Things have been a •lot• quieter in Minneapolis the last 5+ days. There have been only a handful of kidnappings. (“Only a handful of kidnappings!” Words I can’t believe I’m actually saying….) Some days 1. Some days 0. (0 known, anyway.)

Things are •much• quieter. I am doing things I’ve been neglecting for weeks, months. I am posting about programming again.

And…not “but!”…and—

Nobody here, nobody, thinks we’re done with ICE and CBP.

1/

Things have been a •lot• quieter in Minneapolis the last 5+ days. There have been only a handful of kidnappings. (“Only a handful of kidnappings!” Words I can’t believe I’m actually saying….) Some days 1. Some days 0. (0 known, anyway.)

Things are •much• quieter. I am doing things I’ve been neglecting for weeks, months. I am posting about programming again.

And…not “but!”…and—

Nobody here, nobody, thinks we’re done with ICE and CBP.

1/

Things are quiet in Minneapolis, and ICE is buying up massive buildings across the country to build concentration camps.

ICE Begins Buying ‘Mega’ Warehouse Detention Centers Across US

Plans for such centers and jails in nearly two dozen communities have sparked protests over suitability, proximity to homes and schools.

Bloomberg.com (www.bloomberg.com)

The hidden ICE blueprint that should horrify every American | Will Bunch

An internal Homeland Security document shows how ICE plans to cram thousands of detained human beings inside a Georgia warehouse.

Inquirer.com (www.inquirer.com)

2/

Things are quiet in Minneapolis, and ICE and CBP are stockpiling weapons like they’re preparing for war.

Trump’s ICE Is Quietly Stockpiling Weaponry—and It Should Alarm Us All

In addition to staffing up at a furious rate, ICE and CPB are acquiring a vast cache of weapons from private contractors, new data reveals. This will not end well—or anytime soon.

The New Republic (newrepublic.com)

3/

There is no way an organization with a budget the size of Russia’s military run by bosses trying to create an authoritarian secret police will just sit on its hands because 70% of the population thinks they’re bad.

Nobody here in Minneapolis thinks this is over.

4/

We are, however, cautiously hopeful that we have won this battle and can move on to the next.

One theory is that this is all a ruse, and as soon as Congress funds ICE + CBP, they’ll come roaring right back. That’s certainly plausible. My own gut feeling, however, is that this is not the case.

5/

The invasion of Minneapolis was a •disaster• for the Trump regime. They shot themselves in the foot. In both feet. They’ve lost support they desperately need from many different quarters: the press, the judiciary, the population’s mushy middle, their own party, even some of their own base. They don’t have an authoritarian state yet — and their path to achieving one looks a •lot• more distant than it did at the start of Dec.

6/

Things are quiet in Minneapolis, and ICE and CBP are stockpiling weapons like they’re preparing for war.

Trump’s ICE Is Quietly Stockpiling Weaponry—and It Should Alarm Us All

In addition to staffing up at a furious rate, ICE and CPB are acquiring a vast cache of weapons from private contractors, new data reveals. This will not end well—or anytime soon.

The New Republic (newrepublic.com)

3/

Since they murdered Alex Pretti, or maybe since a day or two after and •still• no ICE agents were killed in retaliation, the writing has been on the wall. I’ve been expecting them for a while to declare MISSION ACCOMPLISHED and change strategies.

My guess — and it’s only a guess — is that this is what we’re seeing now.

7/

That doesn’t mean we’re done with them, not Minneapolis and not the rest of the county. It means they’re changing strategies.

What strategy? Probably something less visible, less likely to be filmed. (I’m worried about prisons, meat packing plants, farms, rural areas.) And probably something that doesn’t go into force until Congress caves and funds DHS.

Who knows what exactly. But there’s still a crap ton of ICE agents in MN — and just today, folks saw a mysterious military-looking caravan barreling across the city.

8/

While staying vigilant, we’re embracing the chance to catch our breath and to start healing. The city right now has a bit of the feeling of the days after a natural disaster: there is so much damage to repair. Thousands of people are still sheltering at home, understandably reluctant to go to work and/or school. Thousands are facing imminent eviction when March rent comes due.

There’s organizing around rent relief, talk of a rent strike. Food delivery is still in full swing. Mutual aid is not letting up.

9/

Things have been a •lot• quieter in Minneapolis the last 5+ days. There have been only a handful of kidnappings. (“Only a handful of kidnappings!” Words I can’t believe I’m actually saying….) Some days 1. Some days 0. (0 known, anyway.)

Things are •much• quieter. I am doing things I’ve been neglecting for weeks, months. I am posting about programming again.

And…not “but!”…and—

Nobody here, nobody, thinks we’re done with ICE and CBP.

1/

Things are quiet in Minneapolis, and ICE is buying up massive buildings across the country to build concentration camps.

ICE Begins Buying ‘Mega’ Warehouse Detention Centers Across US

Plans for such centers and jails in nearly two dozen communities have sparked protests over suitability, proximity to homes and schools.

Bloomberg.com (www.bloomberg.com)

The hidden ICE blueprint that should horrify every American | Will Bunch

An internal Homeland Security document shows how ICE plans to cram thousands of detained human beings inside a Georgia warehouse.

Inquirer.com (www.inquirer.com)

2/

Even if ICE + CBP presence in the Twin Cities goes back to pre-Dec levels (which to be clear it •has not• yet done), we will be living with this for a long time. The world will be moving on, the national press will forget about us no doubt, but we’ll be living with this.

Nobody here thinks we’re done. But a lot of us are cautiously hopeful that we are now entering a time where this is some room for repairing and rebuilding.

Cautiously hopeful. But vigilant.

/end

@inthehands

Get that they are buying lots of weapons and purchasing buildings. But, as they discovered in Minnesota, it is much easier to spend a bunch of money, than it is to implement a really unpopular and illegal program on the ground. Not to dismiss the concern, but just because the have really evil intentions, does not mean they will be successful in implementing them. At least that's the hope. A hope, as you say, that is stronger today than it was a few months ago. Reality bites.

@mastodonmigration
Oh, I’m definitely not positing that any of what they do will •work•. But they’re going to hurt a lot of people trying.

Things have been a •lot• quieter in Minneapolis the last 5+ days. There have been only a handful of kidnappings. (“Only a handful of kidnappings!” Words I can’t believe I’m actually saying….) Some days 1. Some days 0. (0 known, anyway.)

Things are •much• quieter. I am doing things I’ve been neglecting for weeks, months. I am posting about programming again.

And…not “but!”…and—

Nobody here, nobody, thinks we’re done with ICE and CBP.

1/

@inthehands
Paul, I wish I could give you a quiet hug

Even if ICE + CBP presence in the Twin Cities goes back to pre-Dec levels (which to be clear it •has not• yet done), we will be living with this for a long time. The world will be moving on, the national press will forget about us no doubt, but we’ll be living with this.

Nobody here thinks we’re done. But a lot of us are cautiously hopeful that we are now entering a time where this is some room for repairing and rebuilding.

Cautiously hopeful. But vigilant.

/end