Ian Sinclair
@imsinclair.bsky.social
appellate counsel || democracy, inequality, segregation, baked goods || former city planner and low-level bureaucrat || imsinclair.substack.com/
Pinned
Ian Sinclair
@imsinclair.bsky.social
· Dec 21
The Imperial President
Why the Court's decision in Trump v. United States undermines the separation of powers and encourages political violence.
imsinclair.substack.com
I wrote a thing! Come read my middling thoughts about why the Supreme Court’s terrible decision in Trump v. United States will encourage political violence. It’s not much, but it was fun to write and think through. 1/
imsinclair.substack.com/p/the-imperi...
imsinclair.substack.com/p/the-imperi...
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
You can read more about this here, in this piece we published today about legislation designed to rein it in www.404media.co/new-legislat...
New Legislation Would Rein In ICE’s Facial Recognition App
The proposed law would force DHS only use the app, called Mobile Fortify, at ports of entry; delete all photos of U.S. citizens taken by the app; and effectively kill the local law enforcement of the ...
www.404media.co
January 15, 2026 at 8:13 PM
You can read more about this here, in this piece we published today about legislation designed to rein it in www.404media.co/new-legislat...
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
I compared the user interface in this photo to the leaked user guide I have for Mobile Fortify, and it's the same. Mobile Fortify is ICE's app for verifying someone's identity, immigration status, whether issued order of deportation. ICE says it overrides a birth certificate bsky.app/profile/donm...
The people wearing masks are scanning your face to capture your identity.
January 15, 2026 at 8:12 PM
I compared the user interface in this photo to the leaked user guide I have for Mobile Fortify, and it's the same. Mobile Fortify is ICE's app for verifying someone's identity, immigration status, whether issued order of deportation. ICE says it overrides a birth certificate bsky.app/profile/donm...
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
Stunning photos from Minneapolis, including this one by John Locher for the Associated Press. www.theatlantic.com/photography/...
January 15, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Stunning photos from Minneapolis, including this one by John Locher for the Associated Press. www.theatlantic.com/photography/...
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
The anti-DEI bullshit has always been simple racism barely even repackaged. Erasing Dr. Kings legacy was always one of the goals.
We pretend that the segregationists lost. But any defeat was temporary and they currently control all three branches of government.
We pretend that the segregationists lost. But any defeat was temporary and they currently control all three branches of government.
After 56 years, Indiana University is canceling the MLK dinner hosted by their Black Student Union.
Indiana University Cancels MLK Celebration Dinner
Indiana University in Indianapolis canceled a dinner in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. hosted annually in January by the Black Student Union, Mirror Indy reported.
www.insidehighered.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:04 PM
The anti-DEI bullshit has always been simple racism barely even repackaged. Erasing Dr. Kings legacy was always one of the goals.
We pretend that the segregationists lost. But any defeat was temporary and they currently control all three branches of government.
We pretend that the segregationists lost. But any defeat was temporary and they currently control all three branches of government.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
🚨"This is nuts! What the f*ck is going on, this is insane! ICE is just trying to scare people; they tell you it's only immigrants—it's f*cking anybody!" -furious Minneapolis resident tells our @zdroberts.bsky.social after ICE shot a man in the leg tonight. LIVE NOW ⬇️
January 15, 2026 at 3:59 AM
🚨"This is nuts! What the f*ck is going on, this is insane! ICE is just trying to scare people; they tell you it's only immigrants—it's f*cking anybody!" -furious Minneapolis resident tells our @zdroberts.bsky.social after ICE shot a man in the leg tonight. LIVE NOW ⬇️
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
/2 We created ICE in a flurry of post-9/11 enthusiasm for muscular terminology and reorganization, as part of creating the Department of Homeland Security. Recall being sneered at by conservative and centrist bien-pensants if you thought “Homeland Security” was ominous?
January 14, 2026 at 6:27 PM
/2 We created ICE in a flurry of post-9/11 enthusiasm for muscular terminology and reorganization, as part of creating the Department of Homeland Security. Recall being sneered at by conservative and centrist bien-pensants if you thought “Homeland Security” was ominous?
