ICE raids – Businesses closed. Why?

Today, we went to a restaurant we’ve been going to for almost 30 years. The food is good, the atmosphere warm, the people welcoming. It’s the kind of place that reminds me why I fell in love with this country: hard-working folks building community through food and hospitality.

But when I pulled up, the doors were locked. Lights off. A simple sign: closed for the day. No explanation needed—I knew why. Like many restaurants across the Twin Cities right now (from Pineda Tacos to vendors at Midtown Global Market, El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul, and others), the ongoing federal immigration enforcement has created fear. Workers staying home, owners reducing hours or shutting temporarily for safety. Revenue down 50-80% in some spots. It’s real hardship, and my heart goes out to legal workers and owners caught in this—families feeling the pinch, dreams disrupted.

As a grateful legal immigrant who’s built a life here the right way, I don’t celebrate anyone’s struggle. But gratitude isn’t blind to reality; it’s the lens that sees deeper. Enforcement isn’t cruelty—it’s the reset that strengthens the foundation we all rely on. Here are some thoughts on what’s unfolding, tested through the Three Pillars we’ve built this movement around.

If You’re Here Legally, There’s No Need for Fear The operations target criminal aliens and those violating immigration laws—not lawful residents or citizens. If someone is legal (citizen, green card, visa), why the widespread fear keeping workers home? And crucially: There are no headlines screaming about mistaken deportations of actual U.S. citizens. If even one clear case existed, it’d dominate every news cycle. The absence tells the story—enforcement, when done properly, protects the system that welcomed immigrants like me.
Greed, Not Just Necessity, Played a Role Let’s call a spade a spade, with accountability at the forefront. Many businesses relied on off-the-books labor—either accepting questionable IDs (state-issued or otherwise) or knowingly hiring undocumented workers for lower costs. That’s not sustainable compassion; it’s undermining fair wages and competition for legal workers (citizens, legal immigrants, young Americans entering the workforce). The Accountability pillar demands we own this: Shortcuts built on greed created vulnerability. When laws are enforced evenly, those choices catch up.
Short-Term Pain Leads to Long-Term Gain Yes, operations are hurting now—closed doors, lost revenue, strained families. But history shows enforcement resets the labor market positively. Businesses must compete fairly: recruit legally, raise wages to attract workers (we’ve seen this in past crackdowns—wages grow as supply tightens). Prices might rise temporarily, but a healthier economy emerges—more spending power, less strain on public services, opportunities for all who follow the rules. Gratitude looks ahead: This disruption plants seeds for stronger, fairer, because it’s legal – growth.
Rule of Law Isn’t Chaos—It’s the Order Freedom Requires Freedom thrives with clear rules, not their absence. Without enforcement, you get selective chaos: depressed wages, eroded trust, sanctuary policies that shielded violations for years. Now, the rules are in focus again—settling what’s expected. The Assimilation pillar calls for integration legally; Allegiance means loyalty to the shared system. Enforcement repairs cracks, rebuilding one grateful America.

Did I miss anything? Perhaps this: Past non-cooperation (refusing detainers, sanctuary stances) enabled the reliance we’re seeing unwind now. And for those affected—there are legal paths forward. As someone who navigated them gratefully, I know they’re worth it. They build lasting success, not fragile shortcuts.

This isn’t about division. It’s gratitude in action: Acknowledging pain while trusting the pillars to guide repair. E Pluribus Unum—out of many disruptions, one stronger nation.

To my fellow Twin Cities folks feeling this: Hold fast. Wear your gratitude (check out Grateful Wear—every purchase supports Tunnel to Towers heroes who protect the freedoms we cherish). Support legal paths. Live the pillars daily.

Because gratitude turns closed doors into open opportunities.

LIVE GRATEFUL 🇺🇸

Pivoting to Peace? Test It with the Three Pillars – Specially Accountability. Fool Me Once, Shame on You; Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me

In the wake of Minnesota’s escalating chaos—fatal shootings involving ICE agents (including the tragic Renee Good incident on January 7), protests turning violent with fireworks, blocked vehicles, assaults on officers, tear gas, and threats of the Insurrection Act—the officials who helped ignite the fire are now calling for calm.

Governor Tim Walz, who described ICE’s lawful enforcement as an “occupation” raining “chaos, disruption, and trauma,” who accused agents of going door-to-door demanding neighbors turn in “people of color,” who smeared them as “modern-day Gestapo” and urged filming for future “atrocity” databases/prosecutions, now appeals: protest loudly and urgently, but peacefully; don’t fan the flames; turn the temperature down.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who called ICE actions “disgusting and intolerable,” told agents to “get the f**k out,” disputed federal accounts as “bullshit,” and framed enforcement as reckless brutality, is now pleading for protesters not to “take the bait,” to stay calm, and to go home when things heat up.

