Sam Halpert
@samhalpert.bsky.social
Views are solely my own.
This is (one) risk of Dems “stay the course ‘til midterms” strategy. If you don’t make noise every single day about these outrages—if you don’t reach for every tool you have to contest them—you help normalize them.
We are murdering people and it is basically just background noise at this point. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/u...
U.S. Boat Strike Kills 2 in Pacific, With One Survivor
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:07 PM
This is (one) risk of Dems “stay the course ‘til midterms” strategy. If you don’t make noise every single day about these outrages—if you don’t reach for every tool you have to contest them—you help normalize them.
This is why MoC should spend more time talking about how “immigration enforcement” is actually a treasonous war against the United States. Frame the stakes properly.
This should put to rest any thoughts that because we’re fighting for the Constitution, democracy and freedom, that we have the military and law enforcement on our side. Make no mistake. We.Do.Not.
US Military Helping Trump to Build Massive Network of ‘Concentration Camps,’ Navy Contract Reveals | Common Dreams
Military Helping Trump to Build Massive Network of 'Concentration Camps,' Navy Contract Reveals
www.commondreams.org
February 10, 2026 at 12:40 AM
This is why MoC should spend more time talking about how “immigration enforcement” is actually a treasonous war against the United States. Frame the stakes properly.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
The Whipple Building needs to be shut down. No human should ever be treated with this much inhumanity. 3/
February 10, 2026 at 12:38 AM
The Whipple Building needs to be shut down. No human should ever be treated with this much inhumanity. 3/
Reposted by Sam Halpert
It is. The Jewish Musuem in Prague has a collection of children's drawings from the Terezin ghetto. It was the worst thing I've seen in my life.
“Collection of Handwritten Letters from Children in Detention Center” sounds like an exhibit in the Holocaust Museum.
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
February 9, 2026 at 8:12 PM
It is. The Jewish Musuem in Prague has a collection of children's drawings from the Terezin ghetto. It was the worst thing I've seen in my life.
It should go w/o saying:
Johnson’s conduct here undeniably undermines the Constitution.
Undermining the Constitution undeniably violates the Congressional oath of office.
Legislators who violate their oaths need to be expelled from Congress.
But someone needs to say it & remind the public.
Johnson’s conduct here undeniably undermines the Constitution.
Undermining the Constitution undeniably violates the Congressional oath of office.
Legislators who violate their oaths need to be expelled from Congress.
But someone needs to say it & remind the public.
A Speaker of the House who bills himself as a "constitutional lawyer" is answering a basic questions about the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement by chuckling and saying that Republicans would "never go along" with it
Mike Johnson Is Very Annoyed By the Fourth Amendment’s Existence
For a constitutional lawyer, the House Speaker sounds alarmingly unfamiliar with how the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement works.
ballsandstrikes.org
February 9, 2026 at 9:53 PM
It should go w/o saying:
Johnson’s conduct here undeniably undermines the Constitution.
Undermining the Constitution undeniably violates the Congressional oath of office.
Legislators who violate their oaths need to be expelled from Congress.
But someone needs to say it & remind the public.
Johnson’s conduct here undeniably undermines the Constitution.
Undermining the Constitution undeniably violates the Congressional oath of office.
Legislators who violate their oaths need to be expelled from Congress.
But someone needs to say it & remind the public.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
This is a really big, terrifying deal 🧪
Fearing that educated judges might rule on climate cases, Republican Attorneys General successfully bullied the The Federal Judicial Center (the education & research arm of the federal court system) into removing a chapter summarizing climate science from their scientific judicial reference manual.
February 9, 2026 at 6:37 PM
This is a really big, terrifying deal 🧪
Reposted by Sam Halpert
In the last month ICE has bought warehouses in:
- Hagerstown, MD: $102 million
- Surprise, AZ: $70 million
- Hamburg, PA: $87 million
- Tremont, PA: $120 million
- San Antonio, TX: $82 million
- El Paso, TX: $123 million
- Social Circle, GA: price unknown
This is unprecedented.
- Hagerstown, MD: $102 million
- Surprise, AZ: $70 million
- Hamburg, PA: $87 million
- Tremont, PA: $120 million
- San Antonio, TX: $82 million
- El Paso, TX: $123 million
- Social Circle, GA: price unknown
This is unprecedented.
