By Douglas V. Gibbs
The Founding Fathers recognized that sometimes, protests get violent. So, in the First Amendment, they proposed and ratified, “Congress shall make no law…abridging…the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” In other words, peaceful protests are legal. Violent protests are not.
Immigration law is a federal authority, so executing immigration law is a legal action by federal officers. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution indicates that the militia may be used to execute the law, so having the National Guard present to assist is also constitutional and legal. So, ICE operating in the cities, and the National Guard accompanying ICE is legal.
Peaceful protests are legal. But, the moment they get violent, as per the First Amendment, the line of legality has been crossed.
In Minneapolis, when rioters began blocking ICE officers, it became an illegal protest. The moment one of those rioters weaponized her vehicle and attempted to run over law enforcement officers in an attempt to harm them, the use of deadly force became necessary and legal.
As a result of attempting to hit officers with her vehicle, a ICE protester was shot and killed after the vehicle made contact with an officer. The Department of Homeland Security says the officer acted in self-defense.
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are claiming, after “seeing the video,” that the Department of Homeland Security is lying, and that they want federal ICE officers out of Minnesota. While I believe in state sovereignty over state issues, and that the federal government has no business operating in a state regarding many issues, when it comes to federal law that is constitutionally authorized, state leadership has no choice but to allow the federal government to operate in their state and execute legal constitutionally authorized federal law.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
