The illegal immigrant who claimed to have been nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while buying diapers — and whose sob story fueled an anti-ICE hunger strike in a detention center — was actually taken into ICE custody after being arrested for a violent domestic assault, The Daily Wire has learned.
Gabriela Soto claimed that her husband, Martin Soto, 31, of Peru, &#8220;was abducted&#8221; by ICE and that he was &#8220;a loving father, husband, son, church member, worker&#8221; when he was taken to Delaney Hall, an ICE detention facility. Media outlets ran with the story as the hunger strike carried on, leading to weeks of violent riots outside the facility.
But a police report and sources who spoke with The Daily Wire tell a very different story.
Martin Soto &#8220;purposely&#8221; caused &#8220;bodily injury&#8221; to an unnamed female victim &#8220;specifically by using his hands, both opened and closed to strike&#8221; her &#8220;in her face, causing minor scratches and cuts to her face and neck,&#8221; a copy of the police report obtained by the Oversight Project and shared with The Daily Wire reads.
Soto then allegedly &#8220;placed a hand over&#8221; her &#8220;mouth so she could not scream for help,&#8221; according to the report.
After her husband&#8217;s arrest, Gabriela Soto led protests outside Delaney Hall for days in May and June, claiming that the conditions inside were inhumane and that the stress would cause her to miscarry.
&#8220;Martin has committed no harm,&#8221; Gabriela — whose <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/migracion-zfvvz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> for her husband that has raised more than $67,000 — wrote in a column last month.
Scott Mechkowski, a visiting fellow for deportation studies at the Oversight Project, told The Daily Wire that her entire story unraveled after a police report surfaced showing that Martin was actually arrested by local police for a domestic assault.
&#8220;The public was told a good man was grabbed by ICE while buying diapers. The record says he was arrested by Kearny police, handed to Hudson County, taken into ICE custody, and detained at Delaney Hall while charged with assaulting the very woman who then made him a headline,&#8221; Mechkowski, who formerly served as the ICE New York field office deputy director, said.
The Daily Wire could not immediately confirm the identity of the assault victim.
&#8220;This is the pattern: a sympathetic claim built to go viral, while the facts sit unread in a file. Delaney Hall was inspected and cleared, its officers branded jailers of the innocent on stories that collapse the moment you check the record. This is one example; there are many,&#8221; he added.
Martin Soto crossed the Arizona border illegally in January 2024 and was processed to be deported immediately under what&#8217;s known as expedited removal, law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire. He was allowed to stay after he presented a fear of returning to his home country and was released from custody by April 2024.
Police in Kearny, New Jersey, arrested Soto on February 1, 2026, for simple assault stemming from a domestic violence incident, according to records obtained by The Daily Wire. ICE officers paid a visit to the Hudson County Correctional Center on February 2, whereupon they swiftly took Soto into custody.
While leading a May protest aimed at blocking ICE vans from driving in and out of the facility, Gabriela <a href="https://www.nj.com/hudson/2026/02/father-picked-up-by-ice-while-buying-diapers-for-his-kids.html?outputType=amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NJ.com that she started the protest &#8220;to close Delaney Hall and free every detainee&#8221; inside the facility, claiming that her husband was being retaliated against for her activism.
“If I have a miscarriage because of this pressure, I will sue them,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I am tired of them controlling the situation. He is in that van. I saw him resisting to get in the van; they forced him in there, two big ass guards. He was handcuffed. They were trying to move him.&#8221;
Media outlets largely embraced Martin and Gabriela Soto as sympathetic figures, accepting without question Gabriela&#8217;s account of Martin&#8217;s arrest. She claimed that she &#8220;suddenly got a phone call from a number listed as &#8216;prison/jail'&#8221; on February 1, &#8220;after Martin stepped out to get diapers for our 11-month-old son.&#8221;
&#8220;My heart dropped,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;When I answered, I was terrified about what had happened. As soon as the call ended, I raced over to Delaney Hall to get some answers. A guard there told me Martin was in &#8216;good hands&#8217; and once he was processed, he would be able to see me during visiting hours. I was relieved to hear he was safe, but when I started hearing about the conditions inside Delaney — rotten food, medical neglect, and more — I began to doubt the guard’s words.&#8221;
In fact, at that time, her husband was still in local custody after having been arrested in Kearny for the domestic incident. He was only later moved to Delaney Hall, where inmates who claimed to be &#8220;starving&#8221; during their hunger strike were actually purchasing snacks — including sushi and clams — from the commissary, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-delaney-hall-detainees-on-hunger-strike-are-downing-clams-and-sushi">reported</a>.

ICE agents and immigration activists clash outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey

Anti-ICE Hunger Strike Leader’s Sob Story Unravels As Details Of Domestic Violence Arrest Surface