It’s a pivot to peace. But peace built on unaddressed cracks won’t hold. Their heated rhetoric—smearing federal agents as occupiers or Gestapo-like, framing enforcement as tyranny or kidnapping—created a big crack: one that hinges dangerously close to encouraging defiance or even insurrection-like resistance against federal law. Words like that don’t just inflame; they erode trust in the rule of law itself.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

We won’t be fooled twice. Gratitude isn’t blind optimism—it’s the force that demands repair. The Three Pillars provide the blueprint to test if this pivot is genuine or just political damage control. Start with the first pillar, because without it, the others crumble—specially Accountability.

Accountability – Repair the Crack First Gratitude requires owning the damage done. Officials must openly admit: ICE agents are implementing federal laws—laws passed by Congress, upheld by the courts, and essential to national sovereignty. They are not “Gestapo officers,” not an “occupation force,” not agents of “organized brutality.” Stop the smears that paint lawful enforcement as tyranny. Admit the role inflammatory rhetoric played in fueling assaults on agents, blocked operations, stolen weapons from vehicles, ramming incidents, and the overall chaos that endangered lives on all sides. Real accountability means reflection, not deflection. Without this admission and retraction, the crack widens—into something that looks a lot like hinging on insurrection against federal authority. Fool me once with blame-shifting; we won’t let it happen twice.
Assimilation – Absolute Adherence to the Law True gratitude for America means assimilating into our shared system: the rule of law applies to everyone—protesters, officials, citizens, immigrants. Officials pivoting to “peaceful protest” must go further: explicitly tell citizens to ABSOLUTELY ADHERE TO THE LAW. Do not impede officers. Do NOT throw objects at officers. Do NOT block them in. Do NOT lay a hand on them! Period. No excuses, no “bait” justifications. Assimilation rejects selective obedience—it’s all-in on the law that protects us all. Anything less fans the very flames officials now claim to want extinguished.
Allegiance – Full Prosecution for Violations Allegiance is to one nation, indivisible—not to party, not to chaos, not to division. It means standing with law enforcement at every level. Minnesota law enforcement—state troopers, Minneapolis PD, county sheriffs—must arrest and prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone who violates these basics: assaulting federal agents, impeding duties, throwing projectiles, blocking access, or any other criminal act amid the protests. No kid gloves for “passionate” protesters. Allegiance demands equal justice: protect ICE agents as we protect local officers. Show it in arrests, charges, and convictions—not selective enforcement that picks sides.

This isn’t partisan gotcha. It’s gratitude in action: E Pluribus Unum requires repairing cracks before they become chasms. Officials: If your pivot to peace is real, prove it. Start with Accountability—admit the truth about ICE and federal law. Demand Assimilation through clear, uncompromising calls to obey the law. Demonstrate Allegiance by ensuring full prosecution of violators.

To every grateful heart—immigrant, citizen, Minnesotan, American: Hold them to it. Test every word and action against the Three Pillars—specially Accountability as the foundation.

Because gratitude repairs what division breaks. One grateful America, rebuilt pillar by pillar.

LIVE GRATEFUL 🇺🇸

PS. Wear your gratitude (and support Tunnel to Towers through Grateful Wear—every purchase gives back to heroes who face real dangers). Live it daily. Go to the Grateful Wear page of this blog. You will see the QR code or link. You don’t have to buy anything. Just donate. Be well.

E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One Grateful America

America’s motto says it best: E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.

I came to this country as an immigrant, full of gratitude for the chance it gave me. That gratitude became my foundation—the 3 Pillars of Accountability, Assimilation, and Allegiance that I live by and write about every day. But the longer I’m here, the clearer it becomes: this isn’t just an immigrant message. It’s an American message.

Native-born citizens who love this country, who work hard, pay taxes, raise families under the flag, and honor its laws—they live these same pillars without ever thinking of themselves as “immigrants.” And they’re right. Yet we share the exact same spirit: gratitude for what America offers, and a fierce commitment to protect and strengthen it.

That’s why I’ve expanded the family of sites:

thegratefulimmigrant.com – The original home of the blog. Where we started, where the pillars were born, where the conversations live.
agratefulimmigrant.com – Points straight to the store, because gratitude isn’t just words—it’s action, and we’ll have ways to wear it proudly.
thegratefulcitizen.com – The blog home for every American who feels this way, immigrant or not.
agratefulcitizen.com – The store gateway for the broader family.

