Guests – Betsy Smith, Lucas Miles, Jay Tolkoff

Law Enforcement Under Attack: ICE Agents Face Increasing Hostility in Blue Cities

Chicago's Leadership Abandons Federal Officers

The targeted attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have reached alarming levels in several major cities. Betsy Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association, reports that ICE agents are facing dangerous situations without support from local law enforcement, particularly in Chicago.

"Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, and JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, have an unhealthy obsession with Donald Trump," Smith explains. "Johnson publicly stated that 'ICE lies and people die' after an incident where an ICE agent was dragged and forced to shoot someone in self-defense."

This rhetoric from city and state leadership is creating dangerous conditions for federal officers. In one recent incident, ICE agents were surrounded by armed individuals in a Chicago park at 39th and Kedzie. When they called 911 for backup, the response was shocking.

"The patrol sergeant who initially sent people got on and said, 'Per the chief of patrol, we are not sending anyone to that area,'" Smith reports. While Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling later claimed officers were present, officers on the ground contradict this account.

"These politicians are lying and saying ICE is going after anyone, arresting people with no warrants. None of this is true," Smith states. "It's turning into a civil rights situation. ICE agents are citizens too, and they are not getting the protections they deserve."

Portland's Escalating Violence Against Federal Facilities

The situation in Portland, Oregon is equally concerning, with nightly attacks on federal facilities that have intensified since the 2020 protests and again after President Trump's re-election.

"There's not a single window anymore in the ICE office and facility," Smith explains. "They've had to remove every piece of glass and replace it with plywood."

What's particularly troubling is the Portland Police Bureau's approach under Chief Bob Day. According to Smith, "Portland police are not helping people who are victims of Antifa crime. They send out 'community liaisons' wearing yellow vests, and video recently emerged of a Portland police commander and these liaisons actually giving Antifa advice on how not to get arrested."

Meanwhile, conservative journalists documenting the violence face harassment and even arrest. "Independent journalists coming to cover this situation are getting arrested. Anyone who shows up with an American flag or a video camera to document what's happening, the police call them 'counter-protesters' and disrupt their activity," Smith reports.

Federal Intervention and State Support

In response to these escalating threats, the Trump administration has sought to bring in the National Guard to protect federal assets and personnel. However, legal challenges from Democratic governors are impeding these efforts.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken matters into his own hands. "He has authorized the Texas National Guard to deploy to Oregon to help federal authorities," Smith notes. "It's genius."

Memphis Shows a Path Forward

While Chicago and Portland's leadership resist federal assistance, Memphis, Tennessee offers a different approach. Despite being one of the most violent cities per capita in the nation, Memphis is seeing positive results from federal intervention.

"Memphis had 250 murders, 430 reported rapes, 5,600 reported burglaries, and 13,000 reported assaults last year," Smith details. "The National Guard arrived along with federal agencies including the FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals. In the first 72 hours, this 'Memphis Safe Taskforce' made 93 arrests and took 28 illegal guns off the street."

This success raises important questions: "Why aren't the mayors of Portland, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Tucson begging for the National Guard to help? This strategy that worked in Washington DC is now working in Memphis. Why aren't we using it in every crime-ridden city in this nation?"

Tucson's Rising Crime Problem

Tucson faces its own crime challenges despite being smaller than major metropolitan areas. A recent incident where a bicyclist was murdered on a trail highlights the deteriorating safety situation.

"We've had a bicyclist murdered on the loop, stabbed to death. We have encampments, free buses, drivers that have been assaulted. There are so many horrific stories for a city our size," Winn notes.

Smith points to lenient prosecution as part of the problem. "A Pima County man received probation for a deadly road rage shooting last year. Forty-one-year-old Jason Scott Jamison was sentenced Monday to four years probation and 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to negligent homicide. That's the lesson in Tucson - if you don't like how somebody's driving and kill them, you get probation and community service."

She adds that federal intervention could bypass local prosecutors: "With a Republican governor, we could bring in the National Guard and other federal resources along with federal prosecutors. We could bypass Laura Conover in Pima County until we can replace her."

Pagan Threat: America's Spiritual Battle

Lucas Miles, senior director of Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA Faith, joined the program to discuss his book "Pagan Threat: Confronting America's Godless Uprising," which carries a foreword by the late Charlie Kirk.

Miles describes how Charlie Kirk's death has catalyzed a spiritual awakening. "My church literally doubled in size overnight after Charlie was killed," Miles says. "The Lord had been preparing us for years. Revival is coming. I didn't know how, and I certainly didn't want it to come about through the loss of my friend. But Charlie Kirk is cheering us on from heaven right now."

The impact of Kirk's faith leadership was evident at his memorial service. "What amazed me was the content of Marco Rubio's speech, J.D. Vance's, and even President Trump's," Miles notes. "Many of them said they wouldn't be where they were today had their lives not intersected with Charlie's."

Combating Paganism in Modern Culture

Miles' book outlines a seven-step plan to address what he sees as a revival of paganism in American society. "This is an attempt by the radical left and Marxist ideology to supplant Christianity and replace it with a pagan demoralization of society, a culture that celebrates death," he explains.

His plan begins with reestablishing foundational Christian doctrine. "We have to draw the line and make it clear that progressive Christianity and Marxism creeping in is not Christianity," Miles states.

The second focus is evangelism through modern technology. "Paganism is all over the internet, all over the dark corners of the web and TikTok Lives. The gospel has to be more present, and many churches are still behind on technology."

Miles points out that reaching younger generations requires new approaches. "The average age of a pastor in America is about 57-58 years old. Many places where young people congregate are inaccessible to older people - school cafeterias, gaming chat rooms, college campuses, digital spaces. We have to think creatively about building ministries around that."

He identifies a spiritual hunger that's being misdirected: "What drives much of the attraction to pagan practices - whether Wicca, occult, or earth worship - is a desire for spiritual connection. Man has a desire to connect to the divine, to the spirit. When Christianity becomes very heady, ritualistic, or legalistic, it doesn't satisfy that yearning."

Call to Action for Tucson Residents

Jay Tolkoff, City Council candidate for Ward 6, called in to urge Tucson residents to attend the upcoming City Council meeting. "We've let crime spiral way too far out of control. It's time for people to stand up and say enough is enough," Tolkoff states. "We need 400 people to show up at the City Council in mass to say we're not going to take this anymore."

He notes that despite being a Republican, he's receiving support from unexpected quarters. "After getting endorsements from the Teamsters, who don't usually endorse a Republican, and having hundreds of neighborhood Democrats stumping for me, you feel like you're crossing over. But really, we're just crossing over to the other side of the street, finding common ground we can all work on together."

Tolkoff emphasizes that change is possible if voters engage. "If 75 percent of Republicans showed up, battle leader would grow up and wouldn't be our Congress person. We're not asking a lot - open an envelope, scribble in a little circle, put it back in an envelope, and stick it in your mailbox. That's all it takes to change the entire direction of our community."

Winn concludes by highlighting the recent police action at the Tahana Center, apparently connected to the murder on the loop trail. "If they're out there fighting crime, we should be there to support them. If you keep thinking that doing the same thing over and over will yield a different result, you don't know the definition of insanity."