In Minnesota and Beyond, the Tragic Consequences of Not Following the Law

Americans can be forgiven for being at once exhausted, outraged and heartbroken over the ongoing dysfunction in Minneapolis.

The deaths of two activists – Renee Good and Alex Pretti – have poured metaphorical gas on a cultural firestorm that didn’t start in the Twin Cities but instead can be traced back to an evolving acceptance of lawlessness with very tragic consequences.

According to both the Pew Research Center and the Department of Homeland Security, well over 11 million individuals were illegally residing in the United States as of 2022. Many have suggested that number is now exponentially higher after years of a porous Southern Border.

Illegal immigration has been an ongoing concern for the past century, though some decades have been far more problematic than others. Prior to the 1970s, and 80s, it’s estimated America absorbed between 500,000 and one million illegal entries per decade. That jumped to 2.5 million in the 1970s and 3.5 million in the 1980s.

On July 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan sparked great debate when he declared, “Illegal immigrants in considerable numbers have become productive members of our society and are a basic part of our work force. Those who have established equities in the United States should be recognized and accorded legal status. At the same time, in so doing, we must not encourage illegal immigration.”

The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) granted amnesty to more than three million people.

Politicians have been trying to thread the proverbial needle ever since, though some more than others. In recent weeks, it’s been noted that President Obama’s administration was responsible for deporting more than three million illegal aliens – but a closer examination of that number indicates such a statistic is deceiving. As it was, approximately two-thirds of those “deportations” happened right at the border. Basically, individuals who attempted to cross and who were denied entry, were then counted as having been deported.

Each time President Trump has run for office, he has campaigned on securing the Southern Border and prioritizing the deportation of illegal immigrants with criminal records. Polling has suggested a majority of voters support this position.

The Trump administration’s launch in December of “Operation Metro Surge” – a campaign spearheaded by both U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers and Border Patrol Agents in the Twin Cities – has been met with fierce resistance. “Sanctuary-style” policies have led to city officials largely not cooperating with federal officials. A well-organized network of protestors soon descended on the city. Fox News has reported that a “hub of communist and socialist nonprofit organizations working as key organizers of the resistance campaign against federal immigration enforcement” are on the ground.

Heartbreak over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both caught on multiple cameras, understandably triggered calls for investigations – which are ongoing. In fairness to those examinations, it seems somewhat reckless and irresponsible to draw any conclusions – although that hasn’t stopped many others from speaking out and doing so.

A video has emerged of Alex Pretti seeming to spit on officers, cursing at them, and kicking out the taillight of a federal vehicle over a week before he was shot and killed. At that time, officers wrestled him to the ground but soon let him go. He can be seen carrying a gun, for which we later learned he had a permit.

What if federal officers had arrested Alex Pretti for his assault on their vehicle? Would he have been back that next week? Might he still be alive today?

As Christians, we know that God’s Word is clear regarding the consequences of sin and not following laws. Adhering to civil authority is necessary to avoid chaos. This is why the apostle Paul wrote, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1-2).

We can ask what might have been had the law been enforced with Alex Pretti that first time – but what if our borders had been protected years earlier? What if the very illegal actors that ICE and our Border Patrol are attempting to arrest had never been allowed in at all? There would been no need for “Operation Metro Surge.”

We pray for the ongoing investigations, for the safety of law enforcement officers, for the peace of Minnesota, and for all those embroiled in this difficult and tragic situation.