DC: Fighting Against the Chill
The cold is coming at us from many directions
As I begin this post, I am torn. Torn between writing something timely and anguished, or writing something cheerful and uplifting. I’m not sure I can decide, so here is a bit of both.
First the uplift. Amid the icy streets, I’m fortunate to live in a neighborhood where people (mostly) shovel their sidewalks, and where a few groceries and a hot coffee are a short walk from home. Although I’ve spent plenty of time in wintry Ontario, I’ve never lived in a place where the temperature regularly stays below freezing and the ground remains white for months. That is to say, I’m prone to cabin fever, so getting out for a little stroll to buy bananas and get some coffee in a social setting feels like a necessity. That makes our local coffee shop, Coffee Nature, which was already open for a few hours last Monday right after the storm, a particular treat. And for the groceries? That has to be Rodman’s, a neighborhood fixture that’s well known in other parts of the city as well, thanks to its mix of essential and eclectic foods and a fully-stocked drug store downstairs. While we have to get in the car for some things, it’s a relief, and a release, to be around others without having to navigate the streets.
Now for something completely different. The rest of this is sort of the flip side of my last week’s post, and more about self-reflection: why has Minneapolis become the center of the federal clampdown and citizen resistance, rather than DC? I have some possible answers: 1) The administration found a ready excuse, in the day-care allegations, to vigorously target Somali Americans; 2) The federal ranks have been greatly reinforced, allowing a more robust deployment in Minneapolis than we saw; 3) After the George Floyd murder, Minneapolis got very organized, and they still are; 4) We, along with other cities such as Portland and LA, were at the front end of the federal overreach, so the fury in Minneapolis has had plenty of time to build.
Of course, and as I’ve written before, I’m not convinced that here in DC we know the full extent of deployment by ICE, or by other federal agents. In part, this is because the presence of all sorts of federal officers, and the need for our local MPD to cooperate with them in normal times, makes the ramp-up more a matter of degree and not of kind – that is, federal agents of various types are always around us in the capital city, and in the past that hasn’t been very noteworthy. BUT. BUT. Back in August when the president declared his false emergency, and since then with the city administration’s decision to undertake a combination of ongoing cooperation and quiet pushback, a schism has developed between DC residents who see what they see and executive officials who largely try to avoid direct statements about what’s really going on. I say “executive officials” because members of our council are often vocal in support of their constituents – and all the more so as our June primaries approach.
ICE undoubtedly is still active on the streets of Washington, DC, and there is evidently low-key, wink-wink-nod-nod collaboration with the MPD taking place. Our ostensible “sanctuary city” status is no more. That said, our unique vulnerability to federal control means we are like no other city in the country, and most residents here recognize that our home rule status – the Congressionally-granted ability for us to run our local affairs unless the feds decide otherwise – is always in play. As sad as it is, we who live here are not the real constituents of the DC government at a time like this: Congress and the White House are. When times are not so dire, our local officials are able to stop looking over their shoulders for the most part. But times right now are indeed dire.
"ICE"There continue to be regular protests by residents here in DC, and immigrant seizures on DC streets. Participation in most of the protests is more in the hundreds than the thousands: we are all too aware of the conflagration that could easily erupt if the feds decide to come down on us. They’re already here, after all. So this may be the biggest reason why DC is not in the forefront of the resistance.
I take part in protests when I feel my presence might do some good, so I showed up on the 24th (hours before news of the Pretti killing) to join a group outside a local Target calling on that Minnesota-based company to use its economic power to push back against ICE raids in Minneapolis. Of course, there are many people with ancillary causes in such a protest, and when some began a chant equating our local police force with the KKK, I bowed out. It’s hard to remain a moderate in these times, but equally crucial to stay true to our own belief systems and not be pulled toward the edges.
Well, back to my once-warm-now-cooling cup of coffee. My best to friends in the Carolinas who are now digging out of yet another snowstorm…I wish the weather were the worst of our problems.
[Thank you to all my viewers and subscribers - I’ve now reached 100! I hope my weekly injection of news from the real DC continues to meet your expectations - please continue to spread the word to folks across the country - and keep warm.]
https://www.afslaw.com/perspectives/alerts/district-columbia-2026-election-overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_home_rule