Free Republic

Americans remain bitterly divided over the chaos that’s engulfed Minneapolis as President Donald Trump seeks to deport illegal-immigrant criminals. Some see the protesters thwarting the enforcement of immigration law as “protecting friends and neighbors” — a form of righteous vigilantism.Others contend Trump’s efforts are legal and necessary — despite the tragic deaths of two civilians who unlawfully interfered with federal enforcement action.The tactics and behavior of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are under deserved scrutiny in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.But what about the anti-ICE provocateurs, agitators and instigators hell-bent on disrupting and impeding...

Seattle’s communist Mayor Katie Wilson has announced plans to mobilize the city’s police force to gather intelligence on ICE agents conducting immigration enforcement operations and share that information with “community partners” on the streets. Wilson said she will also bar federal immigration officers from utilizing city-controlled property, “including parks, parking lots, plazas, vacant lots, garages, and Seattle Center – for civil immigration enforcement.” The mayor urged other local government entities, including the Seattle School District and Seattle Municipal Court, to adopt similar restrictions. “Whoever you are, and wherever you come from: if Seattle is your home, then this is your...

(snip)As part of the changes, the mayor directed the Seattle Police Department to investigate, verify, and document reports of immigration enforcement activity. If officers are sent to a location where apparent enforcement is underway, they will document the activity with in-car and body-worn video, verify the identification of apparent federal agents, and secure scenes of potentially unlawful acts to gather evidence for prosecutors, according to the announcement.(snip)

Seattle drug addicts have praised the city's new mayor for allegedly telling cops not to arrest people doing illegal substances on the crime-ridden city's streets. One 36-year-old local, who gave his name as Brandon, told the Daily Mail on Wednesday that Mayor Katie Wilson is 'cool' after her office and Seattle's progressive city attorney Erika Evans reportedly plotted to avoid prosecuting most public drugs use cases. Brandon, who lives on the streets because he prefers them to his taxpayer-funded apartment, said of Wilson's new plans: 'They tried to do that already during Covid. We went buck wild! I'm not gonna...

Following the inauguration of Socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, it was revealed that the Seattle Police Department issued an internal email announcing officers “are not going to enforce drug use,” instead, they will refer all open consumption cases to failed diversion programs. According to the message originally obtained by Homeless outreach group We Heart Seattle, “effective immediately,” officers are being instructed to refer all open drug consumption incidents to the diversion program LEA-PDA (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion–Purpose. Dignity. Action, a diversion initiative connected to community-based behavioral health and outreach services. Critics warn the move will likely accelerate the city’s ongoing...

Democrats like crime and fraud, especially when the criminals and fraudsters are from the party's preferred demographic groups. There's no other way to explain it, because Democrats are fighting very hard to protect Somali fraudsters in Minnesota, Washington, and elsewhere while enacting pro-crime, pro-criminal policies like cashless bail and other "criminal justice reform" legislation. In Minnesota, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has said the investigations and fraud allegations are "far-right propaganda" and vowed prosecutions. In Washington, Attorney General Nick Brown also threatened independent journalists, writing on X, "My office has received outreach from members of the Somali community after reports...

Even before the swearing in, Seattle has given Zohran Mamdani his own “Mini-Me”; expect many more. New York City and Seattle now have democratic socialist mayors-elect. Democrats’ overwhelming support from cities and these supporters’ increasing embrace of far-left positions promise to elevate more democratic socialists in the party. Zohran Mamdani understandably monopolized national media attention. He was a political neophyte and self-declared democratic socialist running for mayor of America’s largest city. His policies were radical: free buses, government-built housing, government-run grocery stores, government-provided daycare – all paid for by higher corporate and wealth taxes. En route to victory, he knocked...

Portland Antifa militants got a personal message from federal officers about how this whole designated-terrorist-organization thing is going to work. On Thursday night of this week, federal protective officers paid a visit to an Antifa safe house in the West Coast, Messed Coast™ city of Portland, Ore. This feel-good story leads this week's West Coast, Messed Coast™ report. [snip] Since at least July, Antifa has been using an apartment across from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Portland, Ore., as a bathroom, refreshment stand, and place of respite. The apartment has also been used as a dressing room...