Bruce Sprinsteen, Billie Eilish, Natalie Portman, Green Day and Mark Ruffalo are just some of the Americans who have called out ICE. Their number continues to grow. Andrew DaRosa (STAMFORD ADVOCATE) reports:
The "godmother of punk" brought her book tour a close in New Haven on Tuesday night with readings of selections from her latest memoir as well as stripped-down performances of some of her most popular tunes.
Patti Smith released "Bread of Angels" in November, which chronicles her life from her childhood through overcoming the grief of her husband's death. Smith launched the "Bread of Angels" book tour in November, with Tuesday's presentation at the Southern Connecticut State University's John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts closing out the run of dates.
[. . ]
For every passage from "Bread of Angels" shared by Smith, she would then play a song that would draw some inspiration from what she had just read. "Wing" from 1996's "Gone Again" and "Grateful" from 2000's "Gung Ho" were the first songs played of the night, following passages about looking back at time with loved ones and a quirky bit regarding an old neighborhood bully named Jackie Riley.
[. . .]
Prior to performing "Beneath the Southern Cross," Smith dedicated the song to Alex Pretti and Renée Good, the two individuals who were killed following confrontations with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
"I saw in various places a map of the United States and on it, it simply said 'Minnesota.' And it did make me think that we are all Minnesota right now," Smith said. "We have to stand with those who do the right thing, and certainly we have the remember both of these people and all others who have lost their life in the pursuit of justice."
Good for Patti. Pablo R. Roces (EL MUNDO) notes:
Something disrupts the already usual morning hustle and bustle of Gran Vía in Madrid. An armored van, tinted and shiny black windows, waits at the doors of the Metrópolis building, at the intersection of this artery with Alcalá street. And in front of it, despite the inclement weather, several dozen people, notebook, poster, or funko in hand, await the arrival. It's not like God is going to descend the stairs, get into the vehicle, and sign autographs for his followers. But, to the category of deity, that is what the attendees have elevated Chris Hemsworth (Melbourne, 1983) to.
[. . .]
Extraction also connects with the social reality that the United States is currently experiencing. In one of its scenes, a jewelry store robber in Santa Barbara, who did not draw his weapon, is shot by a police officer without warning, and the officer places a gun on him to justify the shooting in the report. And the image directly transports the viewer to the events that have been seen in the last days with ICE, Donald Trump's anti-immigration forces, in the state of Minnesota. "The excessive use of force is something horrible. This movie was made long before those events, but that kind of behavior already existed. The abuse of power has always existed throughout history, and it is something we constantly try to reconcile with. You know, my fundamental moral values versus your fundamental moral values. Is that a fact and a truth, or is it just a perspective and an opinion? The complexity of all that is overwhelming. We have a challenge with divisive discourses, categorizing things, and oversimplifying very complex issues. I think we need to have a little more patience, a slightly broader view of things, and, in some way, be a little kinder to each other," explains Hemsworth, who, after that reflection as a conclusion, gets up to continue with the promotional day.
Good for Chris. Antonio Ferme (VARIETY) has another one, Giancarlo Esposito:
"Some very rich old white men are exerting their power to suppress our own people, thus creating a feeling of civil war in the streets, preparing the haters to hate, teaching them how to shoot," Esposito said. "This is all a preparation for a very insidious problem that's happening in our world. And for me, I have to speak out. We will not be ICE'd out. This is not going to happen."
A number of celebrities, including Esposito's "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York" co-star Tatiana Maslany, wore "ICE Out" pins across press lines, studio shoots and other media appearances. Maslany wore two pins, the second representing "Artists for Ceasefire."
"There is still genocide happening in Gaza," she told Variety. "And as much as there's a ‘Trump peace plan,' Israel has continued to kill Gazans and people in Palestine."
She continued, "It feels like the lid has blown off. I think a lot of people are realizing for the first time that they can't remove themselves from the people who this affects - because it affects everyone."
Good for Giancarlo Esposito and Tatiana Maslany. Alice Gibbs (NEWSWEEK) has another:
Martha Stewart revealed over the weekend that her 14‑year‑old granddaughter urged her to speak up about the intensifying national backlash against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as public anger continues to grow over federal enforcement tactics and the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
In a post shared on Instagram, Stewart said her granddaughter had written to her about the unfolding crisis. The text message said: “I’m not sure it’s excusable to not be speaking up right now.”
In response, Stewart posted the message and wrote: “My granddaughter wrote this to me yesterday she is fourteen and sensitive to what is going on in our country as we all should be I am disheartened and sad each and every day that we cannot demonstrate our sympathy for the beleaguered, that we are told immigrants, which most of us are or descended from are unwelcome, that we cannot show our frustration in peaceful demonstrations and that we can be attacked and even killed by Federal troops. Things must and have to change quickly and peacefully.”
Good for Martha Stewart. Ryan Coleman (EW) notes:
John Leguizamo has a brief but unambiguous message for his fans who support Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"If you follow ICE, unfollow me. Don't come to my shows and don't watch my movies," Leguizamo stated in a video shared to his Instagram on Wednesday.