Crime

Delaney Hall

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Protests

Anti-Trump protesters have descended upon cities across the country on a fairly regular basis for planned “No Kings” events, but on President Donald Trump’s birthday, they opted to ditch the nationwide protests in favor of a nationwide sing-along. 
Groups gathered at preplanned &#8220;No Kings&#8221; watch parties that were designed as counterprogramming to Trump’s UFC fight on the White House lawn. The event was <a href="https://www.nokings.org/">called</a> “Rise Up, Sing Out,” and protesters chanted and sang songs together as part of the demonstration. 
The watch party was the fourth nationwide event organized by the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; movement. While it did not draw the nationwide participation seen at previous demonstrations, the two primary gatherings in New York City and Washington, D.C still attracted sizeable crowds.
The &#8220;No Kings&#8221; movement hosted a concert at Manhattan’s Town Hall, which was streamed all over the country. The concert featured performances and appearances from Bette Midler, Patti Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Sasha Allen, Joy Reid, and others. A traditional &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protest was also held in Washington, D.C., though attendance appeared significantly lower than at the movement’s previous demonstration.
Actor Robert De Niro <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/de-niro-says-he-cant-love-america-compares-country-abusive-husband">delivered</a> one of the evening’s most notable remarks, saying he could not support the country while Trump remained in office. “I can’t love a country that’s led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant,” De Niro said. “And let me just say it: I can’t love the country that’s led by Donald Trump.”
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Anti-Trump “No Kings” protesters are screaming at fans heading into UFC 250 <a href="https://x.com/ufc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ufc</a> at the White House.
Ironically, none of these clowns could answer <a href="https://x.com/TheCharlesDowns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheCharlesDowns</a> when he asked them:
“How is Trump a king if he’s letting you protest right outside his house on his birthday?”… <a href="https://t.co/a0SlzwEVrJ">pic.twitter.com/a0SlzwEVrJ</a>
— Loomer Unleashed (@LoomerUnleashed) <a href="https://x.com/LoomerUnleashed/status/2066239828694278567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
During past interviews at &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rallies, The Daily Wire encountered protesters wishing for the president’s death, with one calling the movement the “Big Beautiful Obituary.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Unhinged &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protester with 8647 on her sign tells <a href="https://x.com/breccastoll?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@breccastoll</a> she&#8217;s waiting for Trump to die:
Protester: &#8220;I&#8217;m just waiting for the Big Beautiful Obituary&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/breccastoll?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@breccastoll</a>: &#8220;When do you think that will happen?&#8221;
Protester: &#8220;Sooner than later!&#8221; *Evil Laugh* <a href="https://t.co/OkAYn3eBAJ">pic.twitter.com/OkAYn3eBAJ</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/2038060654297251973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
With America’s 250th birthday fast approaching, organizers in the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; movement have claimed that “the next 250 starts with us.” The organization has not yet publicly announced any plans — either for celebrations or protests — around the 250th anniversary of the United States.

No Kings Protests Across The US Rally Against Donald Trump

After Three Protests, ‘No Kings’ Activists Try New Approach On Trump’s Birthday

Donald Trump

Politics

Jerome Winston Parker, a black supporter of convicted killer Karmelo Anthony who recently went viral for taunting a white Austin Metcalf supporter outside the Collin County Courthouse, was arrested this week on an outstanding warrant for unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to records obtained by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/man-viral-karmelo-anthony-courthouse-confrontation-arrested-murder-trial">Fox News</a>.
Parker became a widely discussed figure during the murder trial after videos circulated online showing him confronting supporters of Metcalf, the 17-year-old whom Anthony was convicted of killing.
One of the most highly circulated clips showed Parker arguing with an older white man outside the courthouse. During the confrontation, Parker <a href="https://theshaderoom.com/jerome-parker-winston-weapon-karmelo-anthony-protest-viral-video-shade-room/">accused</a> the man of harassing a black woman and being homophobic while repeatedly challenging him and attempting to provoke a response. 
In one widely shared <a href="https://x.com/JLRINVESTIGATES/status/2064684087139279245">video,</a> Parker is seen shouting, dancing, and taunting the man from inches away. 
 
“You ain’t gonna do sh*t, I’m dancing! You ain’t gonna do sh*t, I’m dancing!” Parker repeated while the man remained largely unmoved.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
This was CRAZY! I filmed this yesterday outside the Karmelo Anthony trial. What do you think? <a href="https://t.co/ESHpU3T9Mq">pic.twitter.com/ESHpU3T9Mq</a>
— JLR© (@JLRINVESTIGATES) <a href="https://x.com/JLRINVESTIGATES/status/2064684087139279245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

According to Fox News, Parker was first investigated on June 6 after an alleged unlawful carrying of a weapon incident in the courthouse parking lot during activities related to the trial proceedings. He was arrested on June 9 on the outstanding warrant. His bond was set at $1,000.  

Parker was not the only person arrested outside the courthouse during the highly publicized proceedings. 
Sholdon Daniels, who was a Republican nominee for Texas’ 30th Congressional District before he lost in the May 26 primary, was also arrested on a charge of public intoxication. Daniels, who is black, argued with several Anthony supporters, saying Anthony &#8220;murdered that kid.&#8221;
Video from <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/karmelo-anthony-trial-collin-county-courthouse-arrests-sholdon-daniels">Fox News 4</a> showed Daniels being detained after a confrontation in the courthouse parking lot. During the incident, Daniels appeared to argue with members of the crowd before officers placed him in handcuffs.
Daniels later addressed the arrest on X, <a href="https://x.com/SholdonDaniels/status/2064968608044757122">criticizing</a> delays in the jail release process after bond has been posted.
“One lesson I’ve learned from our criminal justice system: posting bond and actually getting released are often two very different things,” Daniels wrote. “People routinely spend hours in jail after bond has already been approved because agencies are still relying on manual processes, duplicate paperwork, and outdated technology.”
“Texas should establish a statewide digital release system that electronically verifies bonds, notifies the jail instantly, and tracks release times.”
Anthony, 19, was convicted of murdering Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. He has appealed the case.

