As the midterms approach, Trumps politics of force are reshaping both foreign policy and domestic policing, writesJames May.

ITS A DRAMATIC start to 2026 for the Trump Administration. Early this month, it launched amilitary incursion in Venezuelaand ousted dictatorNicols Maduro. He was hauled to New York City to stand trial for allegedly trafficking narcotics to the United States.

Tensions have alsosubsided in Iranafter weeks of deadly protests and the brutal killing of thousands of citizens.Donald Trumpdared to intervene and bring the slaughter to an end, but it was just bluster from the President.

Trump denounced both regimes as brutal, self-serving and corrupt. This is clearly true, but Donald Trump and his authoritarian government are far from perfect.

In the United States, more than3,000Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) agents have rampaged through Minnesota, detaining scores of migrants and killing an unarmed woman,Renee Good, by shooting her three times at close range.

Donald Trumps second presidency has stripped away the pretence, revealing how fragile democracy becomes when power is exercised without restraint.

The Trump Administration refused to take responsibility for her death or remove I.C.E. agents from the state. Instead, they deployed hundreds more troops and inflamed a dangerous situation.

Since the murder of Renee Good, an I.C.E. agent shot aVenezuelan nationalat a traffic stop in Minneapolis, andtwo migrantswere also shot by border control agents in Portland, Oregon.

The Trump Administration has doubled down with Department of Homeland Security secretaryKristi Noemcalling Renee Good a domestic terrorist and White House press secretaryKaroline Leavittreferring to protesters as left-wing agitators.

Donald Trump claims that protesters in Minneapolis are high-paid professionals and threatened to invoke theInsurrection Act of 1807if MayorJacob Freyand Governor of MinnesotaTim Walzdont bring the situation under control.

This announcement comes from a man who led aninsurrectionagainst the democratically-elected Biden Government on 6 January 2021.

The truth is, most protesters are not high-paid professionals or left-wing extremists. They are citizens of Minnesota who are concerned about I.C.E. invading their communities and using violence to detain migrants many of whom are law-abiding members of society.

It's not the first time I.C.E. has rampaged through U.S. cities. They were also deployed during operationMidway Blitzin Chicago in 2025. Large-scale raids were carried out and tear gas was used against protesters, which led to injuries and deaths.

By seizing a sitting head of state, Washington has replaced international law with a doctrine of unilateral reach.

The same calamity unfolded inLos Angeles. Once again, widespread raids occurred in migrant districts, but many citizens were caught in the mayhem. A war of words erupted between Governor of CaliforniaGavin Newsomand the Trump Administration, which accused him of losing control of law and orderin the city.

I.C.E. agents were also deployed inWashington DCin 2025 when Trump declared a crime emergency, even though MayorMuriel Bowserand city officials vehemently disagreed. They said hostile tactics like street patrols and checkpoints were used to detain large numbers of migrants without criminal records.

Many observers are concerned about the power of I.C.E. to patrol the streets of U.S. cities. They hold grave concerns about the ability of poorly-trained, masked individuals to detain migrants for no legal reason and harm U.S. citizens without impunity.

Their fears are well-founded, with Vice PresidentJD Vancelashing out at the media for maligning I.C.E. and the work they do on behalf of the Trump Administration. HecalledRenee Good a deranged leftist who died in a tragedy of her own making.His remarks fly in the face ofvideo evidencethat shows a scared woman trying to flee the scene.

White House deputy chief of staff and Homeland Security adviserStephen Millerhas emboldened I.C.E. agents in Minneapolis since the death of Renee Good:

By kidnapping a foreign leader, the Trump Administration has stripped the West of any credibility on international law.

Staggering sums of moneyhave been poured into anti-immigration operations andI.C.E. agentsare being recruited in vast numbers with generous remuneration. The Trump Administration vowed to deportone millionmigrants each year and its fierce warrior, Stephen Miller, will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

TheU.S. midtermsare in November, and some observers are concerned that I.C.E. agents and federal troops could be used to intimidate and discourage people from voting. This is possible with theTrump Administrationlagging in the polls and most Americans disapproving of its anti-immigration raids.

Donald Trumpsaidin an address to House Republicans at the Kennedy Centre, now known as the Trump-Kennedy Centre:

The comment highlights his focus on himself and his presidency, rather than the welfare of his constituents.

Donald Trump is not concerned about Iranians, Venezuelans or the people of Greenland. Hes not concerned about Palestinians or Ukrainians. He doesnt care about the human rights of U.S. citizens either. He is exercising power for his own wealth and gain. He uses hollow words like peace and security and liberating the oppressed abroad to conceal his corrupt, selfish agenda. His administration is heartless and cruel and his MAGA militia is a bunch of thugs imposing his will on the American people.

James Mayis a freelance writer and his work has appeared inThe Guardian,The Age,The Sydney Morning HeraldandCanberra Times.

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