Rob Mickey
@robmickey.bsky.social
Political Science @umich. book: https://bit.ly/3YQWgEi. US Reconstruction & nation building w/ David Waldner; policing w/ @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social + @dziblatt.bsky.social; race & democratic attitudes w/ V. Hutchings & @jardina.bsky.social.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Important & timely working paper from East, Cox, and my colleague @caitlinpatler.bsky.social
Trump II systematically using "community arrests" (ICE arrests on the street, workplace, in the community, etc) and not targeting immigrants w/ criminal convictions
NBER link: www.nber.org/system/files...
Trump II systematically using "community arrests" (ICE arrests on the street, workplace, in the community, etc) and not targeting immigrants w/ criminal convictions
NBER link: www.nber.org/system/files...
February 9, 2026 at 10:16 PM
Important & timely working paper from East, Cox, and my colleague @caitlinpatler.bsky.social
Trump II systematically using "community arrests" (ICE arrests on the street, workplace, in the community, etc) and not targeting immigrants w/ criminal convictions
NBER link: www.nber.org/system/files...
Trump II systematically using "community arrests" (ICE arrests on the street, workplace, in the community, etc) and not targeting immigrants w/ criminal convictions
NBER link: www.nber.org/system/files...
Reposted by Rob Mickey
This is a great piece. Loved this anecdote.
February 8, 2026 at 1:03 AM
This is a great piece. Loved this anecdote.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
We have a Boston Review Forum out today on the Democratic Party in a time of authoritarianism
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
February 3, 2026 at 3:50 PM
We have a Boston Review Forum out today on the Democratic Party in a time of authoritarianism
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
Reposted by Rob Mickey
we've entirely dispensed with even the faintest veneer of DOJ independence
WARREN: This should be an easy one. Can you commit that Trump's Fed nominee will not be sued or investigated by the DOJ if he does not cut interest rates like Trump wants?
BESSENT: That's up to the president
W: You can't say he won't be criminally investigated? That's supposed to be the soft ball!
BESSENT: That's up to the president
W: You can't say he won't be criminally investigated? That's supposed to be the soft ball!
February 5, 2026 at 3:47 PM
we've entirely dispensed with even the faintest veneer of DOJ independence
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Mike Johnson on Trump calling for Rs to "nationalize" elections: "We had 3 Republicans who were ahead on election day in last cycle & every time a new tranche of ballots came in they just magically whittled away until their leads were lost. It looks on its face to be fraudulent. Can I prove it? No"
February 3, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Mike Johnson on Trump calling for Rs to "nationalize" elections: "We had 3 Republicans who were ahead on election day in last cycle & every time a new tranche of ballots came in they just magically whittled away until their leads were lost. It looks on its face to be fraudulent. Can I prove it? No"
Reposted by Rob Mickey
My latest in @vox.com. Spectacle is the president's greatest strength, and his administration's greatest weakness
Donald Trump’s ego might just save democracy
Minnesota provides a blueprint for how to prevent a slide into authoritarianism we’ve seen in other countries.
www.vox.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:07 PM
My latest in @vox.com. Spectacle is the president's greatest strength, and his administration's greatest weakness
Reposted by Rob Mickey
While I have you here, check out my mixtape with @robmickey.bsky.social and @dziblatt.bsky.social:
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/35o94...
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/35o94...
February 1, 2026 at 2:01 AM
While I have you here, check out my mixtape with @robmickey.bsky.social and @dziblatt.bsky.social:
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/35o94...
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/35o94...
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Time to hang another banner, you sore, sore losers.
January 27, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Time to hang another banner, you sore, sore losers.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
"You raise your voice, I erase your voice."
ICE in Minneapolis are erasing your rights.
Please share our new video of what's happening in our city. youtu.be/W1dyNcRGRXY
ICE in Minneapolis are erasing your rights.
Please share our new video of what's happening in our city. youtu.be/W1dyNcRGRXY
January 27, 2026 at 4:15 PM
"You raise your voice, I erase your voice."