ANTHONY TRIAL DAY 7_2026_0609

Viral Karmelo Anthony Supporter’s Week Gets Worse

arrest

Karmelo Anthony

Protesters

Protestors

Texas

This piece is part of MI x DW, a collaboration that brings Daily Wire readers exclusive commentary and research from the Manhattan Institute’s world-class team of scholars.
***
States are cracking down on illegal demonstrations, and radicals are panicking. Earlier this year, Utah enacted HB 331, which took several steps to enhance criminal penalties for crimes currently classified as misdemeanors. Arizona is close to sending a similar bill to the governor’s desk. These bills draw on a concept called “civil terrorism,” which I coined in early 2025 and have fleshed out since then, including in <a href="https://manhattan.institute/article/model-legislation-an-act-to-combat-civil-terrorism?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=mi">model legislation</a> developed alongside my colleagues at the Manhattan Institute.
Civil terrorism refers to the weaponization of “minor” crimes to intimidate or coerce law-abiding citizens into taking a political position. The best way to understand it is to consider its most common manifestation. Radical groups block a road en masse, chanting about their environmentalist, economic, or geopolitical views. They communicate to trapped drivers that no trip to the airport, their jobs, or their families will be spared from the threat of future disruption until some policy changes are made. Rather than persuading their fellow citizens to support the change, they threaten to make life miserable until enough people cry uncle and acquiesce.
That is not how we communicate or settle political questions in our democratic system. We have robust First Amendment rights that allow us to channel strong, offensive, or controversial opinions into peaceable arguments — including in public spaces. But the First Amendment has never allowed people to shut down all other elements of American life so that some group can express itself with maximal ruthless effectiveness. We have laws that prohibit disorderly conduct, vandalism, trespassing, and more. And if those laws fail to deter repeat offenders or treat the minor crime of road-blocking by one person — a nuisance, not a menace — the same as road-blocking by 15 people, they should be updated. That is what civil terrorism laws do.
Most Americans grasp this intuitively and recognize that civil terrorism laws present no First Amendment problem. Yet some organizations and media outlets seem invested in pretending otherwise. A recent attempted hit piece against me and the Manhattan Institute in <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-manhattan-institute-helped-kill-dei-now-its-coming-for-protests/">WIRED</a> made some classic moves in trying to argue that civil terrorism laws are somehow violations of the First Amendment’s speech protections. It made some classic errors and employed some recurring misdirection, which is worth addressing.
The piece&#8217;s subheader is self-refuting. It says that civil terrorism laws would “increase[e] penalties for minor crimes committed while people engage in constitutionally protected free speech.” If people are committing minor crimes, however, the fact that they are engaged in some expressive behavior is constitutionally irrelevant. There is no get-out-of-jail-free card for yelling about a political issue while you do something illegal.
What is a “minor” crime, anyway? Just because something is classified as a misdemeanor now does not make it inherently unimportant — certainly not deserving of First Amendment protection, as if it were almost legal. Civil terrorists exploit the fact that some crimes are treated with kid gloves and hardly prosecuted. They violate precisely those laws in creatively destructive ways, knowing that they will face minimal consequences and can return to breaking the law repeatedly.
Their sympathizers, like the author of the WIRED article, often emphasize that such lawbreaking is “nonviolent.” That’s a red herring. Many laws prohibit nonviolent actions because “violent” and “illegal” are not synonyms. Our laws protect against behaviors that erode the social fabric, such as subjecting thousands of people to needless traffic to make a political point. Americans have an interest in clean, functional, orderly public spaces, which is why vandalism can be prohibited — and treated as a serious crime when its message threatens further disruption or even violence.
<h2><a href="https://manhattan.institute/subscribe?utm_source=DailyWire&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=reihan">Click here for more Manhattan Institute content.</a></h2>
Another common criticism is that civil terrorism stigmatizes protest by labeling some demonstrators as terrorists. But these laws don’t label individuals “terrorists” as a pejorative or put them on a list. Civil terrorism simply describes the application of terrorist logic through less-violent means: We will continue to make your life miserable until you adopt our political position. Doing that with guns and bombs is violent terrorism. Doing it with other unlawful actions is still dangerous. More importantly, highlighting the logic of terrorism at play alerts lawmakers and our fellow citizens that the disruptions won’t stop if we ignore them. To the contrary, civil terrorists regularly vow to “escalate.” Our policy response has to be a crackdown, rather than a backdown.
Fretting about the invocation of terrorism or emphasizing the irrelevant (and arguable) element of nonviolence is a good sign that these critics don’t have much to go on. Frivolous First Amendment arguments attempting to extend constitutional protection to obviously illegal behavior shows that beyond all doubt. States have every right to ensure that their streets aren’t surrendered to radicals who only care about the Constitution when they can wield it in bad faith against law-abiding Americans. The movement to put civil terrorists in prison, investigate their organizers, and ensure that public spaces belong to the public again is gaining steam — and it is taking flak because it is over the target.
***
Tal Fortgang is a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

