Opinion: Living under the weight of ICE-sponsored state violence

Is anyone else feeling like everything unfolding under our fascist government is pushing us toward an existential crisis?

What happened in Minneapolis is horrific and deeply traumatizing. I’ve been patrolling Home Depots against federal agents since July. I’ve been present during an ICE raid. And despite all the training I’ve done, nothing truly prepares you for the moment it actually happens. I was afraid. I was in shock. My hands were shaking as I fumbled for my whistle, my phone and tried to move toward the agents. After that raid, I felt my conviction harden. I knew I had to keep showing up. And I’ve been patrolling as consistently as I can ever since.

But what happened to our comrade in Minneapolis feels different. It feels heavier. More destabilizing. Maybe it’s the cumulative fatigue of the last six months. Maybe it’s the constant tension of waiting for the next raid to happen at our Home Depot. Maybe it’s the terrifying realization that it could just as easily be me, face down, with a bullet in my head. Maybe it’s the utter absence of empathy from our government. Or maybe it’s all of it at once.

This is exactly what they want us to feel. Fear. Demoralization. Futility. I remain committed to the cause, but I won’t pretend it hasn’t been hard to stay motivated. Learning about this ICE murder as I was getting out of work compounded everything—the grief, the anger, the exhaustion, the dread.

I’m posting this because I want to state my position clearly and without ambiguity. I am anti-fascist. I am anti-capitalist. I am driven by justice and liberation. And I am a Marxist. Our friends, our families and even those who don’t know us need to know where we stand because when this history is written, it must be unmistakably clear. I stand with oppressed, poor, working-class people everywhere. I stand against exploitation, imperialism and fascist regimes here and globally.

We must strengthen our mental and emotional fortitude as we move forward. This feels like only the beginning of an escalation of state-sponsored ICE terrorism. If we are going to survive this—and resist it—we have to find ways to keep ourselves and each other engaged, grounded and motivated. 

Please keep fighting fascism. Please challenge yourself to do more than you are currently doing. This isn’t a call-out, it’s a call-in. Find community, stay engaged and organize. You have power. The power of your words, your writing and your actions.