February 9, 2026 at 6:09 PM
In the last month ICE has bought warehouses in:
- Hagerstown, MD: $102 million
- Surprise, AZ: $70 million
- Hamburg, PA: $87 million
- Tremont, PA: $120 million
- San Antonio, TX: $82 million
- El Paso, TX: $123 million
- Social Circle, GA: price unknown
This is unprecedented.
- Hagerstown, MD: $102 million
- Surprise, AZ: $70 million
- Hamburg, PA: $87 million
- Tremont, PA: $120 million
- San Antonio, TX: $82 million
- El Paso, TX: $123 million
- Social Circle, GA: price unknown
This is unprecedented.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
This is Tom Homan's actual goal and why he is focused on law enforcement cooperation.
wrt to some of the replies to this post, part of why the media has “moved on” is because it has become extraordinarily difficult to document ICE activity on the ground, outside of them arresting citizens.
A desperate plea sent to me by a Minneapolis resident who's been on the front lines since the beginning of the ICE occupation:
February 8, 2026 at 7:32 PM
This is Tom Homan's actual goal and why he is focused on law enforcement cooperation.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
NEW: The Trump admin certainly put on a show last week about changing tactics in Minnesota after ICE agents killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse.
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Trump Using A ‘Softer Touch’ With ICE In Minnesota? Residents Say Don’t Be Fooled.
Two weeks after Alex Pretti’s killing, federal agents have shown no signs of backing down. The resistance definitely hasn't.
www.huffpost.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:41 PM
NEW: The Trump admin certainly put on a show last week about changing tactics in Minnesota after ICE agents killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse.
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Reposted by Sam Halpert
If there's ever been a time to NOT be incrementalist, this is it. The most political capital you're gonna have is right now. And we got Gestapo death squads in MSP and TB spreading through concentration camps in Texas. If you can't find a win there, get out of politics. The Epstein Class, baby
February 8, 2026 at 4:29 AM
If there's ever been a time to NOT be incrementalist, this is it. The most political capital you're gonna have is right now. And we got Gestapo death squads in MSP and TB spreading through concentration camps in Texas. If you can't find a win there, get out of politics. The Epstein Class, baby
Reposted by Sam Halpert
When Republicans do it / When Democrats do it
February 7, 2026 at 11:41 PM
When Republicans do it / When Democrats do it
Reposted by Sam Halpert
When you see unhoused people asking for money what you should see is a fracturing of the social contract where an issue (housing) that should be addressed on a municipal or statuary level is instead foisted on individuals in a way designed o put callouses on their souls
man I’m sorry to be all corny here but when I see a “the city is beautiful! There’s more to it than homeless people!” I gotta say you know who’s also beautiful? People who have no place to live & are trying to get by in a system that has turned its back on them & if you don’t see that that’s on you
February 8, 2026 at 5:29 AM
When you see unhoused people asking for money what you should see is a fracturing of the social contract where an issue (housing) that should be addressed on a municipal or statuary level is instead foisted on individuals in a way designed o put callouses on their souls
Reposted by Sam Halpert
A desperate plea sent to me by a Minneapolis resident who's been on the front lines since the beginning of the ICE occupation:
February 8, 2026 at 5:06 AM
A desperate plea sent to me by a Minneapolis resident who's been on the front lines since the beginning of the ICE occupation:
Reposted by Sam Halpert
The media blackout on ICE activity is partly due to national Dem leadership giving up the leverage and national attention they had a month ago.
It's partly due to Americans not being willing to stay engaged for more than a couple months when it's bad things happening only to Black and brown people.
It's partly due to Americans not being willing to stay engaged for more than a couple months when it's bad things happening only to Black and brown people.
February 6, 2026 at 12:43 AM
The media blackout on ICE activity is partly due to national Dem leadership giving up the leverage and national attention they had a month ago.
It's partly due to Americans not being willing to stay engaged for more than a couple months when it's bad things happening only to Black and brown people.
It's partly due to Americans not being willing to stay engaged for more than a couple months when it's bad things happening only to Black and brown people.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
There are major federal tasks forces operating still in Memphis, New Orleans, Miami-Dade, Phoenix, South Texas, still raiding homes, kidnapping people, black-bagging people from courthouses.
If ICE does controversial things but doesn't *say* controversial things, it disappears from the news.
If ICE does controversial things but doesn't *say* controversial things, it disappears from the news.