TOPSHOT-US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING

Stop Tolerating Civil Terrorists Masquerading As First Amendment Warriors

Civil Terrorism

First Amendment

MI x DW

Political Violence

Today is May Day, and we begin hot with nationwide protests in our schools. This shouldn’t come as a surprise — the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of political events. From the assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, there is no shortage of political controversy.
What is May Day, you might ask? For months, teachers&#8217; unions and high-profile left-wing nonprofits have <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/a-may-day-2026-host-toolkit-includes-training-information-for-a-coordinated-day-of-action-and-promotes-tactics-such-as-a-school-walk-in-nea-provided-1-7m-in-funding-to-organization-involved/">geared</a> up for mass mobilizations and boycotts to honor the socialist holy day and to flex their political power. Part of the preparation <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/a-sunrise-movement-training-guidebook-calls-for-students-to-take-action-monthly-to-disrupt-business-as-usual-to-bring-about-a-political-revolution/">efforts include</a> training and organizing children to engage in <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/k-12-student-walkout-and-protest-tracker/">school walkouts</a> and protests.
While left-wing activism is not new itself, what is relatively new is the degree to which the education system has been corrupted to engineer new generations to activists. These May Day protests are a feature, a byproduct really, of an education system steeped in radical ideologies designed to mobilize far-left activism and a “<a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/newly-obtained-slides-from-a-sunrise-movement-membership-meeting-calls-for-a-political-revolution-that-includes-the-need-to-structurally-change-the-foundations-of-this-country-to-achieve-eco/">political revolution</a>.”
Nor are these protests the end. They are an opening act for what the professional agitators and activists intend to be an ongoing affair leading up to the 2028 elections. K-12 schools are strategic collateral damage.
This pattern is visible in the series of <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/k-12-student-walkout-and-protest-tracker/">student walkouts</a> since January, many of which focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Less visible to the public, however, is the role of the <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/nea-president-becky-pringle-joins-sunrise-movements-roadmap-to-political-revolution-event-series/">teachers&#8217; unions</a> and <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/group-messages-and-training-documents-suggest-k-12-student-ice-protests-in-minnesota-may-be-organized-by-the-sunrise-movement-and-its-members-including-a-current-ivy-league-student-with-ties-to-past/">nonprofit allies</a> in these protests.
For American children, the learning experience is a constant barrage of heavily lopsided <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/minnesota-eighth-graders-shown-videos-of-ice-arrests-and-alleged-harassment-of-u-s-citizens-principal-says-its-part-of-state-geography-standards/">political messaging</a> meant to train the youngest kids to see the world through a <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/politics/critical-competency-consciousness/2023/12/07/id/1145144/">warped oppressor-oppressed</a> framing and to engage in action or activism to stop the perceived “injustice.”
Whether through <a href="https://web.ped.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/K12ParentandFamilySocialStudiesGuides.pdf">state standards</a> and guidance, such as New Mexico Public Education Department’s Social Studies “<a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/new-mexico-education-documents-for-high-school-history-and-ethnic-studies-include-climate-change-intersectionality-and-january-6-insurrection-content/">Instructional Scope</a>” or <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/liberated-k-12-liberated-ethnic-studies-industrial-complex/">ethnic studies</a> courses, students are being conditioned to be political actors from the <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Liberated-Ethnic-Studies-Model-Curriculum-What-is-Normal_-Slides-presentation-Gr-Pk-2.pdf">earliest ages</a>.
For example, a free <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/liberated-universities-landing-page/">lesson</a> produced by the University of Minnesota’s &#8220;Ethnic Studies Initiative” teaches sixth-grade students about the Black Lives Matter movement through the creation of “protest art.” The middle school students are then required to produce their own social justice protest art.
Such indoctrination is not only reserved for ethnic studies. It has permeated into our school system through Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) <a href="https://defendinged.org/resources/sel101/">programming</a>.
SEL is no less a political tool than ethnic studies. In 2019, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) <a href="https://www.aft.org/ae/summer2021/jagers_skoog-hoffman_barthelus_schlund">mainstreamed</a> “transformative” SEL, which integrates anti-racism and <a href="https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/research-evaluation/youth-organizing-and-transformative-sel">activism</a> into its framework.
Second Step, a popular SEL company that utilizes CASEL’s platform, went further and <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-28-at-4.17.30-PM.png">aligned</a> its curriculum with Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards, focusing specifically on action and activism. Learning for Justice is a program of the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-grand-jury-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-wire-fraud-false-statements-and">Southern Poverty Law Center</a> (SPLC).
As students, teachers&#8217; unions, and left-wing activist organizations take to the streets this May Day to champion policies and an ideology that the majority of Americans reject, the public needs to understand that this is the starting gun, not the finish line.
Left-wing actors desperately want a “political revolution” and have no problem using other people&#8217;s children to achieve their goals. They have no issue turning the K-12 education system into a far-left activist pipeline. What we’re seeing now is just the beginning.
* * *
Rhyen Staley is a researcher for Defending Education. He holds a master&#8217;s degree in elementary education and has over a decade of classroom experience in both public and private schools. He has over 25 years of coaching experience from junior high to Division I.

May Day Workers Rally

Teachers’ Unions Celebrate Socialist Holy Day

DW Opinion

Leftists

Public Schools

Students

Teachers Unions

Teenagers

Thousands of activists, union members, and left-wing organizers are mobilizing across the country Friday for sweeping May Day demonstrations, with organizers calling for an “economic blackout” aimed at disrupting daily life.
More than 3,000 events are expected nationwide — more than double last year’s total — under the banner of “May Day Strong,” a coalition that includes labor unions, immigration groups, and political organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America. The coordinated effort centers on a simple directive: “No School. No Work. No Shopping.”
Organizers say the goal is to flex collective economic power. “We’re really trying to actually start organizing people to see that the power that we collectively have to do economic disruption is really the power that we need in this moment,” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/may-day-economic-blackout">said</a> Neidi Dominguez, executive director of Organized Power in Numbers.
In New York City, demonstrators including Amazon workers and Teamsters marched from the public library toward corporate offices, demanding the company sever ties with federal immigration enforcement. In Washington, D.C., activists blocked intersections, carrying signs reading: “WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES” and “HEALTHCARE NOT WARFARE.”
Across the country, similar scenes are expected to unfold in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis, with rallies, walkouts, and block parties planned throughout the day.
The demonstrations are not limited to labor issues, as many of the same groups planning these protests are the same that organize the “No Kings” series of protests. Organizers have tied the labor movement to a broader set of political demands, including abolishing ICE, opposing U.S. military actions abroad, expanding voting access, and raising taxes on high earners.
“This includes unions, nonprofit groups, grassroots groups and faith groups,” said Pedro Trujillo of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. “We’re bringing back that energy of shutting it down.”
In Chicago, major unions, including the Chicago Teachers Union, have backed a citywide “day of civic action,” with leadership framing the protests as part of a broader ideological fight. “This is about building a more popular united front,” said union president Stacy Davis Gates. Teachers and students are playing a visible role in the demonstrations. In North Carolina, at least 15 school districts gave educators the day off to participate in rallies, while student organizers across multiple states coordinated walkouts.
Some organizers have been explicit about their long-term goal: a nationwide general strike. While such strikes have been heavily restricted under federal law since the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, union leaders have floated plans to align contracts in an effort to enable mass work stoppages in the coming years.
Despite the fresh coat of paint, the May Day Strong demonstrations bear much of the same activist infrastructure behind earlier anti-Trump mobilizations. Groups like Indivisible and the Democratic Socialists of America — both heavily involved in the “No Kings” protests — are again helping drive turnout, messaging, and coordination. The overlap suggests these are less an organic eruption of worker-led activism and more a repackaging to project momentum rather than reflect it.
Critics argue the one-day boycott is unlikely to have meaningful economic impact, and could instead hurt smaller businesses. Economist Peter Morici dismissed the effort as largely symbolic. “If you&#8217;re talking about non-perishable activities, like going to the movies, you&#8217;ll go see the same movie on Saturday,” Morici <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/may-day-protests-take-place-friday-agitators-across-us-push-workers-billionaires-motto">said to Fox</a>. “It&#8217;s not a hit on the billionaires.”
He added that shifting consumer behavior for a single day may simply redistribute spending rather than reduce it. “Somebody will go to store B instead of store A,” he said.
May Day itself has a long and contentious history. Originating in the late 19th century as a labor movement demonstration tied to the push for an eight-hour workday, the holiday later became closely associated with socialist and Marxist movements worldwide, particularly after the Russian Revolution.
In the United States, early May Day demonstrations turned violent, most notably during the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, where clashes between anarchists and police left multiple people dead and sparked a national controversy that still reverberates today.
Modern organizers have embraced that legacy as they attempt to tap into large-scale labor activism in the U.S. “When the billionaires break every rule, it’s going to take more than a rally to stop them,” the May Day Strong&#8217;s <a href="https://maydaystrong.org/">website reads</a>. Leah Greenberg of Indivisible described the effort as a test run for more aggressive tactics. “We are asking people to take a step into further exerting their power in all aspects of their lives,” she said, calling the blackout a “structure test” for future actions.
Whether Friday’s demonstrations remain peaceful or escalate into broader disruption remains to be seen. Organizers have made clear, however, that they view this year’s protests not as an endpoint, but as a stepping stone toward more sustained and coordinated economic action.

