After years of celebrating open borders, sanctuary cities, and selective enforcement, journalists are now acting stunned that restoring the rule of law involves confrontation, resistance, and unrest. This was never going to resemble a quiet bureaucratic cleanup.
The media is suddently shocked that enforcing immigration law looks chaotic. Restoring immigration law was always going to be messy. Anyone that says otherwise is simply lying or delusional.
For decades, politicians ignored the law. Millions crossed illegally. Activist groups learned they could interfere without consequences. Cities openly defied federal authority while building entire systems around pretending enforcement did not matter. NGOs helped fuel the problem by supporting and assisting illegal immigration.
Now the law is finally being enforced again after years of neglect.
What we are seeing is what happens when laws return after being ignored for too long. Resistance grows and chaos follows. That does not mean enforcement is wrong. It means the Left hates the return of order and will go to extremes to stay loyal to their political narrative.
Much of the outrage being pushed right now is built around slowed-down video footage that gets replayed again and again as if it tells the full story.
“I saw a man that was retreating,” GOP Sen. Rand Paul says of the video he saw of Alex Pretti, shot and killed by federal immigration officers. He has scheduled a Congressional hearing on the matter. https://t.co/5s5y5uakoi pic.twitter.com/K47kA8yngS
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) February 2, 2026
Senator Rand Paul claimed he saw no evidence of aggression from Alex Pretti, describing the moment where he appeared to retreat. It is easy to reach calm conclusions while watching edited footage on repeat from the comfort of your own home.
Federal agents do not have that luxury.
The selective framing has become a familiar media tactic. That was on full display during a recent segment on 60 Minutes.
Scott Pelley leaned heavily into emotional footage and slow-motion replays while inviting viewers to second-guess law enforcement decisions without acknowledging the wider chaos surrounding these operations.
The same thing is happening with the sudden hysteria over the phrase “domestic terrorist.”
When asked if Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should be fired, Paul answered, “I think we have to get through our hearing February 12, and I think we have to see what the people who work for her say. But my advice to them, if they’re watching and they come to testify is, if you come in and you’re going to justify that this man was aggressively assaulting your police officers, that cannot be acceptable, and that’s why they’re lacking in trust.”
Paul said that Noem, Border Patrol officer Greg Bovino, FBI Director Kash Patel, and White House advisor Stephen Miller used “terrible judgment” when they called the victims domestic terrorists and assassins.
“I mean, terrible conclusions, incorrect conclusions, stating things that no one else believes. You can lie to your heart’s content if there’s no video, but the video doesn’t support what they’re saying,” Paul said.
When Pelley asked, “You seem to be saying trust is broken?” Paul answered, “Without question.” – Mediaite
Critics now act horrified that officials used the term in connection with violent interference against federal agents. That concern would be easier to take seriously if Democrats had not spent years stretching the phrase until it meant almost nothing.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Anti-ICE rioters attacked federal law enforcement with fireworks at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Sunday. Agents charged the attackers as explosives went off. This is terrorism. pic.twitter.com/qH8aYZbYZD
— @amuse (@amuse) January 19, 2026
“AssauIt me, motherfcker!!!” – Alex Pretti on January 13th trying to get injured by federal officers pic.twitter.com/33PBDIiJxN
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 29, 2026
Parents who spoke up at school board meetings were labeled extremists under the Biden administration. Pro-life activists were targeted by federal agencies during those same years. Americans who supported President Donald Trump were repeatedly implied to be threats to democracy.
But the real issue is not language. The real problem is that immigration law is finally being enforced. Period.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has become the media’s new favorite villain in this story. What Noem is actually doing is confronting a crisis that grew over decades of political cowardice.
Maybe Americans should have been warned more clearly that restoring the rule of law would not look calm or comfortable. You do not undo years of lawlessness with polite requests.
The unrest we are seeing is not proof immigration enforcement is wrong. It is proof the law was ignored for far too long. The media can clutch its pearls all it wants. Order is finally returning.
Feature Image: Office of the Governor, South Dakota, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited in Canva Pro
Wfjag says: I hope Senator Paul will investigate some of the unanswered facts and not be just satisfied with the narrative.
Looking at the pistol raises unanswered questions. Pretti was carrying an Sig Sauer P320 9mm “Combat”, with a Red Dot sight and 3 extended magazines. It, further, appears to have been modified so that what appears to be a P320 Custom Works program trigger and slide had been installed (which costs $350 – $400 plus the costs of installation. Since some disassembly and using proper tools is required, so an experienced gun smith or armorer should make the installation). Altogether, the cost of the pistol would likely run around $2,000.
This is the sort of equipment one would expect to be owned/used by someone whose hobby was going to the range, a lot, or who shoots in competitions. It’s a lot more than is needed for self-defense.
Another point to remember is that the Sig P320 – although sometimes call a M1911 type pistol – unlike the Colt Model 1908, M1911A or FN “Baby Browning” – has no mechanical safeties. To load, pull the slide back, the slide catch will engage to keep it open, insert the magazine, release the slide catch and a cartridge is moved into the firing chamber and the firing pin is set. It is a single action pistol so to fire, it must be loaded. By contrast, the M1911A has five safety settings, including one for the firing pin so it will not operate if the magazine is removed.
It would also be relevant to know the trigger pull for Pretti’s P320. The standard trigger pull for a P320 is around 5.5 to 6.5 pounds. However, with trigger modifications available, this is reduced to the 2 to 4 pound range. For competitive shooting, the reduced trigger pull is needed for accuracy in timed events. For self-defense, it is dangerous.
Sen Paul stated that the video he watched showed that someone had removed the pistol from Pretti’s belt before Pretti was shot. That may be true (I’d ensure that no AI or other enhanced or modified video and sound track was used). It appears that Pretti approached the ICE agents with something in his hand. It is alleged that enhancing the video shows that this was a cellphone. Even if true the ICE agents were in a chaotic and noisy environment and weren’t in a position to view enhanced views of Pretti’s hand. The audio and video indicate that an ICE agent removed the pistol from Pretti’s belt or holster and moved away. Someone(s) called “Gun! Gun! Gun!” That was followed by a gun shot. And then a series of gun shots. All of this took place in a few seconds.
It would be very difficult for the agent who took Pretti’s pistol to carry it, unless he gripped his fingers around the grip. And, especially with a much reduced trigger pull, while doing that, easy to put a finger and fire the loaded bullet.
The unanswered questions I see (and there certainly are others) are: Who had the modifications made to the pistol (and Why, if that can be determined)?; Who loaded the pistol?; What training on firearms had Pretti received? What training and instructions had Pretti received for his anti-ICE activities; and, What training had the ICE agents received concerning disarming a protester, including handling the weapon. This begins to build the “context” – something the press is quick to invoke when criticizing people who raise questions about the press reports, but which is nearly lacking as to this story.
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