ICE in Minneapolis are erasing your rights.
Please share our new video of what's happening in our city. youtu.be/W1dyNcRGRXY
ICE in Minneapolis are erasing your rights.
Please share our new video of what's happening in our city. youtu.be/W1dyNcRGRXY
Reposted by Rob Mickey
The killing of Alex Pretti and the grotesque lying was an overreach by the administration. They've paid a price and had to pull back a bit. But it's when there's some disarray that the democratic opposition needs to intensify the offensive, and turn a marginal tactical success into a major victory.
January 26, 2026 at 10:56 PM
The killing of Alex Pretti and the grotesque lying was an overreach by the administration. They've paid a price and had to pull back a bit. But it's when there's some disarray that the democratic opposition needs to intensify the offensive, and turn a marginal tactical success into a major victory.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Literally all of this is a lie. We are about to find out who is state media, because they will be the ones to parrot a justification for state-sanctioned murder.
Noem lies shamelessly: "An individual approached order Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic gun. The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently. This looks like a situation where an individual arrived to inflict maximum damage and kill law enforcement"
January 24, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Literally all of this is a lie. We are about to find out who is state media, because they will be the ones to parrot a justification for state-sanctioned murder.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
During the 2020 protests, the uniformed military, national guard, did a far better job not escalating than regular police forces and that’s very much what they don’t want
January 24, 2026 at 9:15 PM
During the 2020 protests, the uniformed military, national guard, did a far better job not escalating than regular police forces and that’s very much what they don’t want
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Also, may I say that I don’t agree with people saying ICE and CBP need “more training.” They’re doing exactly what this administration has trained them to—impose a reign of fear in blue cities. They don’t need more training. They need to be ripped up root and branch.
January 24, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Also, may I say that I don’t agree with people saying ICE and CBP need “more training.” They’re doing exactly what this administration has trained them to—impose a reign of fear in blue cities. They don’t need more training. They need to be ripped up root and branch.
Yep. And now, well after Reconstruction’s defeat (let’s say that instead of “failure”) the central state has developed a robust repressive capacity. This time it’s deploying it not to defend multiracial democracy but to defend a very different vision.
There is a straight line from the failure of Reconstruction to "We don't need to count everyone's vote in the 2000 election" to "People from places like Madison & Milwaukee aren't real Wisconsinites & shouldn't have their votes count" to "ICE can murder people in cold blood in our cities."
January 24, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Yep. And now, well after Reconstruction’s defeat (let’s say that instead of “failure”) the central state has developed a robust repressive capacity. This time it’s deploying it not to defend multiracial democracy but to defend a very different vision.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Both of Nevada's senators--Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen--have officially come out against the DHS funding bill following the execution of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis this morning. This effectively ends the DHS funding bill in the Senate.
January 24, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Both of Nevada's senators--Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen--have officially come out against the DHS funding bill following the execution of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis this morning. This effectively ends the DHS funding bill in the Senate.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
This was murder. Pretti did not initiate the confrontation. He didn’t strike them. He didn’t brandish his gun. They tackled him, beat him, disarmed him, and shot him.
Holy crap.
This is the most damning video yet.
It shows Border Patrol agents clearly taking Alex's firearm, running it away, and THEN executed him in cold blood by emptying a clip into his face.
Murder.
This is the most damning video yet.
It shows Border Patrol agents clearly taking Alex's firearm, running it away, and THEN executed him in cold blood by emptying a clip into his face.
Murder.
January 24, 2026 at 9:46 PM
This was murder. Pretti did not initiate the confrontation. He didn’t strike them. He didn’t brandish his gun. They tackled him, beat him, disarmed him, and shot him.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
ICE agent asked why he's taking pictures of a legal observer's car, replies: "Cuz we have a nice little database and now you're considered a domestic terrorist. So have fun with that."