“The” sites feed the mind and heart (the blog). “A” sites feed the mission (the store). All four point to the same truth—bound together by one powerful symbol.

That symbol is the creative, artistic G—the representation of Gratitude and Grateful that stands for every site, every story, and everyone who calls themselves part of this family, no matter how you identify. It’s the heartbeat of everything we build here.

And that’s exactly why our motto is simple, strong, and unifying: LIVE GRATEFUL.

We’re not separate tribes. We’re not “immigrants vs. citizens.” We’re one people—different starting points, same destination: a stronger, more united America built on gratitude instead of grievance.

E Pluribus Unum isn’t just Latin on a seal. It’s the daily choice to say:

I will be accountable—no excuses, no shortcuts.
I will assimilate—adding my strength to the whole, not demanding the whole bend to me.
I will give allegiance—to this flag, this Constitution, this shared home above any other.

Whether you crossed an ocean to get here or your family has been here for generations, if gratitude drives you, you belong in this circle.

So welcome—grateful immigrant, grateful citizen, grateful American. We’re building the same thing. Out of many backgrounds, one unbreakable spirit.

Which site brought you here today? Drop it in the comments, and tell me which pillar you’re living strongest right now. Let’s keep growing this family.

— The Grateful Immigrant (and Proud Citizen)

LIVE GRATEFUL

The Real Insurrection Unmasked: J6 Moral Police Now Cheering Lawless Chaos Against Federal Agents

Listen up, America. For years, we’ve heard the endless drumbeat from the self-appointed “moral police”—politicians, media, and activists who turned January 6, 2021, into the crime of the century. They labeled everyday folks “insurrectionists,” threw them in jail for trespassing or parading, and patted themselves on the back for “defending democracy.” Fast-forward to 2026, and these same hypocrites are either silent or outright cheering as elected officials incite crowds to block, assault, and endanger federal agents enforcing the law. That’s not protest— that’s the real insurrection. And it’s happening right now in places like Minnesota, fueled by lies and defiance that undermine the very nation that gave us all a shot.

Let’s lay out the facts, side by side, no sugarcoating. Because gratitude starts with truth, and truth demands accountability.

The J6 “Insurrection” They Won’t Let Go

On January 6, 2021, a chaotic day at the Capitol led to the largest federal investigation in U.S. history. Over 1,583 people were arrested, with 1,270 convicted—mostly through guilty pleas. Sentences? The median was 30 days overall, but for those who got jail time, it was about 210 days. The harshest? 22 years for seditious conspiracy. Many were non-violent—charged with things like “entering and remaining in a restricted building” or “disorderly conduct.” No one was armed with guns inside the Capitol, and the only fatality from violence was an unarmed protester shot by police. Yet, the moral police screamed “treason!” and demanded every last participant rot in prison. President Trump pardoned most in 2025, but the damage was done: lives ruined, families torn apart, all to score political points.

The 2026 Minnesota Mayhem: Officials Inciting the “Real Insurrection”

Now flip the script to Minnesota under Governor Tim Walz. Federal ICE agents are doing their job—enforcing immigration laws, targeting criminals and fraudsters in a surge called Operation Metro Surge. They’ve arrested over 2,500 since December, focusing on violent offenders and those gaming the system. But Walz? He’s calling it an “occupation” and “organized brutality.” In a prime-time address, he accused ICE of going “door to door, ordering people to point out where their neighbors of color live,” pulling over citizens indiscriminately, and “kidnapping” people into unmarked vans. He urged Minnesotans to film agents for “future prosecutions” and build a “database of atrocities.” That’s not leadership—that’s incitement.

And the streets? Protests have turned violent: Crowds blocking arrests, throwing fireworks and tear gas canisters back at agents, doxxing federal officers live on stream. Attacks on ICE have “exploded,” with agents injured in clashes. DHS reports Walz’s sanctuary policies released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets, refusing to honor detainers. One tragic shooting—of Renee Good by an ICE agent in self-defense—sparked riots, but the moral police ignore the context: Protesters surrounding and endangering agents.

President Trump threatened the Insurrection Act to restore order, and Walz begged him to “turn the temperature down.” But who’s really fanning the flames? Officials defying federal law, encouraging interference—that’s insurrection by any definition.