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May Day Protests Take Up The Left-Wing Pet Project Mantle From ‘No Kings’

No Kings

Social Issues

I don’t usually bother with celebrity news because I like to think my audience is too smart and sophisticated for that. But of course, that’s ridiculous. I mean, look at you. So today, we’re going to catch up on the shenanigans of the famous, rich, and powerful, because it’s degrading and wastes precious moments of our lives, and that’s what <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/andrew-klavan?elementPosition=6&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Hosts&amp;rowType=Hosts+Portrait+Carousel">The Andrew Klavan Show</a> is all about.
So let’s get started.
According to the Daily Mail, Byron Noem, the husband of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, has been secretly posting pictures of himself online wearing women’s hot pink underwear and enormous fake breasts. Kristi Noem said she was absolutely devastated to discover her husband was a Democrat, but she did feel that this might explain how she could sleep with Corey Lewandowski and consider it an upgrade. President Trump said he felt sorry for the Noem family, although he congratulated Byron on having such a nice rack.
Champion philanderer Tiger Woods, while apparently under the influence of drugs and alcohol, rolled his car over, after clipping a truck. Woods told police his life was full of so much sex and success and money that only abusing substances could keep him from sinking into despair. He was charged with three counts of driving while being an ungrateful schmuck.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/andrew-klavan?elementPosition=6&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Hosts&amp;rowType=Hosts+Portrait+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974735 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Shapely, semi-attractive Australian actress Milly Alcock has been cast to star in the $300 million DC studio film &#8220;Supergirl.&#8221; Alcock told Vanity Fair that the role “definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on. We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies.” 
The comment won Alcock the coveted Rachel Zegler award — a bronze statuette of a mouth without a brain attached, that is given to the shapely, semi-attractive actress most likely to tank a studio’s investment while under the delusion that people want to hear her opinions. Medical experts say this delusion is often brought on by men telling women they are interested in their opinions and women thinking that means men are interested in their opinions.
Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen and Jane Fonda were among the thousands of doddering old white people who shuffled out to the latest &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rallies, which must’ve been held to celebrate the fact that we have no kings, because otherwise they just don’t make any sense. De Niro and Springsteen got together to reminisce about how they made millions of dollars by simply saying a meaningless phrase over and over again, like “You talking to me?” or “Born in the USA.” Springsteen said he could not believe that Boomers had been gullible enough to pay them for doing something so monotonous, but it gave him hope that Boomers might also be stupid enough to take the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rallies seriously.
Black, gay, transgender actor Billy Porter was also at a &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rally, where he complained that black, gay, transgender actors are having a hard time finding work because — Donald Trump. Personally, I find this story kind of confusing. I mean, if you’re transgender and gay, isn’t that the same as being straight? Like, Billy Porter is a man who thinks he’s a woman, but he’s gay, so he’s a woman attracted to other women, so he’s really just a man who’s attracted to women. In which case, it seems possible the reason Billy Porter can’t find work isn’t because Donald Trump but because Billy Porter is an irritating no-talent.
Finally, Lindsey Graham and the rest of the Senate got to go on vacation to rest up after grueling weeks of doing absolutely nothing. Graham was later photographed wandering around Disney World’s Fantasyland with a Little Mermaid Bubble Wand. Lest anyone get the impression Graham is a sad old queen who wanders around Fantasyland with a bubble wand, the senator immediately issued a macho photograph of himself firing a shotgun. The Little Mermaid’s slug-riddled body was subsequently found in a pool of her own bubbles.
Fantasyland Police are still searching for Graham and, in fact, for the rest of the Senate, hoping to bring them back to Washington D.C. where they can pass intelligent, useful legislation. Because this is Fantasyland.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-That-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries/dp/1613166869/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGZUC370LG46&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y_NI0mDOKeowShheDQTVx5NH-fAeimJoCD56_T0Acpl8C0mup7uJf-nGGSRLEItaaekoDnvS2vWLMa4Zd2UBXQ8Y-g-P502jOWz-Y8IX3ZQsdlO7WMLrg1xIhNoKmjCorSWUR4C2l_RbiZ7apJ1MfPzGOrrEf7AdAXX6xwnJRVP_XqUfWuMuVthTWscaU3P4vgmS86-96n-721enHfX12CFQWTajqFbVnrsDkexfUf4.6_gTH6h1Bb9Pn375QdF_VAVZSayDvjQBBKGXE-MTiFo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=klavan&amp;qid=1754049918&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C80&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After That, The Dark,</a> is NOW AVAILABLE. Follow him on X: <a href="https://x.com/andrewklavan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@andrewklavan</a>.

