In Minneapolis, Minnesota, two recent shootings involving officers of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency have left two citizens dead. This has caused an uproar from those who don’t appreciate the simplicity of this issue, those who have their clever ways of getting around or ignoring these simple facts: those who enter or remain illegally within the borders of the United States are criminals and fugitives from justice. Those who interfere with or obstruct any lawful investigation or lawful apprehension of such persons are also in violation of the law. Beyond this, any added complexity amounts to obfuscation, complexity for the sake of confounding the issues and confusing minds, reframing for purposes of virtue-signaling, fomenting outrage, or attempting to moralize and thereby draw people into the protests (whether as active participants or as contemptuous supporters).
In almost every case, however, it is a person distracted or hypnotized by the narrative, away from the simple facts and objective truths which otherwise make this a rather non-political, cut and dry, and far less interesting situation. Ironically, far from the intentions of the many protesting in the streets and obstructing justice, they have succeeded primarily in demonstrating just how important it is to have a force capable enough to bring illegal immigrants — unwelcome invaders — to justice. Unfortunately for those rightly wary of ceding any more authority than necessary to government, these protestors and obstructors are aiding in building the case for ever more power to the state. In this case, because of this and the failure of the state to keep these criminals out of the country, and because of the many government programs and incentives serving immigrants (regardless of their legal status), the force necessary to resolve the issue finds its justifications in both the failure of government (at all levels) and the non-sensical protests, obstructions, and interference encountered in the process of finally bringing these criminals to justice; and holding them accountable has become an even more difficult task because the nonsensical protestors and obstructors view the criminals as worthy of protection because America has been generous or lazy enough to delay in taking action, thereby enabling them to stay far longer than they have been welcome, if they were ever welcome at all.
Ultimately, the ongoing protests, riots, and acts of aggression against ICE officers across major cities have brought attention to an issue that many seem to misunderstand or to complicate unnecessarily. In reality, the job of ICE is not just a job, but a vital function in maintaining the integrity of the immigration system. The individuals who have entered or remain illegally in the United States are criminals. They must be brought to justice through the courts, just like any other criminal in the country. No country (and no culture) can survive where it fails to protect its borders. Without the enforcement of laws that preserve the system’s integrity, the entire structure collapses. ICE officers are performing a critical service — apprehending individuals who break those laws — and that must be understood as a foundational duty to the country.
However, this fundamental duty is often obscured by the actions of protestors and rioters who choose to obstruct the very process that is meant to protect the country's security and uphold its laws. The protests and the riots against ICE have absolutely no substance. The job of ICE is clear: deport illegal immigrants. They have the lawful authority to do so, and they are merely enforcing the lawsthat preserve the integrity of the immigration system. The people who interfere physically with ICE — whether through protests, obstruction, or aggression — are adding complexity where it is completely unnecessary.
If protestors truly believed in meaningful change, they would appeal to their representatives or take their concerns through the proper legal channels — the courts, the legislature, or civil discourse. But they don’t. Instead, their preferred method of engaging in these issues is through force and violence, which only serves to create more chaos and division. This approach does nothing to bring about real change and only distracts from the lawfulness and order that the immigration system (and any political system) requires.
In this climate, it is also important to highlight the lack of compassion for the American citizens who are struggling. The focus of these protests is often on illegal immigrants, but what about the addicts, the homeless, the veterans, and the victims of illegal immigrants — those Americans who have spent years, or (with their ancestors) even generations, building the systems and the very country that these protests threaten to undermine? These individuals are often neglected or left out of the conversation, even though they have gone about their lives through hard work and honest living, and as law-abiding citizens. They are the ones paying taxes, contributing to society, and trying to make their lives and others’ better, yet they are pushed aside in favor of people who are breaking the law and aren’t even Americans. Not only are they not Americans, but they often denigrate America and its citizens, and they clearly have no respect for its laws, its people, its culture, or its institutions. Whether for a lack of care or concern, or for the inability of these malcontents to consider alternatives, the unseen, or the bigger picture, from them there is no compassion for the people who are suffering, working, and building that which we call ‘America’; they have no concern or compassion for the sacrifice of Americans, not just in labor and capital but in the form of the lives lost in building and defending this country.
What compounds this issue is the moralizing and virtue-signaling from those who protest. These individuals often act as though they are standing up for justice, compassion, and righteousness, but when their commitment is tested — especially in cases where their opponents’ have no malicious intent — they act harshly and without understanding. The real problem here is that the protestors are more interested in appearing righteous than in engaging with the cold, hard facts, the simple facts of the matter, or (in other cases) the complexities of issues they don’t understand. With the violence, the doxxing, and the aggression, these are together their modus operandi, their manner of being: act first and (maybe) think later.
By all appearances, they are more focused on the act of virtue-signaling than on achieving any meaningful, lawful resolutions. This approach is neither productive nor helpful, and it often results in outcomes harmful to the very causes they claim to champion.
The issue here is not complex — that is where so much of the confusion lies. The reality is rather simple: criminals must be apprehended and brought to justice through the legal system. Any interference with that process, whether it’s by protestors obstructing ICE’s work or anyone else causing distractions, presents an unnecessary complication. The perception of complexity comes from the sheer volume of contradictory information to which people are exposed. All of this creates a false impression of nuance, but at its core, this is a clear-cut issue: If you break the law, you face the consequences. Those who willfully try to obstruct the law enforcement process are not just getting in the way of justice; they are undermining the country of their fathers and grandfathers, they are defiling the integrity of their country, they are distorting the concept of justice, and they are adding layers of complexity that are completely unnecessary. They aren’t aiding in the process of justice; they are obstructing it.
In conclusion, the issue is rather straightforward: Criminals must face the consequences of their actions according to the law. Any protest, riot, or action that interferes with that process is just adding layers of complexity for the sake of some personal crusade, some sense of personal inadequacy, or some incoherent political agenda; in any case, those obstructing, doxxing, interfering with, or aggressing against ICE are not contributing to meaningful solutions. The focus must be on prioritizing the needs of American citizens, those who are often ignored in favor of others credited as ‘victims’. The protestors and rioters are more interested in virtue-signaling and moralizing than they are in actually engaging in the lawful, meaningful processes that protect the country and ensure a functioning system for Americans and America’s future. As such, they are failing to address the core issues and instead creating a distraction from the work that needs to be done: in this case, the apprehension of known criminals within America’s borders.
The good and thoughtful people aren’t out there bringing violence to the streets and doxxing men in uniform doing a service to their country. But those noisy malcontents make the headlines as good and wise people stay out of the fray and focus on their families and truly understanding the issues. After all, a true understanding of the issues keeps people off the streets and away from the types of people who act first and maybe get around to thinking later.
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