The other day, I was out and bumped into a stranger who noticed my “I stand with Immigrants” pin on my jacket. He wanted to share an experience he’d had that morning which upset him deeply.
He had dropped his wife off at work at a suburban public elementary school in the Minneapolis area. There were ICE agents beginning to stage for when students and parents in cars and buses began showing up for class. They called the police and I have no idea what became of it.
I’m just saddened that this is what our country has become. That federal ICE agents and the president of the United States of America think it is ok to target Democratic-led states with these types of tactics, and our Republican elected officials in Washington think it’s fine to send masked, armed, unbadged, unidentifiable men to profile American citizens and harass or intimidate our children, teachers, and parents at an elementary school of all places. It is beyond comprehension for me. 
Do I believe immigrants, along with white American citizens, who have committed serious crimes should pay the price? Of course I do. However, this is not the way to accomplish this and Washington needs to do a better job. The beginning of our Constitution reads: “We the people of the United States, In order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure Domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to our-selves and our Prosperity.”
What is happening in our country now is not forming a more perfect Union in my opinion. We are being led by a psychotic, racist, and extremely dangerous person incapable of telling the truth and having a Republican-led House and Senate unwilling to be our elected checks and balances for our government as laid out in our constitution. This is causing chaos and undermining our democracy.
2026 needs to be a pivotal year for the U.S. House and Senate. This Congress has proven over and over again this past year that they are not up for the job.
Mike Ptak
Tower