this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2026
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Amid unprecedented backlash against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, California Gov. Gavin Newsom—considered a leading contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination—is being accused of giving the increasingly violent agency a pass after an interview with right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro in which he softened his criticism of ICE.

In recent days, following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother of three Renee Good last week in Minneapolis, officers of ICE and other federal agencies have been documented engaging in blatant racial profiling, unconstitutional “citizenship checks,” and extreme uses of physical force, including dragging a disabled US citizen from her car on the way to a doctor’s appointment, as the Associated Press reported Friday.

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[–] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Cripes, this is like, easy-mode. The way to push back without giving them a soundbite is dead simple:

Our ICE officers obviously are not terrorists.

Reply: "Is it obvious? What distinguishes the way they act from terrorists, Ben?"

[–] Insekticus@aussie.zone 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Goes to show how out-of-touch from reality these major political parties are. It's just not sustainable when the backbone of any and every economy (the human worker who toils day after day) isn't able to survive the crushing pressure from the elites (paying huge taxes while the elite find loopholes for paying their fair share; the economic disease from their corruption; privatised gains and socialised losses for the elites' business ventures)

And Every. Single. Bloody. Time. it ends in mass violent revolution. The so-called "geniuses" that own the extreme majority of the world's wealth really have no fucking clue what theyre doing and what the consequences of their selfish and short-sighted actions are.

[–] bagsy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

The rich don't think past the next quarter. Besides, whats a doomsday bunker cost, $10 or $20 mill? That's pocket change to a billionaire. Everyone of them thinks they are 100% safe from the unwashed masses, even though they probably have a mexican lady cleaning their house and making their meals.

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Progressives and anyone left of progressives need to very loudly let the establishment know that we absolutely will not vote for Newsom in either a primary, or a general election. The establishment is getting ready to anoint this fucking goblin.

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They don’t care. They are only listening to their donors again lol

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ultimately they need to dupe voters into picking their candidates. Voters in general have proven to be easy to manipulate, but grass roots efforts aren't hopeless. Just look at Mamdani. The donor's choice doesn't always prevail.

I despise this kind of low effort cynicism.

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 3 points 1 month ago

It’s not cynicism to point out that the DNC and Gavin Newsom specifically are ignoring voters and only listening to their donors….

It’s just a fact.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Tell that to the people who think voting doesn't matter. As many people can say it as loudly as they want; if they don't vote in the primaries then they shouldn't be surprised when it doesn't turn out the way they want.

Leftists boycotting elections is part of the reason we're in this mess.

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Absolutely. We have to counter the Democratic bullhorn telling voters that "Trump" is the problem. I do think the current weakness of the Democratic responses to Trump is providing us with a great opportunity. I'm advocating that we take full advantage to convince Democratic voters that the current Democratic establishment must go.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 month ago

I'm in favor of replacing the establishment DNC, but that can only happen incrementally and by voting more progressives into office.

Electing Mamdani is a good start: it shows that DemSocs are electable. Now let's build on that progress by showing that they can be elected outside of major metropolitan areas.

The Democratic Party isn't going to court the progressive vote unless they realize that progressives will actually turn out in sufficient numbers to win elections.

If only moderate Dems reliably turn out for elections, then the DNC is going to continue catering to the center.

Leftists need to remember realpolitik and pragmatism.

[–] harmbugler@piefed.social 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Ben, what is terrorism?

terrorism /tĕr′ə-rĭz″əm/

noun

  1. The use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political goals.
  2. The act of terrorizing, or state of being terrorized; a mode of government by terror or intimidation.
  3. The practise of coercing governments to accede to political demands by committing violence on civilian targets; any similar use of violence to achieve goals.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

The third one is what people usually mean, but the Trump administration is waist deep in the first two.

I believe federal law defines terrorism as an act of violence intended to scare a group of people, or to influence politics. It was something that came up in the discussion of whether the shooting of Healthcare guy was terrorism or not

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Isn't this the same guy that "outlawed" being homeless?

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

More people need to see this shit. This fucker is just Fetterman but in California. The moment he gets into a federal position he will be voting to his interests, which he clearly outlines are conservative and pro ICE. The only thing he has done is troll Trump on twitter, and then capitulate like the coward he is. Fuck Gavin Newsome.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Newsom then boasted that there have been “over 10,000” deportations he’s cooperated with since he became governor of California. Though he emphasized that the sanctuary law only allows for the state’s correctional facilities to cooperate with ICE, advocates have criticized it for allowing the deportation of those who were never convicted and those who’ve had their cases dropped.

“California has cooperated with more ICE transfers, probably, than any other state in the country,” he continued. “I vetoed multiple pieces of legislation that have come from my legislature to stop the ability for the state of California to do that.”

Newsom has indeed vetoed at least two pieces of Democratic legislation that sought to further limit the state’s cooperation with ICE—one in 2023, which would have repealed requirements allowing prisons to transfer noncitizens to ICE custody after they leave prison, and another in 2019, which would have banned private security companies from entering California prisons to transfer people to ICE custody.