Lee Williams Kolker
@leewmskolker.bsky.social
#Writer. #SFF. Daydreamer. Scone baker. Love landscapes & history of the American West. Science and spirituality. Late, late, late to the #ADHD party.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
The anxiety is understandable. The escalation is less so. As Jamelle says, ICE lacks the manpower—and, based on recent performance, the competence—to do this. Panic is doing more work than the facts. If we want to respond to real election-subversion threats, we should start with what’s plausible.
let's say the president wants to suppress the vote in detroit. assuming a conventional 20 soldiers for every 1000 civilians ration, he would need more than 12,000 ICE agents — more than double the current number of field officers — to occupy detroit and only detroit, a city of 630,000 people
imho people are focusing on the words "cancel the midterms" and saying uh actually a president cannot do that at the expense of what they would actually try to do, ie send troops/ice into liberal cities to suppress the vote
January 21, 2026 at 1:44 AM
The anxiety is understandable. The escalation is less so. As Jamelle says, ICE lacks the manpower—and, based on recent performance, the competence—to do this. Panic is doing more work than the facts. If we want to respond to real election-subversion threats, we should start with what’s plausible.
Beautiful.
January 20, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Beautiful.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
This is an excellent explainer. 👀 quote: “In rough terms, the workforce of CBP officers and Border Patrol agents commit crimes at an equal or even greater rate PER CAPITA than the population of undocumented immigrants do in the United States.”
If you are appalled at the tactics of ICE and CBP, you should be! They in fact are *NOT* trained for the work they're doing in America's interior right now—and they're scared of interacting with US citizens. That's a recipe for the exact disaster we see: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-101-ho...
"ICE 101" — How Trump changed ICE and CBP into a fascist secret police
ICE and CBP are fatally flawed products of the post-9/11 War on Terror — now Trump has weaponized those very flaws to occupy America.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
January 20, 2026 at 7:27 PM
This is an excellent explainer. 👀 quote: “In rough terms, the workforce of CBP officers and Border Patrol agents commit crimes at an equal or even greater rate PER CAPITA than the population of undocumented immigrants do in the United States.”
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
THE WOMAN WHO WAS DRAGGED OUT OF HER CAR AND ARRESTED BY ICE SPEAKS OUT…
We’ve all seen the videos, but it matters to hear Aliya Rahman say it herself.
📌 She says her treatment in custody was dehumanizing, and that officers completely failed to take her disability seriously.
We’ve all seen the videos, but it matters to hear Aliya Rahman say it herself.
📌 She says her treatment in custody was dehumanizing, and that officers completely failed to take her disability seriously.
January 20, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
“When even one person stops performing… the illusion begins to crack. Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down.”
— Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney opens Davos remarks with very clear shot at Trump
— Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney opens Davos remarks with very clear shot at Trump
January 20, 2026 at 7:54 PM
“When even one person stops performing… the illusion begins to crack. Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down.”
— Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney opens Davos remarks with very clear shot at Trump
— Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney opens Davos remarks with very clear shot at Trump
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
Never forget that billionaires spend billions to convince you that voting doesn't matter. Don't help them. Voting isn't the ONLY thing we can do, but it is the most powerful check on the executive. "Don't bother voting because there'll be no free elections" is oligarch propaganda.
January 19, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Never forget that billionaires spend billions to convince you that voting doesn't matter. Don't help them. Voting isn't the ONLY thing we can do, but it is the most powerful check on the executive. "Don't bother voting because there'll be no free elections" is oligarch propaganda.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
How big is Greenland?
Its so big it covers up 99% of the Epstein files.
Its so big it covers up 99% of the Epstein files.
January 20, 2026 at 1:32 AM
How big is Greenland?
Its so big it covers up 99% of the Epstein files.
Its so big it covers up 99% of the Epstein files.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
fwiw this is the kind of stuff that is going to get us through, not playing rambo
Minneapolis and Saint Paul have basically mobilized into a war economy of mutual aid and non-violent defense. I’ve never seen anything like it, even during Covid. People who barely vote are guarding their schools from ICE and doing the shopping for neighbors in hiding.
This is so smart. I’m so impressed with all the different ways you’re helping your neighbors.
January 20, 2026 at 1:34 AM
fwiw this is the kind of stuff that is going to get us through, not playing rambo
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
For those saying “oh but the cabinet are all sycophants.” Yes. We know.
