Weekly Roundup: Minnesota vs. ICE: Neighbors, Authoritarianism, and the Future of Democracy

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Jan 30, 2026

They unpack ICE operations in Minnesota as a confrontation between state coercion and organized neighborhood resistance. They highlight grassroots “neighborism” mobilizing ordinary people to defend rights. They cover a controversial killing tied to shifting Second Amendment rhetoric. They examine an FBI raid on a Georgia election office and the broader threats to democratic norms and election integrity.

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INSIGHT

Neighborism As Democracy

Brad Onishi frames the Minnesota response as a clash between an authoritarian state and an assertive, organized civil society defending neighbors.
The hosts call this grassroots "neighborism" a seed of substantive democracy born from local civic solidarity.

INSIGHT

Democratic Demos Versus Populism

Dan Miller contrasts a populist people with a democratic demos defined by inclusivity and neighborly protection.
He argues Minnesota shows substantive democracy: ordinary people defending all neighbors, not an exclusive political faction.

ANECDOTE

Everyday People Defend Their City

Brad Onishi describes Minnesotans—moms, nurses, teachers—standing in minus-10 weather to block ICE actions.
He says their nonviolent mobilization makes him proud and exemplifies active citizenship.

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In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi—author of American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy —is joined by co-host Dan Miller, Professor of Religion and Social Thought at Landmark College. They begin by unpacking the ongoing ICE operations in Minnesota, framing the federal crackdown as a clash between authoritarian state power and a deeply organized, nonviolent response by ordinary Minnesotans. Drawing on political theory and on-the-ground reporting, Brad and Dan argue that what’s unfolding in the Twin Cities is not a partisan skirmish but a vivid example of democracy in action: neighbors mobilizing to protect one another against coercion, violence, and the erosion of basic rights.

The conversation then turns to two deeply troubling developments with national implications. First, they examine the killing of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse and legal gun owner, and the Trump administration’s sudden hostility to Second Amendment arguments—revealing how rights are selectively applied depending on political loyalty. Finally, they analyze the FBI raid on a Georgia election office, tracing its roots to Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results and warning of the chilling precedent this sets for future elections. Taken together, these stories reveal a pattern: the criminalization of dissent, the dehumanization of political opponents, and an accelerating effort to use state power to intimidate, suppress, and control.

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