Leguizamo is one among a chorus of famous voices rising against the federal immigration agency, which has been at the forefront of violent operations in Minneapolis.
Good for John. Brenton Blanchet (PEOPLE) notes Jimmy Kimmel:
On Monday, Jan. 26, just days after the 37-year-old ICU nurse was shot and killed by Border Control in Minneapolis, Kimmel delivered an impassioned monologue about the future of the U.S. and his own outrage over government officials' response to Pretti's killing.
"I spent my weekend, like probably a lot of you did, looking at my phone and just feeling shocked and sick about what is happening in Minneapolis," Kimmel, 58, began of federal agents under the Department of Homeland Security. "... One atrocity after another being committed by this gang of this poorly trained, shamefully led, mask-wearing goons. And that is what they are. They're goons committing vile, heartless and even criminal acts."
He continued, "It's sickening to watch, it's frustrating to watch. It's like we're all being forced to play a game that has no rules. They all just make up the rules as they go along. We see these videos, in which we clearly see one of our fellow Americans executed by ICE and they won't even admit that it was a mistake."
Good for Jimmy. Lastly, Eboni Boykin-Patterson (THE DAILY BEAST) reports:
Andy Cohen is calling out ICE for the killing of nurse Alex Pretti, whom the TV host and Real Housewives producer said Monday night was “murdered in broad daylight.”
Cohen took a break from his Watch What Happens Live! show to address “the horrific events unfolding in Minneapolis.” He has been vocal about his political stances over the years, endorsing Kamala Harris in 2024 and defending his decision to speak out about politics. The ICE killings of Pretti, as well as the 37-year-old mom of three, Renée Good, have prompted a handful of celebrities to denounce Donald Trump’s deployment of the deportation agents in Minneapolis.
“Pretti was holding his iPhone, exercising his constitutional right to protest, when he was murdered in broad daylight by ICE officials,” Cohen said during the show. “He was a licensed gun owner with a gun that was not drawn.”
Good for Andy. Good for everyone with a platform using it to try to save the country.
Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"
Wednesday, January 28, 2026. The murder of Alex Pretti continues to impact the national conversation.
On MEIDASTOUCH NEWS this morning, Ben explains the blame game various Republicans are playing: Kristi Noem blames Stephen Miller blames Border Patrol and Greg Bovino while MAGA Republican state officials are attacking Stephen Miller's ugly wife Katie who is attacking Florida state senator Ileana Garcia who then attacks Stephen Miller and tells Katie how she's happy to come on Katie's podcast to discuss Stephen's racism and . . .
They're all trying to evade responsibility for the murder of Alex Pretti.
That's people talking about how wonderful Alex was. How he helped them.
It's a far cry from the lies this administration -- the killers -- have tried to smear him with.
J.D. Wolf (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) reports:
Facts have never mattered to Stephen Miller. Nor to anyone else in Chump's administration including Chump himself Madeleine Ngo, Alexandra Berzon and Hamed Aleaziz (NEW YORK TIMES) report:
A preliminary review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s internal watchdog office found that Alex Pretti was shot by two federal officers after resisting arrest, but did not indicate that he brandished a weapon during the encounter, according to an email sent to Congress and reviewed by The New York Times.
The review makes no mention of the Department of Homeland Security’s earlier claims that Mr. Pretti, a U.S. citizen, “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Shortly after the shooting, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, claimed that Mr. Pretti had been “brandishing” a gun.
Officials had provided no evidence to back up the claim, which was contradicted by witness videos.
The initial review by C.B.P., which deployed more than 1,000 officers and agents to support the enforcement operation in Minnesota, represents the first official written assessment of Saturday’s shooting since administration officials rushed to blame Mr. Pretti.
All of the administration's lies begin to fall apart. The brutality of BP and ICE's actions, the murder of an American citizen has led to a new climate. Carl Hulse (NYT) notes:
Demands for independent investigations. Scheduled oversight hearings. Overtures for proposed concessions to avert a government shutdown.
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis, Republicans in Congress have starkly shifted their tone on the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, offering some of the strongest and most pointed criticism of the administration since the start of President Trump’s second term and conceding that something must change.
Mr. Pretti’s killing over the weekend had drawn notable pushback from a small but significant group of G.O.P. lawmakers even before Mr. Trump switched rhetorical gears, distancing himself from his administration’s smears of Mr. Pretti and installing a new commander to oversee his deportation push in Minnesota.
But for a much broader group of Republicans who have been reluctant to challenge Mr. Trump or even gently criticize him, the president’s messaging pivot appeared to have provided license to air grave concerns about what happened in Minneapolis and the backlash it had generated among much of the American public.
The outrage has multiplied and even some Republicans have had enough. While the bulk of Republicans in Congress try to figure out where they stand, Democratic leaders are already staking out their ground. Travis Gettys (RAW STORY) notes:
House Democrats gave President Donald Trump an ultimatum to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for the "killing spree" she has overseen.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and his top deputies issued a warning Tuesday to the 79-year-old president to hold Noem accountable for the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis and other abuses in the administration's immigration enforcement surge, reported Axios.
