Operation Shutdown: How Trump Turned Two Dead Citizens Into a $100 Billion Conspiracy

BREAKING UPDATE - FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026

The National Shutdown happened.

Protests erupted across all 50 states today under the banner “No work. No school. No shopping.” Organizers called it the largest coordinated action against immigration enforcement in U.S. history. First Avenue in Minneapolis hosted a sold-out benefit concert for the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti featuring Tom Morello and Rise Against.

Bruce Springsteen released “Streets of Minneapolis” on Wednesday—a protest song written Saturday, recorded Tuesday, released Wednesday. Key lyrics: “King Trump’s private army from the DHS / came to Minneapolis to enforce the law, or so their story goes / Against smoke and rubber bullets, in dawn’s early light / citizens stood for justice, their voices ringing through the night.”

The government shutdown is happening too. Senate negotiations collapsed Thursday night. Lindsey Graham blocked unanimous consent. The deadline is midnight tonight. The House is in recess until Monday—they can’t pass anything before the deadline even if the Senate does.

Democrats are refusing to fund DHS without reforms to ICE operations following the Pretti killing. “Federal agents cannot murder people in broad daylight and face zero consequences,” Senator Patty Murray wrote. She had previously supported ending the November shutdown. Now she’s voting no.

The partial shutdown will affect $1.3 trillion in spending—75% of the federal budget.

But here’s what doesn’t shut down: ICE. The agency already has $75 billion in funding from fiscal year 2025. Operations continue regardless.

And this morning, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told CBS News the state is deciding whether to file criminal charges against federal agents in both the Good and Pretti killings. “There is absolutely no absolute immunity on the part of federal agents,” she said. “It doesn’t matter where they work—for the federal government or not.”

The trap is still operating. But 50,000 people marched in -20°F weather on January 23. Hundreds of thousands participated in today’s shutdown. Tom Homan acknowledged Thursday the administration is “open to a drawdown” in Minneapolis.

Trump’s $100 billion fraud conspiracy didn’t materialize. The shutdown is happening anyway. And the country is watching what happens when federal agents kill citizens and face zero accountability.

Original investigation published January 27, 2026.

UPDATE - January 28, 2026: Cambodia joined Trump's Board of Peace as "Founding Member," validating the pattern: Venezuela → Board of Peace → Minneapolis. Systematic authoritarian expansion documented across here.

BREAKING UPDATES - January 27, 10:00 AM EST:

• Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino DEMOTED and leaving Minnesota today
• Tom Homan taking over operations, meeting Mayor Frey today
• Federal Judge orders ICE Director to court Friday over habeas corpus violations
• Tens of thousands protested Friday in -10°F temperatures, 700 businesses closed
• Shutdown odds jump to 77%, Senate vote today after storm delay
• Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar confirms she's voting NO

Four days before the federal government shuts down, here's what Minneapolis looks like:

Two U.S. citizens dead in three weeks. Both killed by federal agents. Both times the Department of Homeland Security lied about what happened. Both times video proved the lies.

President Donald Trump's response: The protests aren't about the killings. They're covering up "$100 billion" in welfare fraud.

No evidence provided. Just the number. Just the accusation. Just enough to reframe two federal executions as a massive criminal conspiracy that protesters are trying to hide.

Now Senate Democrats are blocking the government funding bill that keeps DHS operating. The deadline is Friday, January 31. The House already passed it. The Senate won't touch it. $1.2 trillion in federal spending, 80 percent of the entire budget, hangs in the balance.

Trump sent his "border czar" Tom Homan to Minneapolis on Monday night to "manage ICE operations" and "coordinate investigations into massive, widespread fraud."

Here's what's actually happening: The federal government killed two citizens for monitoring its operations. Protests erupted. Trump invented a $100 billion fraud conspiracy to justify the crackdown. Democrats threaten to shut down the government over the killings. But ICE already has $75 billion in funding from last year, operations continue either way.

This is the trap. And it's working exactly as designed.