The Hypocrisy Laid Bare: Juxtapositions That Sting

J6: A few hours of chaos at the Capitol, no takeover, yet branded “insurrection” with 1,500+ prosecutions. Minnesota: Weeks of violent interference with federal operations, officials urging citizens to document and resist law enforcement—crickets from the J6 crowd.
J6: Non-violent entrants got months in jail for “parading.” Minnesota: Protesters assault agents, block deportations of criminals—Walz calls it “peaceful” and blames the feds.
J6: Moral police demanded allegiance to “democracy” and the rule of law. Minnesota: The same voices cheer sanctuary defiance, releasing violent criminals while ICE hunts them down. Where’s the allegiance now?
J6: Endless hearings, books, documentaries on the “threat to America.” Minnesota: Walz’s lies about “neighbors of color” fuel racial division and danger to agents, but no one calls it seditious.

This isn’t about sides—it’s about consistency. The moral police who crucified J6 participants now enable elected officials to undermine federal authority, putting lives at risk. That’s not protecting democracy; that’s eroding it for votes and virtue-signaling.

Back to the 3 Pillars: The Antidote to This Madness

This hypocrisy spits on the gratitude that built America. Remember the 3 Pillars:

Accountability: J6 folks faced the music—harshly. But Walz dodges it, releasing criminals and inciting crowds. Real accountability means honoring laws, not hiding behind “sanctuary” excuses.
Assimilation: True immigrants embrace the rules. Defying federal enforcement? That’s rejecting the system that welcomes us.
Allegiance: Loyalty to America means standing with law enforcement, not against it. Walz’s “occupation” talk betrays the flag—the same one agents risk their lives for.

Choose gratitude over grievance. Demand leaders who unite, not divide. Because a nation without law is no nation at all—and as a grateful immigrant, I won’t stand by while hypocrites tear it down.

What pillar will you defend today?

LIVE GRATEFUL

— The Grateful Immigrant

Chaos Swirls—But Gratitude Stands Firm: The 3 Pillars That Silence the Storm

We’re watching it unfold again: crowds whipped into fury, blocking federal agents doing their lawful duty, hurling tear gas canisters back at the very people keeping order. Politicians fan the flames with wild claims—ICE “terrorizing families,” “forcing neighbors to snitch on people of color”—while sanctuary policies shield fraud and lawbreaking. Ten years in America, some communities still lean heavily on welfare while rejecting the laws that built this nation. Hypocrisy from the top, ingratitude from within, interference on the streets. Chaos.

But chaos isn’t the answer. It never has been.

The answer—the only answer that lasts—is gratitude. Real, lived-out gratitude. The kind our forefathers and grateful immigrants built this country on. The kind distilled into the 3 Pillars of Gratitude:

1. Accountability
No excuses. No “whataboutism.” You follow the law, you own your choices, you contribute instead of take. When federal agents knock with a warrant, you step aside—not because you fear them, but because you respect the system that gave you (or your neighbors) a shot at freedom. Accountability exposes theft and fraud; chaos only hides it.

2. Assimilation
You learn the language, embrace the culture, add your strength to ours. You don’t demand the nation bend to you—you bend toward it, out of respect for the sacrifices that made it possible. Assimilation builds bridges; isolation and demands build walls of resentment.

3. Allegiance
Loyalty to this nation, above any other flag or ideology. You honor the crosses at Arlington, the beaches of Normandy, the dust of Kandahar. You stand with law enforcement, not against it. Anything less is betrayal—of the gift you were given, and of the Americans who paid for it in blood.

These aren’t suggestions. They’re the legs holding up Uncle Sam’s stool. Kick one out, and the whole thing collapses.

Right now, too many are choosing the storm—fed by deceit, driven by anger, doomed by division. But we don’t have to join them.

Choose gratitude instead. Live the 3 Pillars. Teach them to your children. Demand them from your community. Wear them like armor.

Because gratitude isn’t weakness—it’s rebellion against chaos. It’s strength when everything else shakes. It’s the quiet, steady force that built the greatest nation on earth… and the one that will keep it standing.

What pillar are you strengthening today?

LIVE GRATEFUL

— The Grateful Immigrant

Doomed by Deceit

ACCOUNTABILITY & ALLEGIANCE

The image is of someone picking up a canister of some type of gas that the Federal Agents tossed to disperse the crowd. Just like most of the ICE encounters, the agents have been literally attacked. Why? Because of this…

Tim Walz address to Minnesota

I’ll get straight to my point. What Tim Walz doesn’t say, not once, is that ICE Agents are enforcing Immigration laws. Period. Will mistakes be made? I’m sure there will be. This is the correction of the over 8 million illegals allowed into the United States by the previous administration.

Again, Governor Walz doesn’t point that out at all. NOT ONCE! He doesn’t tell his viewers that Immigration is the sole purview of the Federal Government and that he has publicly stated that He and Minnesota will not help the Federal Government in enforcing the law. He is acting and talking in a manner that communicates that Minnesota has seceded from the country. Dangerous and reckless.