"Taxpayer dollars are being weaponized by the Trump administration to kill American citizens, brutalize communities and violently target immigrant families," the letter to Trump read.
The Democrats told Trump that dramatic changes were necessary at DHS and threatened to impeach Noem if she was not fired.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's office issued the following yesterday:
Providence, RI – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today released the following statement opposing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill and calling on Senate Republicans to separate the DHS funding bill from the full appropriations package:
“The Trump administration has empowered masked goons who terrorize American citizens, undermine local law enforcement, and lie to the American people about constitutional violations. Everyone knows the DHS funding bill needs work, and I will not vote for it as it’s currently written. Senate Republicans should separate the DHS bill, like the House did, so we can pass all other appropriations and fund the government.”
Press Contact
And this is from Senator Maria Cantwell's office:
EDMONDS, WA – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released this statement regarding today’s fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis by federal agents.
“President Trump has crossed the line. Americans will not stand for masked, armed troops roaming their neighborhoods. ICE is not trained in this capacity and should not be on streets. This incident should be investigated immediately and not politicized by the President.”
But as Aaron Parnas reports, it's even Republicans calling for the departure of Kristi Noem.
Among the elected Republicans publicly questioning the false narratives from Kristi and other administration liars? Stef W. Kight (AXIOS) notes:
"I am deeply troubled by the shootings in Minneapolis involving federal agents," Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) posted on Monday.
- "Our Constitution provides citizens protection from the government. We have a right to free speech, to peaceably assemble and to bear arms," Moran continued.
- "I
would encourage the administration to be more measured, to recognize
the tragedy, and to say, we don't want anyone's lives to be lost," Sen.
Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters.
- "I support a full and transparent investigation into the tragic event in Minneapolis," Sen. Todd. Young (R-Ind.) said in a statement. "Congress has requested testimony from ICE, CBP, and USCIS leaders in an open hearing, and they should testify soon."
- This builds on other GOP statements from over the weekend — such as from Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.), Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
While politicians may be rethinking some of ICE's tactics, ICE itself continues to terrorize the American people. Zach Buchanan (PHOENIX NEW TIMES) reports on ICE in Arizona this week:
Monday afternoon, federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations raided several Zipps Sports Grill locations across the Valley. Though it’s unknown what prompted the investigation — the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said only that agents were executing several warrants — the raids drew protests at several Zipps locations from residents fed up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Arizona. HSI is a division of ICE.
The raid at the Zipps at Park Central in midtown Phoenix drew roughly 200 protesters and observers, including Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari. And the raid at the Zipps at 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard attracted roughly 50 protesters. Video provided to Phoenix New Times by one of those observers — who asked not to be identified — showed the final minutes of the raid before federal agents left the restaurant.
As agents left in a series of cars and trucks heading south down 32nd Street, the video shows, an agent doused the protesters in pepper-spray through the passenger window of a departing vehicle. Several protesters were hit by the spray, and at least one protester fell to the ground in pain as others rushed to find her water and a towel.
It’s not clear what justification, if any, the agent had for deploying a chemical irritant against the protesters. Video shows the protesters had confined themselves to the sidewalk and were not impeding the agents from departing in their vehicles, which were parked on 32nd Street. Though one protester appeared to toss an empty water bottle at one of the cars as they drove off, it harmlessly bounced off the vehicle in front one carrying the agent who maced the protesters.
And Hannah Broughton (THE MIRROR) reports:
New footage of ICE agents appearing to threaten journalists in Minneapolis has surfaced on social media, just as the reporters in question are driving down a street in their car.
In the footage the journalists seemingly subjected to the verbal attack are from the Italian news agency Radiotelevisione italiana (RAI), Italy’s national public broadcasting company owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
In the video, one of them says, “ICE is approaching our vehicle. No, I’m not rolling my window down. I’m not doing anything wrong, I’m just driving around my community.” “Press, we are press,” says the other journalist.
The ICE agents can be heard telling both women, “We’re going to break out your window and extract you from the vehicle,” before saying again, “This is the only warning, if you keep following us, we will break your window, and we will pull you out of the vehicle.” It comes as Kri
Also attacking female journalists is, once again, Donald Chump. Lee Moran (HUFFINTON POST) reports:
Donald Trump on Tuesday turned to his tried and trusted tactic of attacking a female reporter who’d just asked him an uncomfortable question.
ABC News’ Rachel Scott, during Trump’s visit to the Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa, tried to ask the president if he agreed with the “domestic terrorist” description that White House officials had disparagingly given to Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse who was killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis over the weekend.
But Trump cut her off.
“By the way, this is ABC fake news, this one,” said Trump, drawing laughs and whoops from those inside the eatery.
“She hasn’t asked me a good question in years. I think a nice woman, but I don’t really like her too much,” the president continued.
Scott
tried to repeat the question but Trump ignored her, waved her away and
turned to take a different query from another journalist.
He then quipped: “I’d say ABC is about as bad as they get.”
As they say, the fish rots from the head.
The following sites updated:
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