Klavan springsteen de niro

Celebrity Culture Just Handed Us A Few More Reasons To Roll Our Eyes

Andrew Klavan

Bruce Springsteen

Celebrities

Moon

NASA

Outer Space

Robert de Niro

Satire

Space

Eight million people just took to the streets to stop a king who does not exist.
They say they are protesting tyranny. But if you look at who&#8217;s actually holding the megaphone — and more importantly, who&#8217;s signing the checks — this grassroots movement starts looking a lot less grassroots and a lot more like a sophisticated and coordinated operation by Hollywood elites and radical activists having public meltdowns demanding labor militancy. 
The real story isn&#8217;t the useful idiots on the streets. It&#8217;s the apparent $3 billion web of funding tied to a tech tycoon living in Shanghai and a wedding-turned-mysterious summit in Jamaica. 
Who are these shadowy figures funding the chaos? Why are America&#8217;s enemies cheering from the sidelines?
These people are not turning out because they suddenly oppose centralized government. You think Democrats are anti-centralized government? Against a bigger federal government run by the executive branch?
No way.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2398-sub?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Presidents Obama and Biden radically expanded the power of the executive branch. Funny, there were no protests then.
They&#8217;re also not turning out in the streets because they oppose an intervention such as what&#8217;s going on in Iran or because they oppose tyrants. They were fine with Barack Obama&#8217;s interventions in Libya, Syria, and in the drone wars. They were totally fine with Joe Biden&#8217;s funding of the war in Ukraine.
They&#8217;re not anti-tyranny, the “No Kings” people; they&#8217;re perfectly pro-tyranny in foreign countries, and they tolerate their friends’ tyranny at home.
We all know the real reason: A lot of people hate President Trump, and they hate the American system.
How do they get this many people organized?
A lot of money. Where exactly is that money coming from?
Fox News <a href="https://www.wfmd.com/2026/03/28/500-groups-with-3b-in-revenues-are-behind-the-nokings-protests-and-communist-call-for-revolution/#:~:text=A%20network%20of%20about%20500,a%20Fox%20Digital%20News%20investigation.">reported</a>:
<blockquote>A network of about 500 groups with an estimated $3 billion in combined annual revenues is behind the coordinated nationwide “No Kings” protest Saturday, including communist groups who are using the day to call for a “revolution,” according to a Fox Digital News investigation. 
According to a copy of the permit for the “flagship” march in St. Paul, Minn., Indivisible, a national well-heeled Democratic political advocacy organization funded by billionaire George Soros, is the lead coordinator for the protest.
But Fox News Digital has also identified key participation by a network of radical socialist and communist organizations funded by Neville Roy Singham, an American tech tycoon and avowed communist living in China.
Over nearly a decade, Singham has financed a constellation of activist institutions that promote revolutionary socialist politics and frequently collaborate in protest campaigns, including the People’s Forum in New York, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition and CodePink, whose co-founder Jodie Evans is married to Singham. These groups work closely with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.</blockquote>
So there’s a communist living in China who is funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into various protest groups.
Fox News also <a href="https://www.wfmd.com/2026/03/23/power-couple-of-chaos-how-a-tycoon-and-activist-built-a-revolutionary-base-at-the-house-of-singham/#:~:text=A%20monthslong%20Fox%20News%20Digital,a%20superpower%20through%20economic%20programs">noted</a>:
<blockquote>As far-left American activists flood Cuba to support its flailing communist regime, U.S. officials have opened a sprawling investigation into an anti-America, pro-China nonprofit network forged during a wedding celebration in late February 2017, off Runaway Bay on Jamaica’s northern coast.
There, beneath a canopy of palm trees, an elite cadre of activists, intellectuals, celebrities, political organizers and comrades in a global Marxist-Leninist-Maoist movement assembled to celebrate the “Revolutionary Love” of two luminaries, both 62 at the time: Neville Roy Singham, an American-born tech tycoon living in Shanghai, and Jodie Evans, a red-haired veteran activist and co-founder of CodePink Women for Peace.
Like the opening scene of “The Godfather,” where powerful families consolidate power, the wedding celebration was about much more than the union of two people.
Over four days of dancing, lectures and late-night conversations in venues from the Flavor Beach Bar to Sharkey’s Seafood, celebrating the bond of “Roy and Jodie,” alliances were formed that would shape protests, unrest and political agitation over the next decade, from the fiery 2020 scenes in Minneapolis to demonstrations today supporting the regimes in Cuba and Iran.</blockquote>
Apparently, Singham has pushed some $278 million into organizations that sow discord in the United States.
None of these protests are innocent. They are not happening by accident. It takes an awful lot of money to make this magic happen.
Singham said in 2025: “If we want to therefore have a new world order that is based on multilateralism that President XI and CPC and China have proposed, we have to undo the ideological damage that has been done by the narrative of World War II. &#8230; China has a very important role, and we in this forum have a very important role, that to envision a new multi-polarity order requires that, quite frankly, this deconstruction or restoration, a history of what really happened.”
He said there should be a multipolar world order with China and Russia as leading forces and that we need to rewrite the history of World War II in order to achieve this new world order.
Outside forces are trying to destroy America — and President Trump.
And it’s our job to make sure that does not happen.

‘No Kings’ Rallies — Paid For By A King

Ben Shapiro

China

Communism

Democrats

George Soros

Socialists

As numerous &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rallies popped up across the United States, several signs and costumes prompted immediate ridicule — but perhaps none so much as the woman from Durham, North Carolina, who dressed in full 18th century garb and called on protesters to &#8220;give them 1789 France.&#8221;
The woman, apparently dressed as beheaded French aristocrat Marie Antoinette, wore a blonde wig styled in the traditional pouf and fake blood dripped over her pearl necklace. The only two things out of place were her sunglasses and the sign she held, which read, &#8220;They want 1939 Germany. Let&#8217;s give them 1789 France.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Spotted at a No Kings protest in Durham, North Carolina!
Epic creativity! <a href="https://t.co/sd6yWeUqn5">pic.twitter.com/sd6yWeUqn5</a>
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtCandee/status/2037918354787185060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
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And while her point was clearly a call to get rid of what she perceived as the &#8220;aristocracy&#8221; in the United States, several critics noted the irony of her invoking the French Revolution specifically. While the most famous public executions during that period were of high profile individuals like Antoinette and even King Louis XVI in 1793, the majority of those who died under the guillotine were commoners who dared to voice opposition to the revolutionaries. In addition, the revolution ultimately devolved into such chaos that the nation was already primed when Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in 1799 — and then returned to monarchy after Napoleon&#8217;s defeat some 15 years later.
In another ironic twist, recent <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/500-groups-3b-revenues-behind-nokings-protests-communist-call-revolution">reporting</a> from Fox News Digital indicated that the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protests were bankrolled by a number of groups boasting a combined $3 billion in revenue — and by several communist and socialist groups who have been calling for &#8220;revolution&#8221; in the United States.
The lead organizers for protests in St. Paul, Minnesota, for example, were reportedly promoted by Indivisible — a relatively well-known Democratic organization funded by billionaire George Soros.
Neville Roy Singham — an American communist living in China with ties to radical organization CodePink — was also connected several other groups that sent representatives to the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protests as well. Among those organizations are the People’s Forum in New York, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