The Killings

The details are fully documented in Investigation #24: Operation Minneapolis. Here's what matters for understanding the shutdown crisis:

Renee Good, January 7: Mother of three, poet, shot dead in her car by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. DHS claimed she "weaponized her vehicle". Video showed she was turning away when shot. Trump called state officials "insurrectionists" for demanding accountability.

Alex Pretti, January 24: ICU nurse, U.S. citizen, shot while filming agents with his phone. DHS called him a "domestic terrorist". Video verified by Reuters, BBC, Wall Street Journal, AP, and NPR shows he was disarmed before being shot. Federal officials confirmed Monday that Border Patrol agents were wearing body cameras. Footage exists. Public hasn't seen it.

Zero agents charged. Zero investigations opened. Former Vice President Mike Pence called the "images deeply troubling" and demanded "full and transparent investigation."

That's the foundation. Two citizens dead. Video contradicts federal claims both times. Zero consequences.

Now Trump claims the real story is welfare fraud. And the government might shut down over it.

The Conspiracy

Trump's Claim

On Monday morning, January 26, Trump posted on Truth Social:

"I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight. He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me. Separately, a major investigation is going on with respect to the massive 20 Billion Dollar, Plus, Welfare Fraud that has taken place in Minnesota, and is at least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets."

The number changed throughout the day. First "$20 Billion Dollar, Plus." Then $100 billion: "Much of what you're witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud."

One hundred billion dollars. Stolen from Minnesota. Over "the years." And protesters supposedly know about it, which is why they're in the streets, not because federal agents killed two citizens, but because they're covering up the theft.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Homan would "coordinate with those leading investigations into the massive, widespread fraud that has resulted in billions of taxpayer dollars being stolen."

What Fraud Actually Exists: The Complete Record

There is real fraud in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors have been investigating and prosecuting cases since 2022. Here's the complete documented record:

Feeding Our Future: $250 Million (2020-2022)

The largest case is Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that claimed to distribute meals to schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme worked like this:

Feeding Our Future registered as a sponsor for the federal Child Nutrition Programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These programs reimburse organizations for providing free meals to children. During COVID-19, restrictions were relaxed, meals could be distributed at non-school sites, paperwork requirements were reduced, and reimbursement rates increased to ensure children continued receiving nutrition during lockdowns.

Defendants allegedly:

• Created fake meal distribution sites that never existed
• Submitted fraudulent meal count sheets claiming to serve thousands of meals daily that were never prepared
• Invoiced for food purchases that never happened, using fake vendor invoices
• Routed stolen money through multiple shell companies and nonprofits
• Used a network of co-conspirators to open bank accounts and process fraudulent claims
• Purchased luxury items with stolen funds: homes, luxury vehicles, property in Kenya and Turkey, jewelry

The scale was staggering. Some defendants claimed to serve 5,000-7,000 meals per day from small storefronts. Investigators found these locations closed or had no kitchen facilities. Others claimed to operate dozens of meal sites simultaneously, an operational impossibility.

Federal prosecutors charged more than 70 people in connection with the scheme. More than 50 have been convicted so far, with trials continuing. Total documented fraud: approximately $250 million.

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This case is real, extensively documented, fully prosecuted under the Biden administration (charges brought in 2022), and already public knowledge. It has been covered by every major news outlet for three years.

Housing Stabilization Services: Amount Unknown, Program Shut Down

Minnesota's emergency housing program was created in 2021 to provide short-term rental assistance to people at risk of homelessness. The program was intended to prevent evictions during and after COVID-19.

Prosecutors allege fraud worked through several mechanisms:

• Fake landlords: Individuals created shell property management companies and submitted claims for rent payments on properties they didn't own or that didn't exist
• Fake tenants: Property owners billing for vacant units while claiming tenants received housing assistance
• Identity theft: Using stolen identities to create fake tenant profiles and collect payments
• Kickback schemes: Landlords and "tenants" splitting payments, landlord submits claim for rent assistance, "tenant" receives payment, both split the money, no actual housing provided
• Serial abuse: Single individuals filing claims under multiple names using stolen or fake IDs

The program ballooned from initial estimates of $2.6 million annually to more than $100 million in spending in 2024-2025. State officials couldn't explain the explosion. Audits revealed systematic abuse.

