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Yves here. There is a troubling increase in the actions of armed federal officers endowed with arrest and detention authority, and the situation appears poised to deteriorate further. Judge Napolitano recently recounted a disturbing incident where an acquaintance was asked by police for proof of identity. Despite presenting a REAL ID driver’s license, the officers demanded a Social Security card and passport, which the individual did not possess. This demand served as the rationale for detaining him, highlighting an alarming trend in law enforcement practices.
An excerpt from Judge’s latest column… out tomorrow…
“These are dark days in America. A popular young man is publicly murdered on national media because of his articulate expression of his political views. Two state legislators are murdered in the middle of the night in… pic.twitter.com/0FHg5MTqPx
— Judge Napolitano (@Judgenap) September 17, 2025
Update: Below is the Judge Napolitano segment in question. The specific details can be found starting at 2:10:
Larry Johnson: Trump Duped by His Own Advisors. https://t.co/n3swD0SPX1
— Judge Napolitano (@Judgenap) October 6, 2025
Returning to the initial discussion:
We are also witnessing unsettling coincidences, such as the following:
JFC!
This judge had previously issued rulings that obstructed the Trump administration, causing considerable backlash from Trump and Miller. Just yesterday, Miller lashed out, claiming that the judiciary was shielding terrorism and called for its dismantling. The very next day, this judge’s home was damaged in an explosion… https://t.co/aNxA8vto5V pic.twitter.com/nuYF8O6veV
— Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) October 5, 2025
Regrettably, we can expect the conditions to worsen before any improvements are seen.
By Julia Conley, staff writer at Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams
An account presented in court on Monday by the attorney representing a woman shot multiple times by a Border Patrol agent suggests that the agent might have deliberately targeted an anti-ICE protester in Chicago. This perspective implicates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a cover-up, as agents have recently intensified their aggressive raids and assaults on community members in the Chicago area.
Christopher Parente, the attorney for Marimar Martinez, spoke at a federal hearing just two days after federal officers alleged that she had driven toward them in the Brighton Park neighborhood. The body camera footage raised significant doubts about the federal prosecutors’ account, as it revealed a Border Patrol agent urging Martinez with the words, “Do something, bitch,” before he shot her at least five times.
“We need a zero-tolerance policy for dishonesty among law enforcement,” stated Jonathan Cohn, political director of Progressive Mass.
Well I’ll be gosh darned, looks like those rascals lied to us againhttps://t.co/VKUxgVZcWz https://t.co/7bgnHxS7NL pic.twitter.com/QXq8kvMkqa
— Laura Jedeed (@LauraJedeed) October 7, 2025
Martinez and another individual, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, faced charges on Sunday for felony assault of a federal officer, with prosecutors claiming they were driving “aggressively” in a convoy of vehicles. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that DHS’s statement about the incident mentioned a loaded gun found in Martinez’s vehicle, which did not appear in the filed charges.
During the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hennessy informed U.S. District Judge Heather McShain that Martinez had a gun in her vehicle but had not threatened anyone with it. Parente clarified that she possesses a concealed-carry license and was in compliance with firearm regulations.
A security camera video from a nearby tire shop depicted Martinez’s Nissan Rogue coming alongside a Chevy Tahoe operated by Border Patrol agents who had recently conducted an operation in Oak Lawn. A GMC Envoy driven by Ruiz was seen closely trailing the authorities’ vehicle, although the shooting was not captured on video.
Judge McShain acknowledged the potential threat posed by Martinez and Ruiz’s actions but denied the federal government’s request to detain them pending trial, citing the lack of prior criminal history and solid community connections of the two U.S. citizens. Martinez is employed at a school and has received multiple character reference letters submitted to the court.
“There may be a danger to the community, but I don’t believe it lies with Ms. Martinez,” Parente argued.
Approximately 100 community members gathered in protest of the shooting on Saturday, during which federal agents responded by deploying pepper balls and tear gas against the demonstrators.
The Brighton Park shooting is part of a broader pattern of violent confrontations involving federal agents in the Chicago area, escalated by President Donald Trump’s deployment of immigration officers in what he refers to as “Operation Midway Blitz.” Over the past weekend, Trump announced the mobilization of hundreds of National Guard members from Illinois and beyond to support this initiative, even as rights organizations and Democratic Governor JB Pritzker voiced their opposition.
Despite assertions from the president and his allies regarding the necessity of federal law enforcement in cities like Chicago, Portland, and Washington, DC, data indicates that violent crime rates have declined in these areas. Local authorities continue to refute claims that protesters against Trump’s mass deportation strategy are instigating disruption.
On Monday, officials from both Chicago and Illinois filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its incursion into the city, while a separate lawsuit from a coalition of protesters and journalists argued that federal agents have “shot, gassed, and detained individuals” simply for exercising their First Amendment rights.
