25 Jan Immigration and Deportation
Today (Saturday), another 37-year-old Minnesota citizen was killed by federal agents in Minneapolis for Operation Metro Surge. This Minnesota “surge” is the latest and most vehement attempt by the Trump Administration to enforce federal immigration law by arresting and deporting, allegedly, “the worst of the worst.” Renee Nicole Good was the first killed. Today it was Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a nurse at the VA Hospital.
On Friday, Greg Bovino, U.S. Border Patrol chief, spoke in Minneapolis to defend the federal effort.
On Thursday afternoon, Vice President J.D. Vance flew to Minneapolis and did the same.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump, in a speech marking the one-year anniversary of his inauguration, showed mug shots and spoke at length about those “worst” people arrested in and deported from Minnesota.
Late on Thursday morning, amidst all of this talk but prior to the latest killing, I recorded a podcast on “Immigration and Deportation Policy” with Gary Russell. In this episode of my Extremely Non-Extreme podcast, Mr. Russell and I spoke in favor of a reasonable, rational, logical, yes, non-extreme enforcement of immigration law. It seems particularly timely in light of today’s extreme event.
My hope is that this 35-minute podcast on my YouTube channel will calm you, and perhaps inspire you to urge government officials to resolve this issue through policy and procedural changes, rather than through violence.
Written by Quentin R. Wittrock, founder of Principle Based Politics.
Look for his periodic posts, as this blog and the Extremely Non-Extreme podcast explore and promote the ideas of principles and non-extremism in politics.
Principle Based Politics does not endorse or support any particular political candidate or party.
Lynn Nehring
Posted at 03:20h, 25 JanuaryVery poor management by the governor and mayor who are just fanning the flames. Don’t you think that many of these people are paid Marxists? It will be interesting if any of our leaders have to serve time with the huge fraud issues. They most likely think these riots will take the focus off that. These are the same leaders we had when Minneapolis burned six years ago.
Sid Sauer
Posted at 03:41h, 25 JanuaryThe firearm matters—and the media is hiding it. At the Minneapolis Border Patrol shooting, the suspect was armed with a SIG Sauer P320 AXG Combat, a high-capacity 9mm pistol with a threaded barrel, extended 20–21 round magazine, and a SIG Romeo optic—a setup costing $1,500–$2,000. This was not a cheap carry gun.
Officers were in a physical struggle with an armed suspect when a gun was perceived and the word “gun” was shouted. Under settled self-defense law, officers are entitled to rely on fellow officers’ reasonable perceptions. They do not have to personally confirm the threat.
Once a firearm appears during active resistance, the legal standard is simple: reasonable perception of imminent deadly force. That standard was met here. Freeze-frame activism doesn’t override real-time dynamics, and the law does not require officers to wait to be shot. This was a tragic—but lawful—use of force.
Raymond J Lynch
Posted at 13:46h, 25 JanuaryA lot of thought goes into this issue the American people spoke in 2024 they no longer wanted the open door policies of the Biden administration and voted for change. In early 2026 while we wanted the criminal element removed the Trump administration has swung it a lot of people eyes too far the other way and the midterm elections will show the direction the country wants to go. As far as Minneapolis goes yes the president is sending a large ICE presence because he believes this helps him politically the issue i have is with the governor and mayor the deaths of 3 Minnesota people is on their hands ICE is there to do their jobs with their instructions given them while you night not agree how they are doing this job it is not a few bad protesters that are putting themselves in harm way and paying with their lives. This is where the localloffucials are not protecting the citizens of Minneapolis. Let the protesters protest but when they impede people just doing g their jobs it must be stopped before anyone else’s loses their life
Anonymous
Posted at 00:38h, 26 JanuaryI’m stunned by these comments. Unbelievable
Trudy Johnson
Posted at 17:03h, 26 JanuaryThis conservative registered Republican is also stunned by these comments! Wow! The victim only had a phone in his hand and he was only attempting to help another human to safety. His holstered, legal gun is extracted – after being pepper sprayed – taken down by 5 agents and then AFTER the gun is carried away – it’s taken away people – NO THREAT WHATSOVER, Alex is shots 7 or 8 times / 3x in the back. I think what stands out the most to me is that after the shooting, the agents simply line up to count the bullet holes with NO aid whatsoever administered. This is a human being gunned down like an animal! With each incident such as this, because the Republican party is nothing like it used to be, I find myself questioning which party I want to belong too in the future – I have to say the Democrats are looking pretty amazing right now!
Anonymous
Posted at 23:54h, 26 JanuaryAt least three of us are stunned by the first three comments. Labeling the victim at a press conference as a “domestic terrorist” who intended to “massacre” agents, without any supporting evidence, crossed all lines for me.
Richard Shirk
Posted at 19:36h, 29 JanuaryQuentin – I am sorry to say that I am just reading this post this morning. First, I did watch the video with Gary Russell. I think Gary presented a very reasonable middle ground case on immigration. It was evident, to me, that Gary has thought pretty deeply about the topic and I appreciated his criticisms of both sides of the political divide, and his reasonable proposals. Very good job on this podcast that turned out to be tragically timely.
As for the comments that I saw from some of respondents, I am simply saddened and dejected that there appears to be so little humanity among some elements of our citizenship. Are we so divided that we only look at this kind of tragedy through our reflexive political lenses and cannot reflect, even for a moment, on the human tragedy taking place?
I am seeing very little of the Sermon On the Mount, or the Beatitudes, in these comments. I am sure these commenters are otherwise fine people. I will not presume to judge them. I only wish there was less reaction and a little more thought in their responses.
My sense of the current immigration crisis is that, while the immediate consequences fall directly on the Trump administration for their heartless and thoughtless policy implementation, the larger blame falls directly onto Congress. This catastrophe has been building in plain sight for over 20 years. In fact, Congress has stone walled needed reform since the Reagan administration when the last significant reform was passed. But Congress, on both sides, has used immigration as their political whipping boy since the Clinton administration.
Just one man’s ranting, shouting into the void. You are doing all of us that pay attention to your space a great service. Keep up the good work.