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
Having seen several abductions up close, it is really hard to convey how much the thing they’re doing is roaming in military convoys until they see someone who is alone and isn’t white, and then jumping out in large numbers, pulling them into a van, and screeching off, all in 90 seconds or so.
"“They specifically asked me if I knew where the Hmong families lived on my street & in the neighborhood.” Lugert-Thom responded, “I don’t know anything about that” & she said they then asked, “Well, what about the Asian families?”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
A St. Paul resident says federal officers knocked on her door and asked her to identify Hmong and Asian households in her North End neighborhood last week.
January 14, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Having seen several abductions up close, it is really hard to convey how much the thing they’re doing is roaming in military convoys until they see someone who is alone and isn’t white, and then jumping out in large numbers, pulling them into a van, and screeching off, all in 90 seconds or so.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
The thing that really makes Minneapolis different, other than the fact that they straight up murdered someone, is that they've dropped all pretense that this is just about immigration. The state has declared war on its own people, or at least those people who live in cities.
January 14, 2026 at 2:47 PM
The thing that really makes Minneapolis different, other than the fact that they straight up murdered someone, is that they've dropped all pretense that this is just about immigration. The state has declared war on its own people, or at least those people who live in cities.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
“The ICE agent who had pepper sprayed into the vents of my car said ‘you guys gotta stop obstructing us, that’s why that lesbian b—— is dead,’ verbatim, speaking of Renee Good. Which filled me with absolute rage and shock...”
Via @jcollins.bsky.social's report buff.ly/6kapH0C
Via @jcollins.bsky.social's report buff.ly/6kapH0C
www.mprnews.org
January 14, 2026 at 3:51 PM
“The ICE agent who had pepper sprayed into the vents of my car said ‘you guys gotta stop obstructing us, that’s why that lesbian b—— is dead,’ verbatim, speaking of Renee Good. Which filled me with absolute rage and shock...”
Via @jcollins.bsky.social's report buff.ly/6kapH0C
Via @jcollins.bsky.social's report buff.ly/6kapH0C
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
Mass resignations at the Justice Department over its handling of the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good extended into a second day and spread from Main Justice in DC to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, where a majority of the leadership team stepped down.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Mass Resignations Rock DOJ In Wake of Fatal ICE Shooting
Programming Note Join me for the first Morning Memo Live event on...
talkingpointsmemo.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Mass resignations at the Justice Department over its handling of the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good extended into a second day and spread from Main Justice in DC to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, where a majority of the leadership team stepped down.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
Frost: For so long, the right wing has held up patriotism as a vibe, as an aesthetic. But patriotism is more than bald eagles and flags and beer. Patriotism is about loving the people who live in the damn country — every single one of them.
January 13, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Frost: For so long, the right wing has held up patriotism as a vibe, as an aesthetic. But patriotism is more than bald eagles and flags and beer. Patriotism is about loving the people who live in the damn country — every single one of them.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
Congratulations to Brett Kavanaugh bsky.app/profile/ajco...
"“They specifically asked me if I knew where the Hmong families lived on my street & in the neighborhood.” Lugert-Thom responded, “I don’t know anything about that” & she said they then asked, “Well, what about the Asian families?”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
A St. Paul resident says federal officers knocked on her door and asked her to identify Hmong and Asian households in her North End neighborhood last week.
January 14, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Congratulations to Brett Kavanaugh bsky.app/profile/ajco...
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
this is all to say that should democrats win the house and senate this november, they should hold similarly dramatic — which is to say televised and highly publicized — hearings on the conduct of ICE and CBP, with testimony from victims. we want as much of *this* as possible in the record. (3/?)
ICE detained Arlit Maria Martinez on her way to work. 2 days later, her 15 yo son died of cancer. They wouldn't let her out to say goodbye. The family had planned to move back to Mexico prior to the cancer diagnosis but stayed for his treatment. Now, Mr Martinez has lost his wife to ICE & his son.
Teen dies of cancer days after mother arrested by ICE: ‘She’s never gonna see him’
The mother's family pleaded with federal officers for her release from custody to say her final goodbyes to her son, but their requests went unanswered.
www.wsaz.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:09 AM
this is all to say that should democrats win the house and senate this november, they should hold similarly dramatic — which is to say televised and highly publicized — hearings on the conduct of ICE and CBP, with testimony from victims. we want as much of *this* as possible in the record. (3/?)