Minnesota shut down the entire Housing Stabilization Services program in late 2025 to investigate. The program no longer exists. Multiple defendants have been charged. Total fraud amount: still being calculated by investigators. No official estimate has been released.

Autism Services (EIDBI): Small-Scale Fraud, Investigations Ongoing

Minnesota's Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program provides services to children with autism spectrum disorder. Two primary defendants have been charged:

• Asha Farhan Hassan (who was also charged in Feeding Our Future): Allegedly hired unqualified "behavioral technicians" who lacked proper credentials, submitted false claims indicating these unqualified staff worked directly with enrolled autistic children when they didn't, and paid kickbacks to parents (up to $1,500 per family) to enroll their children in the fraudulent program even when services weren't provided
• Other defendants: Additional individuals charged with similar schemes, billing for services never rendered, hiring unqualified staff, paying kickbacks to families

The fraud amount is much smaller than Feeding Our Future or the housing program. Investigations are ongoing. No total fraud estimate has been provided by prosecutors.

Medicaid and Child Care Programs: 14 Programs Under Investigation

Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said in July 2025 that fraud in Minnesota public programs had "exceeded $1 billion in ongoing investigations."

By November 2025, the New York Times reported federal prosecutors had found "more than $1 billion of fraud in three separate schemes", referring to Feeding Our Future, housing stabilization, and autism services combined.

In December 2025, Thompson called it "industrial-scale fraud" at a press conference:

"The fraud is not small. It isn't isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated. What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It's a staggering, industrial-scale fraud."

Thompson said 14 different Medicaid programs had been flagged for "significant fraud problems." He suggested total losses "could reach into the billions", plural, unspecified, potential future estimate.

Minnesota paused payments in those 14 Medicaid programs in late 2025 to conduct investigations. The state's Department of Human Services Office of the Inspector General reported 62 active investigations into child care centers participating in the Child Care Assistance Program alone.

These investigations are ongoing. No charges have been filed yet for most. No total fraud estimate exists. Thompson said "could reach into the billions" as a potential figure if investigations confirm widespread fraud across all 14 programs, but that hasn't been confirmed, documented, or quantified.

The Al-Shabaab Terror Funding Allegation: No Evidence

The conservative magazine City Journal alleged in November 2025 that some stolen funds from these fraud schemes were sent to Somalia to fund the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The allegation was based on three law enforcement sources: two anonymous, one named.

The single named official later stated publicly that he was misquoted and disputed the claim.

Multiple federal investigators told CBS News there is "no evidence taxpayer dollars were funneled to Al-Shabaab."

Former U.S. Attorney Andy Luger, who personally led the Feeding Our Future prosecutions from 2022 until his departure in January 2025, was explicit:

"There was never any evidence that this money went to fund terrorism nor was there any evidence that was the intent of the 70 people we indicted. The vast majority of the money that these folks made went to spending on luxury items for themselves."

A 2019 Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report examined similar allegations and said it was "unable to substantiate" claims that funds went to terrorist groups. The report noted it's "possible" but found no evidence.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced in mid-January 2026 that Treasury is launching an investigation to determine whether any Minnesota tax money went to Al-Shabaab. No results from that investigation have been made public. No evidence has been presented. The investigation is ongoing.

The allegation remains unproven. No evidence has been presented publicly. No charges have been filed related to terrorism financing.

Total Documented Fraud: Approximately $1 Billion

Here's what we actually know:

Confirmed fraud:

• Feeding Our Future: $250 million (fully documented, 50+ convictions secured)

Under investigation:

• Housing Stabilization Services: Total unknown, program shut down, charges filed, investigations ongoing
• Autism services: Small-scale fraud, charges filed, total amount not disclosed
• 14 Medicaid programs: Investigations ongoing, no charges filed for most, no documented fraud totals

Federal prosecutors' official estimate: More than $1 billion across multiple schemes, with the potential to "reach into the billions" (plural, amount unspecified) if ongoing investigations into 14 Medicaid programs confirm widespread fraud.