I am a person of color. I am not terrorized nor am I worried that I will be “abducted” by ICE officers. They are simply trying to do their job – AGGRESSIVELY if needed. However, they don’t go out “hunting” people of color. A lot of their agents are people of color.

So, the person in the image picking up the canister plus all the other people clashing with ICE in a manner that reeks of INSURRECTION, are dooming their fates on words of deceit.

LIVE GRATEFUL

Kamala buys an $8 million home in Malibu

ACCOUNTABILITY

Nothing says – “progressive woman of the people” – like buying a house 90% of Americans will never be able to afford.

To be clear, I don’t begrudge ANY American spending whatever money they “EARNED” from whatever it is they want to buy. My mocking of Kamala Harris and people like her is her hypocrisy. They NEVER live the life they lecture all of us on. NEVER!

At least with DJT, he’s never pretended to be anything but ostentatious! Love him or hate him, he doesn’t hide who he is.

I am also curious as to where Kamala got the money to buy such a home? Loan? She didn’t sell enough books to do this. Oh well, just like Biden owning multiple million dollar plus homes.

Oh! I better not forget to mention Bernie Sanders. Three homes! He’s a millionaire! No wonder he just vilifies Billionaires. No more Millionaires. Why? Because HE IS ONE!

Look, they get paid speaking fees etc. All legal. My point is that if they were true believers, they’d give it all up if not donate almost all of it to the poor. Nah, that’s just for patsies.

I’m rambling already…Be well.

LIVE GRATEFUL

Where People Go, Enforcement Goes. Simple as That. #CommonSense

ACCOUNTABILITY & ALLEGIANCE

ICE Agents are told that they can’t go into Schools, Churches, Work, Neighborhoods etc..

So, when they’re looking for people, don’t go where people go. Yeah, that makes sense!

LIVE GRATEFUL

“Role Reversal: Trump Impedes J6 Arrests, Hits Obama—Deadly Force Justified?”

Trump as driver. Biden stopping him. Obama in front of Trump’s car.

What if…

While rounding up J6ers, President Trump successfully Impedes President Biden and President Obama in the performance of their duties. President Biden told Trump to stop and to get out of the car. Instead of complying, Trump drives off to get away hitting President Obama in the process. President Obama shoots Trump dead!

Justified?

Ten Years In—And Still on the Dole!

ACCOUNTABILITY – ASSIMIMATION

81% of Somali households in Minnesota, after a decade-plus, hooked on aid! Need a minute to read that again and let it sink in? TEN YEARS ISN’T VACATION!

Somali-Headed Households in Minnesota (Overall)

81% use at least one form of welfare (cash, food stamps/SNAP, or Medicaid).
54% receive food stamps (SNAP).
73% have at least one member on Medicaid.
27% receive cash welfare (e.g., TANF, SSI, general assistance).

For comparison:

Native-headed households in Minnesota: Only 21% use any welfare, with 7% on food stamps and 18% on Medicaid.

Somali Households with Children

89% receive some form of welfare (nearly every such household).

Long-Term Residency (10+ Years in the U.S.)

Welfare use drops only marginally—still around 78% for Somali immigrant households after a decade or more (per congressional testimony citing the CIS data and related figures). The report notes rates are “only marginally lower” than the overall Somali population, with persistent high reliance.

These figures highlight the depth: It’s not just occasional use—it’s widespread across major programs, especially for families.

National Non-Citizen Households

Around 59% CIS’s 2022–2023 analyses (using Survey of Income and Program Participation data):

58.6%–59% of non-citizen-headed households (including legal green card holders and undocumented) use at least one major welfare program.
This compares to about 39% for U.S.-born households.

The information above is my research from different AI platforms.

What should any reasonable citizen expect after they’ve been welcoming and have sacrificed themselves by working hard and sharing their resources? Are the welcomed immigrants pulling their weight?

To add insult to injury, the Americans who opened their country to these immigrants are painted as selfish! I’m not kidding. There are viral videos mocking those same Americans.

Apologies? Promises to pull their weight? Nah! Just blame shifting. Name calling like – Racist! Xenophobe! Privilege!

The elected officials elected to protect our interests? What about them? Well, they’re the ones with megaphones casting those accusations! Not a joke!

The failures – No Accountability! No Assimilation! No Allegiance!

The repair/fix – LIVE GRATEFUL – GRATITUDE – MEA CULPA

Reinforce the 3 Pillars of Gratitude Accountability · Assimilation · Allegiance

LIVE GRATEFUL