US-POLITICS-DEMONSTRATION

‘No Kings’ Protester Calls For ‘1789’ — The History Behind It Tells A Different Story

'No Kings' Protester Calls For Return To 1789 France — Which Resulted In Monarchy

France

Monarchy

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) responded after a large “No Kings” protest in downtown Los Angeles escalated Saturday, and demonstrators vandalized a federal building with threats against ICE agents, clashed with law enforcement, and sparked multiple arrests.
“If you threaten ICE, or their families, you WILL face the full force of federal law,” the response read. “Our courageous men and women face death threats, just like this, every day. Individuals making the threats will be held accountable.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Leftist radicals had vandalized a federal building in Los Angeles on Saturday, scrawling the message “Kill your local ICE agent” alongside two crosshairs as thousands flooded downtown for a “No Kings” protest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DIRECT THREAT: An agitator spray-paints &#8220;kill your local ICE agent&#8221; on the side of a federal building in Los Angeles as thousands marched through the city&#8217;s downtown for the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protest. <a href="https://t.co/oYw1tTLHDU">pic.twitter.com/oYw1tTLHDU</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2038285730733293982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The threatening graffiti came amid a day of demonstrations that drew tens of thousands into the city’s streets, with organizers estimating attendance as high as 50,000 at a rally held at Gloria Molina Grand Park outside City Hall. The Los Angeles Police Department <a href="https://x.com/LAPDCentral/status/2038046323090620455">placed</a> the city on tactical alert around 5:30 local time and issued a dispersal order, warning demonstrators to leave the area near Alameda Street or face arrest. When multiple individuals refused to comply, officers began taking people into <a href="https://x.com/LAPDCentral/status/2038058913934070205">custody</a> 30 minutes later.
Federal officials also reported violence directed at law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli <a href="https://x.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2038064445990350958">said</a> federal agents had “started arresting those who assaulted our personnel at the Los Angeles courthouse,” warning that suspects who hurled projectiles at officers had been captured on video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨: Anti-ICE rioters threw chunks of concrete at DHS agents protecting the federal building in Los Angeles. Federal agents responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd. <a href="https://t.co/lgn8l5XyW9">pic.twitter.com/lgn8l5XyW9</a>
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) <a href="https://twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/2038049747790094553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“To those who were smashing concrete blocks and throwing them at our officers, we have you on video,” Essayli said. “We will find you and arrest you too. You’ve been warned.”
The Department of Homeland Security wrote in a post on <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2038082883814936848">X</a> two federal officers were struck by cement blocks and required medical attention. Authorities confirmed that at least two individuals were arrested on felony charges for assaulting federal law enforcement.
Police eventually cleared most demonstrators from the area, lifting the tactical alert around 8 p.m.
Saturday’s protest marked the third major “No Kings” demonstration in recent months, with organizers framing the movement as a grassroots response to what they describe as authoritarian policies.
“A lot of people want to help, they just don’t know where to start,” organizer Emily Williams said ahead of the event. “No Kings is that starting point. It’s about community, about showing up for each other, and about turning concern into real action you can be part of.”
Local and national Republican leaders have sharply criticized the demonstrations. President Donald Trump previously dismissed the movement, saying he is “not a king,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/10/no-kings-protest-mike-johnson-00602705">characterized</a> earlier protests as a “Hate America Rally,” linking them to Hamas and far-left terror groups.
City officials had anticipated potential disruptions. Crews installed gates along 101 Freeway ramps ahead of the march after previous protests saw demonstrators spill onto the highway, creating dangerous conditions for both pedestrians and drivers.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass struck a more supportive tone, calling the demonstrations “democracy in action”  on <a href="https://x.com/MayorOfLA/status/2037949533792219327">X</a>. “Peaceful protest is our constitutional right,” Bass said. “When people come together to make their voices heard, that is democracy in action.”
Despite those calls and Democrat party rhetoric of “mostly peaceful” protests, Saturday’s events, at least in Los Angeles, spilled into confrontation, culminating in assault and threats against federal agents and acts of vandalism at government property.

The ‘No Kings’ protests Day in Los Angeles.

ICE Drops Hammer After ‘Kill’ Threat Against Agents Surfaces During ‘No Kings’ Riot