It’s called PRESSURE. You pressure the system until something gives. Micro cracks in the wall until some bricks start to come loose.
It’s called PRESSURE. You pressure the system until something gives. Micro cracks in the wall until some bricks start to come loose.
The 25th Amendment must be invoked by the cabinet. I’m all for pressuring them. Congressional Dems should lead the charge. Not on Bluesky or Threads. Let’s do it.
Invoke the 25th Amendment.
January 19, 2026 at 10:58 PM
For those saying “oh but the cabinet are all sycophants.” Yes. We know.
It’s called PRESSURE. You pressure the system until something gives. Micro cracks in the wall until some bricks start to come loose.
It’s called PRESSURE. You pressure the system until something gives. Micro cracks in the wall until some bricks start to come loose.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
It's not just the St. Paul Doubletree.
The Intercontinental in downtown St Paul is also shutting for now.
According to the Pioneer Press, they're both operated by an indigenous tribe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
FYI, ICE has been arresting Native Americans.
www.twincities.com/2026/01/18/h...
The Intercontinental in downtown St Paul is also shutting for now.
According to the Pioneer Press, they're both operated by an indigenous tribe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
FYI, ICE has been arresting Native Americans.
www.twincities.com/2026/01/18/h...
January 19, 2026 at 12:58 AM
It's not just the St. Paul Doubletree.
The Intercontinental in downtown St Paul is also shutting for now.
According to the Pioneer Press, they're both operated by an indigenous tribe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
FYI, ICE has been arresting Native Americans.
www.twincities.com/2026/01/18/h...
The Intercontinental in downtown St Paul is also shutting for now.
According to the Pioneer Press, they're both operated by an indigenous tribe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
FYI, ICE has been arresting Native Americans.
www.twincities.com/2026/01/18/h...
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
“Kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, secure people never go Nazi….But the frustrated and humiliated intellectual, the rich and scared speculator, the spoiled son, the labor tyrant, the fellow who has achieved success by smelling out the wind of success—they would all go Nazi in a crisis.” — D. Thompson*
Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino marches through Minneapolis surrounded by federal agents, shouting at American citizens.
This isn’t about deporting “the worst of the worst.” It’s about deliberately sowing fear and chaos in cities that oppose the Trump regime
ht: @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social
This isn’t about deporting “the worst of the worst.” It’s about deliberately sowing fear and chaos in cities that oppose the Trump regime
ht: @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 4:21 AM
“Kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, secure people never go Nazi….But the frustrated and humiliated intellectual, the rich and scared speculator, the spoiled son, the labor tyrant, the fellow who has achieved success by smelling out the wind of success—they would all go Nazi in a crisis.” — D. Thompson*
This is no way to have to live.
this is what it has come to for Mexican restaurants in the Twin Cities
January 19, 2026 at 4:40 AM
This is no way to have to live.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
You don't need to liken what happened to Renee good to what happened to Jews in Germany.
You have to liken it to what your ancestors did to Black people here about 150 years ago because guess who the Nazis learned from? YOUR FOREBEARS.
For fucks sake.
You have to liken it to what your ancestors did to Black people here about 150 years ago because guess who the Nazis learned from? YOUR FOREBEARS.
For fucks sake.
January 18, 2026 at 7:17 PM
You don't need to liken what happened to Renee good to what happened to Jews in Germany.
You have to liken it to what your ancestors did to Black people here about 150 years ago because guess who the Nazis learned from? YOUR FOREBEARS.
For fucks sake.
You have to liken it to what your ancestors did to Black people here about 150 years ago because guess who the Nazis learned from? YOUR FOREBEARS.
For fucks sake.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
The same Democratic Party insisting that we can "fix" ICE by giving it more years of billions of dollars believes we can "fix" the cops, the fossil fuel industry, and the utility industry the same way. It's all the same logic that protects them while killing us.
January 18, 2026 at 7:08 PM
The same Democratic Party insisting that we can "fix" ICE by giving it more years of billions of dollars believes we can "fix" the cops, the fossil fuel industry, and the utility industry the same way. It's all the same logic that protects them while killing us.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
January 18, 2026 at 1:14 AM
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
The admin aims to limit authority to “unleash energy dominance...This proposed rule is the next step in ensuring that states and tribes only utilize section 401 for its statutory purpose to protect water quality and not as a weapon to shut down projects.” 🌎🧪
insideclimatenews.org/news/1401202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/1401202...
