Barack Obama publicly states support for anti-ICE demonstrators in Minneapolis | Barack Obama
Barack Obama publicly supported demonstrators in Minneapolis to stand against the “unprecedented nature” of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Minnesota.
speaking in a way report On Saturday, the former president sat down with progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen to discuss the power U.S. citizens have in defending the values they believe in and his hopes for the next generation of American leaders.
“The reason I say the majority of the American people do not approve of this is because ultimately the answer will come from the American people,” he said. “We just saw this in Minnesota, in Minneapolis.”
“It’s important for us to recognize the unprecedented nature of what ICE is doing in Minneapolis, St. Paul, the way federal agents, ICE agents, without any clear direction, without any training, removing people from their homes, using five-year-olds to ensnare their parents, all the things that we saw, the way they were tear gassing the crowd that was just standing there without violating any law,” he added.
Minnesota’s Twin Cities region has been the scene of ongoing anti-immigration enforcement protests. These demonstrations expanded following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.
But this week, U.S. border czar Tom Homan said the Trump administration would ease its crackdown on immigrants in Minnesota after an initial escalation of killings by immigration agents. Many people see the decision to withdraw as proof that the protests were successful in sending a message.
“We’re being tested right now, and the good news is that what we saw in Minneapolis and St. Paul and all over the country, including Los Angeles, was that the American people said no,” Obama said. “At least a majority of Americans say we will live by the values we say we believe in.”
“As long as we have people doing this, I feel like we’ll get through this,” he added.
Obama, along with former First Lady Michelle Obama, called the killing of Alex Pretti a “heartbreaking tragedy” and “a wake-up call for every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under attack.”
One expression In a report released last month, the Obamas said federal law enforcement and immigration officials were not operating legally or accountable in Minnesota. They said the tactics employed by ICE and other federal agents appeared “designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city.”