February 6, 2026 at 12:38 AM
There are major federal tasks forces operating still in Memphis, New Orleans, Miami-Dade, Phoenix, South Texas, still raiding homes, kidnapping people, black-bagging people from courthouses.
If ICE does controversial things but doesn't *say* controversial things, it disappears from the news.
If ICE does controversial things but doesn't *say* controversial things, it disappears from the news.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
The radical and unrealistic position of "no concentration camps"
The reasonable moderate position of "some concentration camps in certain circumstances"
The reasonable moderate position of "some concentration camps in certain circumstances"
February 8, 2026 at 4:58 AM
The radical and unrealistic position of "no concentration camps"
The reasonable moderate position of "some concentration camps in certain circumstances"
The reasonable moderate position of "some concentration camps in certain circumstances"
Reposted by Sam Halpert
Concentration camps:
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
Exclusive: Detention Center Captives Are Throwing Lotion Bottles Wrapped With Notes to Organizers Outside Otay Mesa Facility ~ L.A. TACO
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh," an Otay Mesa captive communicated through handwritten note. "We are all in one big room with no doors...
lataco.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Concentration camps:
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
Reposted by Sam Halpert
I’m sure this is the fault of the “bad” protesters.
🚨BREAKING: Local Minneapolis police rush ICE protesters in front of federal building—violently arresting one woman as she screams. LIVE NOW ⬇️
February 7, 2026 at 9:04 PM
I’m sure this is the fault of the “bad” protesters.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
It's a hell of a thing to compare the world's most powerful person to a Klansman but fail to say that person should be removed from power
February 8, 2026 at 3:48 AM
It's a hell of a thing to compare the world's most powerful person to a Klansman but fail to say that person should be removed from power
Reposted by Sam Halpert
👀
Just by looking at a cursory glance of the turnout by precinct, this doesn't look like a case of Democratic areas turning out more than Republican areas.
In fact, the opposite. Chasity Martinez won by winning over a bunch of Trump voters
In fact, the opposite. Chasity Martinez won by winning over a bunch of Trump voters
February 8, 2026 at 3:22 AM
👀
Reposted by Sam Halpert
If ICE gets even one of these facilities fully up and running, it’ll immediately be the second-largest jail in the country behind only Rikers Island.
The proposed centers are so large that some could house as many as 8,000 detainees at once, according to a DHS spreadsheet of more than 20 potential locations that was verified by NBC News. The largest federal prison in the U.S., for example, has roughly 4,000 inmates.
ICE plans to build mega warehouses for immigration detention spark growing concern
Sources at two government contractors told NBC News they were worried that new warehouses — and the large numbers of immigrants who would be housed in them — would present safety problems.
www.nbcnews.com
February 8, 2026 at 3:43 AM
If ICE gets even one of these facilities fully up and running, it’ll immediately be the second-largest jail in the country behind only Rikers Island.
Reposted by Sam Halpert
Reposted by Sam Halpert
Fondly remembering the months of weirdness/unhinged comments we got from Pritzker fiends on this app and others for simply (and accurately!) covering state police attacks on protesters outside Broadview. Godspeed to everyone in Minnesota facing the same from the Walz fan club
🚨BREAKING: Local Minneapolis police SWARM ICE protesters making mass arrests in front of ICE prison. One protesters forehead is gushing blood ⬇️
February 7, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Fondly remembering the months of weirdness/unhinged comments we got from Pritzker fiends on this app and others for simply (and accurately!) covering state police attacks on protesters outside Broadview. Godspeed to everyone in Minnesota facing the same from the Walz fan club
Just as Trump I started hunting for any defects in a person’s naturalization to “denaturalize” US citizens (& Biden continued the work), natural born US citizens can expect to find their status arbitrarily challenged.
This is a blueprint for destabilizing citizenship—even if SCOTUS protects 14A.
This is a blueprint for destabilizing citizenship—even if SCOTUS protects 14A.
Guess how they define natural born citizenship.
February 7, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Just as Trump I started hunting for any defects in a person’s naturalization to “denaturalize” US citizens (& Biden continued the work), natural born US citizens can expect to find their status arbitrarily challenged.
This is a blueprint for destabilizing citizenship—even if SCOTUS protects 14A.
This is a blueprint for destabilizing citizenship—even if SCOTUS protects 14A.