Minneapolis ICE killings expose global pattern of militarized enforcement | PennLive letters
Feb. 22, 2026
Ikram Mezghani, Derry Township, Pa.
Americans pushing back against aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis are finally confronting a truth long familiar to many oppressed communities: unchecked state power has devastating consequences.
The recent killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti have sparked outrage. But for Black, Indigenous, Brown, and immigrant communities, this reality has existed for decades. These deaths join those of George Floyd, Philando Castile, Daunte Wright, and Amir Locke, whose killings were framed as “necessary” or unavoidable, revealing systemic patterns of criminalization and lethal force.
Palestinians have long drawn parallels between such violence and the oppression they endure under Israeli occupation. In both contexts, lethal force is justified as a “threat,” official narratives often contradict video evidence, medical care is delayed or denied, and entire communities are criminalized.
Militarized tactics—surveillance, intimidation, and lethal enforcement—normalize control, whether in Minneapolis or occupied Palestine. U.S. federal forces, including ICE in Minnesota, have participated in exchange programs with Israeli forces, exporting occupation-style policing, U.S. federal forces, including ICE in Minnesota, have participated in exchange programs with Israeli forces, exporting occupation-style policing—a practice that many human rights organizations have documented and condemned... READ MORE https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2026/02/minneapolis-ice-killings-expose-global-pattern-of-militarized-enforcement-pennlive-letters.html?gift=c0483009-a974-43ac-b156-c70e16689e30