Los Angeles

Media

When hundreds of students across the country walked out of class last week to protest ICE, the scene felt uncomfortably familiar. The chants, the certainty, and the urgency to declare a side reflected a pattern my generation repeats during nearly every political moment: strong emotion paired with limited understanding. Watching it unfold as a high school student, the issue appeared larger than a single protest. The walkouts exposed an education system that failed to teach students how the government functions — or how federal law enforcement actually operates.
From Georgia to California, students are walking out of class demanding that ICE be “removed” from their communities. In practice, for many of my peers, these walkouts function less as political statements and more as an excuse to miss class. At Lakeside High School in Georgia — where many of the protest videos originated — approximately 1,500 of the school’s roughly 2,200 students participated in an organized walkout protesting ICE. That would suggest that more than half the student body is so politically engaged that they are willing to sacrifice instructional time for a policy cause — an assumption undermined by the fact that fewer than 40% of Americans ages 18-19 vote.
For the small minority of students who genuinely care, the protests offer an opportunity to join a cause they assume is morally righteous. For all participants, however, these walkouts rest on an incomplete — and often incorrect — understanding of what ICE actually does and who holds authority over immigration policy.
The collapse of civic education in K–12 schools has produced widespread confusion about how the federal government functions. Many students believe ICE writes immigration law rather than enforces statutes passed by Congress. Others assume a president can simply suspend laws at will, or that public outrage alone can override the legislative process and reshape federal policy.
What no one has taught my peers is that Congress — not ICE, and not the White House — writes immigration law. Every administration, including President Trump’s, is obligated to enforce the laws Congress passes.
This confusion among students is not a failure of intelligence. It reflects an education system that avoids political controversy at all costs. Teachers are warned not to “take sides,” administrators steer clear of any topic that might provoke backlash, and students grow up believing that discussing the law or governance is dangerous. Instead of learning how the government functions, students learn how to talk around it.
This silence shapes how my generation engages with politics. Only a few miles from my Long Island high school, Generation Z played a decisive role in electing a socialist mayor in America’s most capitalist city. Many of those voters were never taught about the historical consequences of socialism — the collapse of economies, the erosion of democratic institutions, and the human suffering that follows. Those lessons are treated as too political for classrooms. The result is a generation making political choices without understanding the ideas being supported.
Students are not avoiding dialogue because of apathy. They avoid it because schools have trained them to fear disagreement. When issues such as immigration, abortion, or Israel arise, classrooms go quiet — not from a lack of opinion, but from concern over social and academic consequences.
Before becoming a nationally syndicated columnist, I hesitated to speak openly in classrooms. I rewrote comments, withheld arguments, and waited for safer moments to share my views. Now, I voice those perspectives in front of millions of readers, fully aware of the consequences. But even with all the pushback, my openness has not only sharpened my passion for politics but produced an impact far greater than I ever anticipated.
The danger of silence becomes clear during moments like these walkouts. When students protest without understanding what they want to change or how change occurs, it reveals how unprepared they are for civic participation. Informed activism cannot exist without civic knowledge.
Restoring serious civic education remains the only path forward. Students should learn not only which policies exist, but why they exist. They should understand how Congress, the courts, and federal agencies interact. Schools should encourage substantive debate rather than discourage it. Avoiding discomfort leaves students unprepared for the responsibilities of citizenship — and for the world they are about to enter.
* * *
Gregory Lyakhov is a nationally syndicated columnist and podcast host, regularly appearing on national television to discuss education policy, U.S. politics, and public affairs.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

College Students Walkout In Protest Against ICE In Texas

The ICE Walkouts Prove My Generation Wasn’t Taught How Government Works

anti-ICE protests

College

Education

High School

Opinion

The Minneapolis City Council refused to renew the liquor licenses for two downtown hotels, the Canopy by Hilton and the Renaissance Hotel at the Depot, after a contentious debate over reports that the hotels may be housing ICE agents. 
The council voted to hold the licenses for another cycle, delaying a final decision until a future meeting after public comment. Earlier this week, city council member Aisha Chughtai argued that automatically renewing the licenses would go against public safety.
“These are two hotels that have contracts with the federal government that allows for housing of federal agents as they are coming in and while they are here during their stay,” she said. 
“Now, let’s talk about why a liquor license renewal is attached to ICE agents staying at a hotel. What we’re seeing happen in real time in hotels that have these types of contracts with the federal government is at night when agents come back from their like being out and about and you know beating people up and separating families and abducting people for fun all day. They drink heavily at the bar and have weapons on them … that is a like real danger to public safety in our community, and so necessitates us having further conversations to try to figure out how we can ensure greater public safety for the residents we serve.” 
During the discussion, council members asked city attorney Quinn O’Reilly to explain the council’s legal obligations regarding liquor license renewals. O’Reilly said the request for renewals was sent to the council for approval because city staff had determined both hotels were in compliance with all liquor licensing laws and regulations, making them eligible for renewal under existing rules. 
Following that explanation, several council members pushed back in favor of immediately renewing the licenses. 
Council member Warren said, “This just smells real discriminatory to me. I booked hotels, and they just asked me when I’m checking in, when I’m checking out, and how can I pay … our downtown business district has suffered enough disenfranchisement through all of the closing of buildings, buildings selling for pennies on the dollar. We don’t have time to be playing around in people’s faces with foolishness.” 
Council member Vetaw echoed Warren’s concerns, adding she did not understand why the council would not go ahead and renew the licenses that met legal requirements. 
Committee chair Aurin Chowdhury, who brought forward the motion, said extensive constituent outreach and concerns about worker and public safety drove the decision. “When there are hotels that are a part of our beloved hospitality community, putting them in danger, putting their workers in danger, I think that accountability is 100% warranted,” Chowdhury said. She added that by not immediately renewing the liquor license, the council is “nation-leading right now.” 
“It’s wild to me that multi-million, billion dollar corporations in hospitality can just like sit aside and not answer for it.”
Another council member warned that it wasn’t just the hotels that would suffer from this damage, but the very constituents the council works to protect. 
“Both hotels are now losing a lot of money … I just want you to remember how much they [hotels] have suffered. And really, it’s their employees because they’re laying people off. So the very people that we try to protect are getting laid off because of the damage and the problems that are befalling these hotels by the protesters.” 
When Chowdhury moved the council to a vote, five council members voted to renew the license, and nine council members did not vote for renewal. 
After the vote, council member Jamal Osman asked to add remarks to the record, defending the protesters. “I do want to thank the people that we’re calling agitators. They’re fighting for our people. They [are] out there in the cold, sniffing a gas, dealing with all kind of stuff. People die and lost their lives because of us. Because of us immigrants. Someone like me, someone like Chavez (another council member) &#8230; These people are our heroes.” 
The council will meet again on February 17th, after a public comment period, to revisit its decision.

Untitled design – 2026-01-06T085250.206

Minneapolis City Council Refused To Renew Liquor Licenses For ICE-Linked Hotels

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Minneapolis

Minnesota

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