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
this wasn't just fact-finding, it was a form of what @joshchafetz.bsky.social calls "congressional overspeech." the testimony from black americans was dramatic and divisive. it captured the attention of the public and helped build support for aggressive action against the klan (2/?)
January 14, 2026 at 2:06 AM
this wasn't just fact-finding, it was a form of what @joshchafetz.bsky.social calls "congressional overspeech." the testimony from black americans was dramatic and divisive. it captured the attention of the public and helped build support for aggressive action against the klan (2/?)
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
over the course of 1871, congress held seven months of hearings on ku klux klan and other white vigilante violence in the south, they took detailed testimony from hundreds of black men and women attesting to klan terror. (1/?)
January 14, 2026 at 2:06 AM
over the course of 1871, congress held seven months of hearings on ku klux klan and other white vigilante violence in the south, they took detailed testimony from hundreds of black men and women attesting to klan terror. (1/?)
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
This is completely fucking unacceptable. Shut this terrorist government down until it stops brutalizing its own citizens.
Today at 34 & Park in Minneapolis, a woman tried to drive down the street where a protest had broken out in front of a home ICE was raiding, saying she had a doctor apt to get to. ICE agents busted out her windows, cut off her seatbelt, and pulled her out before arresting her.
January 13, 2026 at 6:57 PM
This is completely fucking unacceptable. Shut this terrorist government down until it stops brutalizing its own citizens.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
ICE snatched a NYC Council staffer following the law—going to a routine immigration appointment. This is an attack on due process, on our city, and on every immigrant here. Release them now.
January 13, 2026 at 1:30 AM
ICE snatched a NYC Council staffer following the law—going to a routine immigration appointment. This is an attack on due process, on our city, and on every immigrant here. Release them now.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
America is now at the heavily armed secret police doing warrantless door-to-door house raids in search of undesirable ethnicities and/or political dissenters stage. The difference from well known historical cases is down to scale.
A video of ICE agents conducting door-to-door searches today in Minneapolis
The homeowner requests a warrant repeatedly, is told they don't require one, then is told they're getting it, then the agents storm in anyway
They also point a taser at her to try and disrupt filming
The homeowner requests a warrant repeatedly, is told they don't require one, then is told they're getting it, then the agents storm in anyway
They also point a taser at her to try and disrupt filming
January 12, 2026 at 3:00 PM
America is now at the heavily armed secret police doing warrantless door-to-door house raids in search of undesirable ethnicities and/or political dissenters stage. The difference from well known historical cases is down to scale.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
Just days into 2026, the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sparked protests around the US.
If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.
If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.
How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance
Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.
www.wired.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Just days into 2026, the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sparked protests around the US.
If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.
If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
we have an entire amendment of our constitution about this.
john roberts, this is your legacy
john roberts, this is your legacy
A video of ICE agents conducting door-to-door searches today in Minneapolis
The homeowner requests a warrant repeatedly, is told they don't require one, then is told they're getting it, then the agents storm in anyway
They also point a taser at her to try and disrupt filming
The homeowner requests a warrant repeatedly, is told they don't require one, then is told they're getting it, then the agents storm in anyway
They also point a taser at her to try and disrupt filming
January 12, 2026 at 1:10 PM
we have an entire amendment of our constitution about this.
john roberts, this is your legacy
john roberts, this is your legacy
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
ICE agent screaming a threat: "Did you not learn from what just happened?"
www.reddit.com/r/Minneapoli...
www.reddit.com/r/Minneapoli...
January 12, 2026 at 1:49 AM
ICE agent screaming a threat: "Did you not learn from what just happened?"
www.reddit.com/r/Minneapoli...
www.reddit.com/r/Minneapoli...
Reposted by Ian Sinclair
I realize that every word that comes out of his mouth is outrageous in one way or another but unambiguously framing execution as a legitimate response to disrespect is still noteworthy
Q: "Do you believe that deadly force was necessary?"
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement…Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement…Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
January 12, 2026 at 12:45 PM
I realize that every word that comes out of his mouth is outrageous in one way or another but unambiguously framing execution as a legitimate response to disrespect is still noteworthy