Friday January 9, 2026
The current shootings in Portland, Oregon and Minnesota raise serious concerns about the expanding role of ICE agents and democracy in America.
Agents are just people who never signed on for this kind of work, yet under Trump's direction they've been delegated responsibilities far beyond their original mandate. As a result, they're becoming increasingly entangled in situations involving civilian communities, protest responses, and now violence - blurring lines of authority and accountability in ways that should alarm anyone who values public safety and democratic norms. They are not faceless enforcers - they are people navigating moral and practical dilemmas. Many struggle with the reality that their assignments now involve policing Americans, often in high-tension scenarios that test both judgment and conscience. The stress, uncertainty, and exposure to risk are mounting - creating an internal crisis as much as a public one.
From their perspective this moment in American history is deeply destabilizing. Many signed up to work in immigration enforcement - not to be deployed into volatile protest zones or situations involving domestic unrest and armed civilians. Yet under Trump's delegation of authority, they've been pulled into roles they neither trained for nor consented to. As these assignments expand, agents become increasingly entangled in confrontations that blur legal boundaries and heighten risk for everyone involved - including themselves.
What follows is a dangerous erosion of clarity, accountability, safety, and most of all democracy in America as these events continue to increase and the world patiently waits for someone to stop Trump - be it as a result of the upcoming midterm elections (that takes time which is not a luxury people have), a rebellion by the Republican party (they fear him or owe him), or in some other way.
Trump treats people as if characters in the video game - get rid of the bad guys at any cost to make democracy great for his ultimate goal ... a Nobel Peace Prize.
His insanity increases as the colors of reality spill like paint into neighboring countries - rendering a new face of reality. How far under water is America - meaning overwhelmed by challenges - political division, corruption, institutional decay, or social unrest - or simply drowning in problems as a parallel to flood stories that are also overtaking the world.