much does the officer's having been dragged and injured in a previous encounter with another car influence his posture and response in this situation?

20. It will be up to an investigation to determine the appropriateness of the use of force. My/our opinions about watching the short videos will matter. The context of this situation generally leans toward law enforcement. Inviting an investigation that is as unbiased as possible at both the State and Federal levels should be welcomed. Those bestowed by our society with the power to use armed weapons should have the strongest desire for accountability and foster an internal culture that embraces it.

21. Power is not inherently evil; it can be used for good. But misuse or abuse is problematic. I believe the current administration operates in a Power/Fear culture. This is a discussion for another day, but when Power/Fear is the primary cultural mode of operation, following the rules and honoring relationships matter less than the gains made by influencing and controlling situations through power.