Deadline: White House “The power of grassroots pushback”
Feb 2, 2026
Tim Miller, political analyst and podcaster who reads GOP shifts; Ruth Ben-Ghiat, historian of authoritarianism; Isaac Stanley-Becker, Atlantic reporter on Minneapolis. They discuss daily street mobilization in freezing temperatures. They cover federal agents' expanded arrest powers, videos of confrontations, boycotts pressuring corporations, legal pushback freeing detainees, and how images of detained children reshape national politics.
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Observer Dragged In St. Peter Video
- Minnesota Public Radio obtained video of federal agents drawing guns and dragging an observer in St. Peter, Minnesota.
- Local police intervened to stop the agents from detaining the observer, marking a rare local pushback.
Local Activism Sparks National Movement
- Tens of thousands have signed up as ICE observers in Minneapolis, turning local resistance into a national movement.
- Activists are leveraging pressure campaigns on Minnesota-based companies like Target to amplify impact.
Local Police Caught Between Federal Pressure And Public Safety
- Isaac Stanley-Becker reports federal agents outnumber local police and create surging calls for service.
- Chiefs face a dilemma between protecting residents and being unable to arrest federal agents enforcing immigration rules.
