Alright I know I've gotten political on here before, but I must take a pause from the usual fanfics to talk about some very heavy but very important stuff. Fanfic communities are where I have the largest voice, I think, so I felt it only right to put this out there where people will hear it.
America is not doing well. That's a hell of an understatement, actually. This post will be mainly focused on ICE, but it's worth mentioning that multiple government officials have been implicated in the Epstein Files. I've only read through a handful of documents so far and what I've seen implicated there is appalling. But I suppose with monsters like that in positions of power, I shouldn't be surprised that they've bolstered our cruelest organizations.
Police brutality is a problem we've had for years, and it is only getting worse with the presence of ICE. Now, we have a government that is funding bullies, murderers and rapists in positions of power. They are literally holding guns to the heads of the American public, and pulling the trigger in many cases.
In December last year, David Courvelle, an ICE agent, plead guilty to raping a woman in ICE custody.
A few days ago on January 23rd, Wael Tarabishi, a disabled man with Pompe disease, died. His health was in decline after his primary caregiver and father, Maher, was detained by ICE three months ago. ICE will not be letting Maher attend his son's funeral.
As of me writing this, I know of several people have died in ICE custody in 2026 alone. Their names are Heber Sanchaz Dominguez, Victor Manuel Diaz, Parady La, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres and Geraldo Lunas Campos. So many of these deaths are being labeled as "self-inflicted" without proper investigation. And when I was researching them, all of the articles published by ICE about the incidents headlines are all something along the lines of "Illegal alien in ICE custody passes away". Fuck all the way off. They are people and after you pull them away from their homes and families, they and their care are your responsibility.
These are just the deaths of people already in custody. I don't think it's news to most people now, but ICE has fatally shot three people so far in 2026. Again, that I know for sure of. Most people know about Renee Nicole Good, a woman who was shot to death on January 7th, or more recently, Alex Pretti on the 24th. There are multiple videos of both shootings and, if you can stomach watching them, I do genuinely think they're important. I haven't linked them here, but they're easy to find. I've watched both from multiple angles and I do not see any reason for these allegedly trained agents to murder two civilians, in the same way I did not see any reason for Breonna Taylor or George Floyd to be killed years ago. However much traction their deaths have been getting though, Keith Porter deserves just as much attention. He was shot on New Years Eve by an off-duty ICE agent. There are no videos of the incident, but the ICE agent claims he was an active shooter while others say he fired his gun into the air to celebrate the New Year. I personally agree with what his family friend, Wanda Turner, said in the article above: "Even if he thought Keith was doing something wrong, it wasn't his place to just shoot and kill him."
Again, these are just incidents within the last month and a half.
These are just incidents that are being reported.
Protesters and people who record ICE operations are being arrested. These agents are walking around, hiding their faces, and when they kill someone, our government hides the identities of these murderers "for their protection". I am so genuinely disgusted by this and so many other facets of our government.
Spread the word. Us staying informed is so important, especially when the government is trying to spin so much of these tragic acts as them championing "the good fight". Having reputable sources and doing research is going to help, because we can't fight this injustice if we aren't allowed to see it for what it is. This goes both for larger-scale events or even letting people know if you've seen ICE in your neighborhood.
Boycott brands that support ICE. Money has so much weight in our world, like it or not. You may not think you can make a difference, but again, every little bit helps! Here are some links to articles about ICE-supporting brands. Some are easier to cut out than others, but again, do what you can! Forbes Article & Boycott Citizens.org
Attend marches. This is so good for building communities, making people feel seen, and making your cause feel seen.
Call your representatives. For those of us living in America, while not every politician cares what their constituents think, we still have the right to speak to them and let them know our opinions and experiences on matters. Here is a link that should help you find your rep in Congress if you don't know who it is. You can also find contact information for their offices through this site. Call them and let them know that you won't stand for this shit. Try to get them to take action because they are in the best positions to do so.
Donate. There are a lot of charities you can donate to. Right now, given what's going on in Minneapolis specifically, here is a link to help the people there. They have options for helping families impacted by ICE, emergency aid, and organizations that are fighting against ICE! But there are many more out there!
Don't let them make you afraid. This one is hard and might seem pointless, but I genuinely think this is the most important one. If they take the fight out of us, they've already won. They are bullies, like I said, and we can't let them trample every right and tear our communities apart.
These are just some things I have come up with. If anyone has other suggestions, please chime in! I'm trying to educate myself on how to be more active.
Again, I know I'm a fanfic writer ranting on tumblr, but this is important. It's just one of many, many, many issues in the country and in the world right now, and I don't want to waste what power I do have by staying silent on it.
Above all, I just want to say that no one should make you feel lesser than for where you were born or the color of your skin or who you love or any of that shit. I hope that the people who put guns in the hands of racists and rapists and bullies are held just as accountable as the idiots holding the guns themselves.