January 23, 2026 at 5:32 PM
ICE agent asked why he's taking pictures of a legal observer's car, replies: "Cuz we have a nice little database and now you're considered a domestic terrorist. So have fun with that."
Reposted by Rob Mickey
New, from me: Defenders of police abuses will sometimes talk about “bad apples” spoiling the barrel.
This is the wrong metaphor for ICE and CBP. The barrel itself is rotten. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/past-the-b...
This is the wrong metaphor for ICE and CBP. The barrel itself is rotten. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/past-the-b...
Past the breaking point
The violent occupation of an American city is more than a warning
donmoynihan.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:55 PM
New, from me: Defenders of police abuses will sometimes talk about “bad apples” spoiling the barrel.
This is the wrong metaphor for ICE and CBP. The barrel itself is rotten. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/past-the-b...
This is the wrong metaphor for ICE and CBP. The barrel itself is rotten. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/past-the-b...
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Actual congressman salivating over war with a NATO ally.
Rep. Greg Steube: "You see Macron and the French sending troops to Greenland. I would love to see the US military up against French troops in Greenland, because it would not last very long. It would be a very small skirmish ... we don't care about what Macron and the French want."
January 23, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Actual congressman salivating over war with a NATO ally.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
It’s hard to accurately describe what is happening in Minneapolis without sounding crazy.
Unmarked rental vans all over the city, with people in military gear and no id jumping out of them to take captive anyone who looks nonwhite or who makes political speech they disagree with.
Unmarked rental vans all over the city, with people in military gear and no id jumping out of them to take captive anyone who looks nonwhite or who makes political speech they disagree with.
January 22, 2026 at 2:12 PM
It’s hard to accurately describe what is happening in Minneapolis without sounding crazy.
Unmarked rental vans all over the city, with people in military gear and no id jumping out of them to take captive anyone who looks nonwhite or who makes political speech they disagree with.
Unmarked rental vans all over the city, with people in military gear and no id jumping out of them to take captive anyone who looks nonwhite or who makes political speech they disagree with.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
The head of Trump DOJ's Civil Rights Division boosts prediction markets placing 36% odds she'll be able to prosecute Don Lemon for his journalism, after a federal magistrate judge found no probable cause of a crime.
January 22, 2026 at 11:16 PM
The head of Trump DOJ's Civil Rights Division boosts prediction markets placing 36% odds she'll be able to prosecute Don Lemon for his journalism, after a federal magistrate judge found no probable cause of a crime.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Reposted by Rob Mickey
The 5-year-old arrested by ICE In Minnesota is detained at Dilley. We reported on conditions there in the below article.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Analysis by The Marshall Project of ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project found that the Trump administration’s revival of family detention has swept thousands of children into ICE custody. At least 3,800 children under 18, including 20 infants, have been booked since Trump took office.
ICE Threw Thousands of Kids in Detention, Many For Longer Than Court-Prescribed Limit
Former immigration staffers argue ICE is choosing to detain families for prolonged periods to speed deportations and compel them to leave.
www.themarshallproject.org
January 22, 2026 at 8:30 PM
The 5-year-old arrested by ICE In Minnesota is detained at Dilley. We reported on conditions there in the below article.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Reposted by Rob Mickey
not surprising and yet still jarring to read ex-FBI agents describing how Kash Patel and Bongino reacted to Charlie Kirk's murder while running the agency. truly the content creator administration/podcast govt www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
January 22, 2026 at 10:49 PM
not surprising and yet still jarring to read ex-FBI agents describing how Kash Patel and Bongino reacted to Charlie Kirk's murder while running the agency. truly the content creator administration/podcast govt www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Rob Mickey
Democrats Condemn ICE For Murdering Without Proper Warrants https://theonion.com/democrats-condemn-ice-for-murdering-without-proper-warrants/
January 22, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Democrats Condemn ICE For Murdering Without Proper Warrants https://theonion.com/democrats-condemn-ice-for-murdering-without-proper-warrants/