As She Wrote

Black Americans today are choosing to take the back seat in this high-speed chase toward saving the world. We’ve collectively decided to let “others” take the driver’s seat on this one. The question isn’t whether we can help. It’s whether we should. Not because we don’t care, But because we’re tired of being the only ones who do. We’re expected to be America’s moral compass while our own communities are still begging for air and signaling for a hand from our fellow “others”.

Free America!!!! 🇺🇸 Black America!!!!!

America wakes up one morning no longer laughing at war memes on their phone screens but living in the reigns of our president’s logic.

Airspace restrictions. Checkpoints. Rolling blackouts. Emergency language intertwines with Democratic language according to the White House. Are Democrats the ones to blame? The same phrases Americans once heard about other countries now appear in the our news alerts:

“Precision response” “Collateral impact” “Necessary security measures” “Temporary displacement”

The violence doesn’t begin with bombs.

It begins with policy.

News narratives are not neutral mirrors of reality. They are shaped by certain forces that influence what is covered, how it is described, and which interpretations feel “real”. This fact does not require conspiracy, coordination, or bad faith by journalists. This conclusion is supported by mainstream media research, not baseless theory.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency that operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ICE has frequently appeared in national news due to ongoing debates about immigration policy and enforcement. The agency’s primary responsibilities include enforcing immigration laws within the United States, identifying and detaining individuals who are in the country without legal authorization or who have violated immigration laws, and carrying out deportations when required under federal law. In addition to immigration enforcement, ICE also investigates crimes connected to border security, including human trafficking, smuggling operations, and other transnational criminal activities. Within the agency, Special Response Teams (SRT) are specialized units trained to handle high-risk operations and situations that require advanced tactical support.

With the recent increase in policing operations affecting communities beyond predominantly Black neighborhoods, some individuals in other communities have begun asking for the support and solidarity from the Soulanni people?!. As these enforcement become more visible and impact a broader range of groups, let’s question the collective response to mutual support, and cross-community solidarity. Which have become more prominent in public conversations. 

Recent events have led many people to reflect on how communities respond when others experience heightened law-enforcement activity and whether greater unity should exist when civil or social concerns affect multiple groups, not only one’s own. 

A widely reported incident in January 2026 involved 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive-care nurse and U.S. citizen, who was shot and killed by federal immigration agents during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 24, 2026. Video analyses from several major news organizations indicated that Pretti was holding a cellphone and had already been disarmed before agents fired approximately ten shots within a few seconds while he was on the ground. 

The shooting sparked national attention and protests in multiple cities. Including a sighting of our own here in Goodyear Arizona, teens from Desert Ridge, high school and other surrounding areas decided to take to the streets to protest the injustice that’s going on in our country. Demonstrators called for accountability and criticized federal immigration enforcement tactics, while some public figures and politicians renewed calls for major reforms or even the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

The broader debate has included concerns raised in news reports and advocacy discussions about conditions in immigration detention facilities, the use of federal funding, and the role of media coverage in shaping public understanding of immigration enforcement. These discussions reflect ongoing disagreements in U.S. politics and society about immigration policy, law-enforcement practices, and how communities respond when controversial incidents occur.

Censorship has been implemented and the media is being controlled! 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employs people from many racial and ethnic backgrounds, including Hispanic and Black agents. Their presence in these enforcement roles is often discussed in sociological and political debates about institutions versus individual identity. The central point being made in many academic discussions is that individuals from communities affected by those policies may still work within the institutions that enforce them.

Scholars analyze this through concepts such as institutional authority, role socialization, or structural power, meaning individuals carry out the duties of their position regardless of their personal identity. In other words, the debate often focuses less on who the officers are personally and more on the policies and systems they are tasked with enforcing. How can one enforce injustice on their own people?! 

Some are even pointing out the historical events to illustrate how people within a system can participate in actions that affect their own or other communities. One significant historical event frequently discussed in political theory is the role of individuals who participated in state systems under Adolf Hitler’s regime in Nazi Germany during the The Holocaust. Several key points about that period stand out. The Nazi government relied on large bureaucracies and law-enforcement structures to carry out its policies. Participation came from many levels of society, including civil servants, police, and military personnel. While some individuals participated due to ideology, others due to pressure, career incentives, obedience to authority, or fear of punishment. Those actions are still immoral regardless of the ideology. Leaving many to question who really is the bad guy?! Them or You?!!!!

It’s the ending of Queen and Slim all over again. Sometimes it is your own people who will sell you down the river. Not because they hate you but because the institution trained them to. Or let’s just face it, maybe it due to personal gain!

Scholars studying these dynamics often explore themes such as obedience to authority, institutional pressure, and bureaucratic systems of power.

Let’s look into real life examples of political movement happening in January 2026. 

In an email communication, 

Received: January 29, 2026

addressed to Kyra, U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) outlined his firm stance on withholding Department of Homeland Security funding until meaningful immigration enforcement reforms are enacted.

The senator cited a second deadly shooting by immigration officers in Minnesota as evidence that ICE is operating without adequate accountability. In response, Gallego and Senator Kelly co-introduced the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, a bill designed to mandate de-escalation standards, restrict dangerous tactical operations, require body cameras, and strengthen reporting and oversight measures.

Gallego also directed pointed criticism at Stephen Miller, calling him the architect of what he described as the administration’s most extreme immigration policies, and formally called on President Trump to remove him from his position.

The senator closed by affirming his commitment to lawful, humane immigration enforcement — stating that while the law must be upheld, it must be done in a way that prioritizes public safety over aggression.

“We can enforce the law and do it in a way that makes America safer, not angrier. But ICE cannot exist as we know it now.”

— Senator Ruben Gallego

As national conversations intensify around immigration enforcement, policing practices, and civil rights, many people are reflecting on the meaning of solidarity and responsibility among communities that have all experienced different forms of marginalization. Moments of national tension often produce calls for collective action. Protests, demonstrations, and organized strikes aimed at pushing institutions and policymakers to respond to public concerns. Yet still leaves the deeper question about how activism is sustained and who is expected to carry its weight.

Tax paying citizens are being arrested and detained and our tax dollars are being misused while our politicians are price gouging us for profit! 

At the same time, the country has faced disruptions that affect everyday life many other ways. In January 2026, severe winter storms across several regions of the United States reminded Americans how quickly crises can reshape priorities and public attention. Events like these often pause political momentum and shift focus toward immediate survival and recovery. With our minds and attention engaged elsewhere, we must highlight how fragile the collective mobilization is when people are navigating multiple challenges at once.

What Would A Revolution Look Like ?!

More likely how would we get one started?! Ultimately, the question facing the nation is not simply who will protest or who will strike. Is if our communities can move beyond moments of disruption and build a culture of solidarity that does not rely on one group to carry the moral burden alone. Real progress requires shared responsibility, sustained engagement, and a willingness for every community to participate in shaping a more just society. The violence begins with policy and so must resistance! 

What is your moment of activism?!