New EPA Proposal Would Strip States’ and Tribes’ Authority to Block Oil and Gas Pipelines, Other Infrastructure Projects - Inside Climate News
Environmental advocates warn the changes deprive states and tribes of their rights and weaken freshwater-quality protections.
insideclimatenews.org
January 14, 2026 at 5:33 PM
The admin aims to limit authority to “unleash energy dominance...This proposed rule is the next step in ensuring that states and tribes only utilize section 401 for its statutory purpose to protect water quality and not as a weapon to shut down projects.” 🌎🧪
insideclimatenews.org/news/1401202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/1401202...
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
Nothing threatens authoritarian regimes more than act of nonviolent protest — people standing together, choosing empathy and courage, and refusing to be afraid.
January 17, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Nothing threatens authoritarian regimes more than act of nonviolent protest — people standing together, choosing empathy and courage, and refusing to be afraid.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
She is an expert on authoritarian regimes, in case you're wondering whether peaceful protests matter.
January 18, 2026 at 1:53 AM
She is an expert on authoritarian regimes, in case you're wondering whether peaceful protests matter.
This is the light and bright side of humanity. Gives me hope.
"Neighbors in neon vests dot the neighborhood... Information-sharing networks have been built. Residents have connected with non-profits and churches to deliver food to people who are locked in their homes out of fear. Resistance signs are everywhere..."
www.liberalcurrents.com/so-hows-the-...
www.liberalcurrents.com/so-hows-the-...
So, How’s the Occupation Going for You?
What’s it like to live in America with a domestic military occupation? Minnesota has the answer.
www.liberalcurrents.com
January 17, 2026 at 11:49 PM
This is the light and bright side of humanity. Gives me hope.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
Native Americans protested in Minneapolis today after the ICE abducted four Oglala Sioux Tribal Members. Three of them are still missing. (1/17|26)
January 17, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Native Americans protested in Minneapolis today after the ICE abducted four Oglala Sioux Tribal Members. Three of them are still missing. (1/17|26)
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
A large crowd took to a 2-mile stretch of beach in Alameda on Saturday with a defiant message to President Trump: “Hands off” to a variety of things they consider untouchable, including the Constitution, the immigrant community and their bodies.
Read more → www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
Read more → www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
January 17, 2026 at 11:40 PM
A large crowd took to a 2-mile stretch of beach in Alameda on Saturday with a defiant message to President Trump: “Hands off” to a variety of things they consider untouchable, including the Constitution, the immigrant community and their bodies.
Read more → www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
Read more → www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
Talked to a Somali man today who said his mosque last night was surrounded by neighbors ready to protect them against ICE if needed. Made me feel proud to live in this city.
January 17, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Talked to a Somali man today who said his mosque last night was surrounded by neighbors ready to protect them against ICE if needed. Made me feel proud to live in this city.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
Breaking news: The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation alleging that they are impeding federal law enforcement officers’ abilities to do their jobs in the state.
Justice Dept. launches criminal investigation of Minnesota governor
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation into impeding law enforcement.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 16, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
Reposted by Lee Williams Kolker
Example No. 5,345,677 why it’s a fool’s errand to ever, ever, ever try to accommodate or attempt to be reasonable with Donald Trump. Stand up to him and he’ll cave, because bullies are cowards at heart. Give an inch and he’ll take everything. This is not hard.
Breaking: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are being investigated by the Trump DOJ for allegedly obstructing law enforcement activities, two U.S. officials told WCCO.
It's unclear how Walz and Frey allegedly obstructed law enforcement or what they were allegedly obstructing.
It's unclear how Walz and Frey allegedly obstructed law enforcement or what they were allegedly obstructing.
Department of Justice investigating Gov. Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Frey, U.S. officials say
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are under federal investigation, two U.S. officials told WCCO on Friday afternoon.
www.cbsnews.com
January 17, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Example No. 5,345,677 why it’s a fool’s errand to ever, ever, ever try to accommodate or attempt to be reasonable with Donald Trump. Stand up to him and he’ll cave, because bullies are cowards at heart. Give an inch and he’ll take everything. This is not hard.