Letter from Julie Huntsman

Huntsman: Please Wake Up, Folks

I am horrified by what ICE is doing in Minneapolis. At this writing, two American citizens exercising their rights to observe and to protest have been shot in cold blood, both many times. The second victim this month, ICU nurse Alex Pretti, never brandished a weapon. He was thrown to the ground by multiple agents, disarmed of his legally-carried gun, and shot in the back, repeatedly. That’s murder. He was already completely subdued and presented no threat. And earlier this month, Renee Good was shot as she was trying to flee the melee. The federal government is not only baldly lying about how these tragic events transpired, but vilifying the two people whose lives were needlessly and violently taken.

I assume that the 287(g) Warrant Service Officer agreement with ICE, signed by Sheriff Devlin, was made in good faith and seemed reasonable—and with the explanation of it in the January 22 issue of this paper, at face value it appears to be. But given the absolute horror of what is happening in Minneapolis, how can Americans of any political persuasion have faith in the competence, common sense or humanity of ICE? Or for that matter, in the federal administration using it like a bludgeon, a Gestapo…

So many good people have been fooled. Please wake up.

Julie Huntsman
Fly Creek