Talked recently with someone who has some shitty neighbors, and was daunted by the idea of reaching out to those people for hyperlocal organizing. I asked if there were people with anti-ICE or other good window signage who lived nearby. They said yes. I suggested they try to meet those people first.

On Thursday I’ll be on a panel at #NICAR26 to talk about how I used FOIA to obtain records from municipal agencies that shed light on federal immigration raids, as well as the collaboration of Chicago journos that used OSINT to investigate feds’ use of tear gas. (Stories in thread)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

What the genocide in Gaza reinforced is that there are no "civilians" when it comes to Israel and the United States. The rest of the world learned the same lesson and the consequences are going to be felt across the world.

It’s not lost on me that this is happening during Ramadan and during fasting hrs.

I talked with @ziibiing.com about Stand With Minnesota, keeping neighbors housed during ICE escalation, and directing generosity where it’s actually needed.

This week’s print edition honors the life of Rev. Jesse Jackson in English and Spanish. The issue also includes information on voting in the March primary, and stories on Valentine’s in Cook County Jail, landlord heat violations, youth sports access, theater and book reviews, and more!

The brilliant and hardworking editorial staff of The TRiiBE have unionized, and are asking supporters to sign letters in solidarity with their request to be recognized:

The floor plan for the planned ICE concentration camp in Social Circle, Georgia:

You, an individual, cannot "fix" the whole world. You can act at the scale of your life. You should act at the scale of your life.

After months of relentless rapid response in Minneapolis, members of Defend the 612 had a moment to breathe and reflect on the lessons they’ve learned, the grief they carry, and the citywide fellowship they hope will endure. The crisis is not over, and I’m grateful they made time to speak with me.

“An anonymous government is no government at all. It cannot be held accountable. A masked agent freely uses force without justifying his actions, and the public cannot name him to challenge his conduct.”

Such an important episode. Thank you @mskellymhayes.bsky.social and @andreapitzer.bsky.social 🙏🏾✨

I’ll be discussing the strategies I used to investigate federal raids and detentions of Chicagoans last year, as well as CPD responses to them, with a panel of local luminaries at FOIA Fest 2026. The day-long seminar is only $25. Get your tickets today! headlineclub.org/2026/02/13/f...

Today I’m celebrating our collective ability to 1. hold multiple truths simultaneously & 2. approach each other’s differing perspectives with curiosity and compassion rather than judgement and scorn because at the end of day we refuse to forget: we need each other. 🫶🏾✨

Palestinian Uncles doing freestyle poetry battles coming with some of the hardest lines I’ve heard in a long time.

I talked with three Minneapolis organizers, including Andrew Fahlstrom and Susan Raffo, about community defense in Minneapolis, the social fabric of collective care under federal occupation, and how people around the country should be gearing up for the long struggle ahead. Audio + transcript:

Recordings I obtained of Chicagoans calling 911 to report ICE activity—including Marimar Martínez’s call after an agent shot her—are included in this week’s episode of @thisamericanlife.org

The swift, widespread displays of solidarity with Georgia Fort and Don Lemon by fellow journalists, news outlets and press freedom organizations has, much like the courage of neighbors who defended Chicago from federal raids this fall, given me a great deal of hope.

I was supposed to speak at a neighborhood assembly tomorrow, but I'm still sick and can't risk exposing my neighbors. So I wrote up my remarks and put them in my newsletter. Now, back to bed.

No words. Just rage and grief. Please help support the Tarabishi family after the unnecessary and untimely death of Wael Tarabishi. Wael should still be here. This is eugenics in action.

In addition to Don Lemon, agents arrested Emmy-winning St. Paul journalist Georgia Fort this morning because she covered the ICE church protest. This is an assault on the 1st Amendment and an attack on Black journalists by an out-of-control DOJ. We must condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

“i believe in music” is a new one in the brass solidarity band repertoire. very healing to be here in whittier next to alex pettri’s memorial among so many people

someone at alex pretti’s memorial in minneapolis is holding a painting of the hat 5 year old liam ramos was wearing when he was abducted by ICE in columbia heights. all too much

26th and nicollet in minneapolis is closed to vehicle traffic now as brass solidarity performs

brass solidarity band performing “stand by me” in the streets of whittier next to alex pretti’s memorial. the crowd started chanting “the people united will never be defeated” so they incorporated it into the song. i love minneapolis

Bovino removed from his role as US Border Patrol commander at large, The Atlantic reports reut.rs/3Z0Pug2

The nurses are pissed

I have never witnessed such a spiderweb of collective action, just average everyday people showing up. Not the heroism we’ve been sold by the movies but collective heroism, a fabric of care and resistance to fascism.

The majority of organizing happening in Minnesota isn’t just peaceful, it’s INVISIBLE. Moms showing up who won’t be interviewed on TV, people whose ICE patrols don’t turn into viral video. The grocery runs, the donations, the people filming bc they happen to be there. Please remember this.

The Washington Post published a clear video of federal agents removing Alex Pretti's handgun moments before he was fatally shot. There's nothing in the video to suggest Pretti even reached for his weapon. wapo.st/49Zqv1L

one of the gofundme campaigns sent to me today is only trying to raise $1,600 and has a horrific story of an experience of a Hmong elder. they've only raised $10.

People are right to be incensed, but there are more names to uplift. ICE killed an immigrant man named Silverio Villegas González in Chicagoland. He had children. Victor Manuel Diaz was kidnapped in Minneapolis and died in ICE custody on January 14. Their names deserve to be repeated, too.

My latest: How Renee Good's murder and paramilitary assaults on US cities reflect longstanding right-wing race war fantasies and Stephen Miller's fixation with a novel about white genocide. I also talk about the stories we tell and live in opposition to these narratives and share a must-reads list.

I’m on Chicago Speaks with Darryl Dennard. One caller—a registered nurse from Minnesota—weeping, says she and her neighbors feel “trapped” by the federal occupation of the Twin Cities.

Video shows agents wrestling a man to the ground; one shot is heard; several agents scatter while one agent shoots the prone man several more times, killing him.

"Oh my gosh, it was so nice to see you! Have a lovely day, fuck ICE!" "Oh you too hon! Stay safe in that traffic, fuck ICE!' - two older Minnesota ladies, bidding farewell after the protest

In solidarity with today's ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA blackout, MinnMax is donating $1 to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for every share of this Bluesky post for the next hour.

If you’re defending kidnapping a five year old, you’re losing

in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today

With so many of us watching the tremendous mobilizations in Minneapolis, culminating in the call to action against ICE today, I wanted to share some of what I have gathered from talking to comrades in Minneapolis over the past few weeks. A few things stood out:

this photo. minneapolis. 💜 📷️ Alex Kormann/Star Tribune

On a downtown street in Minneapolis, as people stream out from the massive march, Mary Tyler Moore says “fuck ice.”

Mamdani: "I am in support of abolishing ICE. What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist. We're seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some kind of immigration law, but instead what it's doing is terrorizing people."

this is what it has come to for Mexican restaurants in the Twin Cities

A local restaurant in Mpls.

AAAAHHHHH

Greetings! I’m here at a noise demonstration situated at both Marriotts in Pasadena. It is *extremely* loud. In one spot, several people are blaring multiple Spanish language songs at once; the only one I can identify is La Chona. Also some screams.

Another guy at this noise demonstration in Pasadena is just wailing on a mailbox. Absolutely unhinged wailing on a mailbox. Hard to say it’s not fascinating to watch a man just go ham on a mailbox.