It does not matter which city hosts the latest round of “anti-ICE protests”—Portland, Minneapolis, Newark, or anywhere else. Across the country, encampments form, supplies accumulate, and organized demonstrations escalate with little effective intervention. These activities, often backed by activist networks with foreign ties and communist ideological alignments, have become a recurring feature of the political landscape.
Screen shot from @NickSortor’s coverage on the ground at Delaney Hall
The pattern is familiar. Governments at various levels stand by as tents go up and logistics solidify. Violent outbursts echo tactics long associated with destabilization efforts abroad—operations in which U.S. intelligence agencies like the CIA have historically played roles in foreign countries. While direct CIA involvement in today's domestic unrest remains unknown, the operational similarities are hard to ignore for observers tracking the sequence of events.
This is now well into the second Trump administration. By late May 2026, roughly 496 days have passed since the January 20, 2025 inauguration. The administration has had ample time to identify, monitor, and disrupt these networks through existing legal authorities at DHS, FBI, and DOJ. Instead, actions have often appeared incremental or reactive. The result? Reports of the White House applying the brakes on mass deportation goals amid sustained resistance.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin entered his role with relatively muted Democratic opposition. Confirmed by the Senate in March 2026, his installation was portrayed by some as a pragmatic move. In hindsight, the lack of fierce pushback may reflect calculations that the department's enforcement posture would face internal or external constraints regardless of leadership. Recent protests outside facilities like Newark's Delaney Hall highlight ongoing friction between federal operations and local activism.
“Protests” marked the first President Trump term. They have returned—and intensified—in the second. Encampments, clashes, and disruptions are persistant throughout the President’s time in the White House. Yet the visible chaos undermines the narrative of decisive governance.
For the Republican Party, midterms won’t be kind to them. Voters have limited patience for repeated claims of being the "party of law and order" when images of unchecked encampments and recurring violence dominate news cycles. There is only so much tolerance for explanations before accountability sets in. Promising enforcement while delivering qualified results erodes credibility.
Screen shot from @NickSortor’s coverage on the ground at Delaney Hall
This is a difficult reality—a "black pill," in internet parlance. But acknowledgment is the prerequisite for course correction. Effective immigration enforcement requires not just policy announcements but sustained operational resolve against both illegal presence and the organized efforts to obstruct it. Foreign-funded agitation, tolerated domestic disruption, and hesitation at the highest levels send a message: resistance works.