Most generous estimate from any official source: "Billions" (plural, unspecified amount) suggested by Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson as potential final total if all investigations confirm fraud.

Treasury Secretary Bessent's statement: Fraud "wasted billions of taxpayer dollars", billions, not $100 billion.

Trump's claim: $100 billion.

The difference: Trump's number is 100 times larger than the documented fraud and 50-100 times larger than even the most generous speculative estimates from prosecutors.

Why the Number Is Impossible

Let's put $100 billion in context.

Minnesota's entire state budget for fiscal years 2024-2025 was $72 billion. That covers everything: K-12 education, higher education, healthcare, Medicaid, transportation, public safety, courts, prisons, parks, environmental programs, infrastructure, every single state operation for two years.

Trump is claiming criminals stole $100 billion over "the years" from Minnesota programs.

For that to be true:

• Fraud would exceed the entire state budget
• Criminals would have stolen more money than Minnesota spends on education, healthcare, and infrastructure combined, for two years
• Nobody noticed until 2025
• Federal and state auditors missed it during annual reviews
• The FBI, DOJ, and state investigators are dramatically understating losses by 99%

Or the simpler explanation:

The fraud is approximately $1 billion (already massive, already "industrial-scale," already prosecuted extensively), and Trump multiplied it by 100 to create a crisis large enough to justify federal occupation of an American city and reframe two killings as a cover-up for an invented conspiracy.

The Timing Reveals the Purpose

The fraud investigations have been ongoing since 2022. Feeding Our Future prosecutions started under the Biden administration. The $1 billion estimate came out in November 2025, two months before Renee Good was killed, three months before the protests began.

What changed in January 2026?

January 7: ICE kills Renee Good. Video contradicts DHS claims. Protests begin.

January 24: Border Patrol kills Alex Pretti. Video contradicts DHS claims. Protests intensify. Senate Democrats vow to block DHS funding.

January 26: Trump multiplies the fraud estimate by 100. Sends Homan to "investigate." Claims protests are covering up the theft.

The fraud didn't suddenly become 100 times larger. The political need to reframe two killings suddenly became urgent.

Hannah Arendt wrote in The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951): "The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists."

One billion becomes one hundred billion. Documented fraud becomes invented conspiracy. Dead citizens become cover-up participants. Protesters demanding accountability become criminals hiding theft.

The distinction between fact and fiction collapses. Not by accident. By design.

This isn't a mistake. It's a method.

Who Is Tom Homan, And Why Send Him?

Tom Homan served as acting director of ICE from January 2017 to June 2018 under Trump's first administration. He's not a career federal law enforcement officer. He's a political appointee known for aggressive immigration enforcement rhetoric and loyalty to Trump personally.

Homan gained prominence for defending family separation at the border in 2018, telling Congress that separating children from parents who crossed illegally was justified because "if you're going to come to this country, you should come legally." He became the face of Trump's "zero tolerance" policy.

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After leaving ICE in 2018, Homan worked at the Heritage Foundation as a visiting fellow. He appeared frequently on Fox News defending Trump's immigration policies. He wrote a book: Defend the Border and Save Lives: Solving Our Most Important Humanitarian and Security Crisis. He campaigned for Trump in 2024.

When Trump won re-election in November 2024, he named Homan "border czar", not ICE director (which requires Senate confirmation), but a White House advisor position with broad authority over border and immigration enforcement policy.

Homan has no law enforcement authority himself. He can't arrest anyone. He can't conduct investigations. He's a coordinator and enforcer of Trump's political will.

So why send Homan to Minneapolis?

He's not going to investigate fraud. Federal prosecutors are already doing that, they've been investigating for three years, charging 70+ people, securing 50+ convictions. Homan has no investigative expertise. He has no fraud investigation background. He has no authority to take over federal fraud prosecutions.

His stated purpose: "manage ICE operations" and "coordinate with those leading investigations."

Translation: Take over ICE operations in Minneapolis. Ensure ICE agents face no restrictions or accountability. Coordinate the political messaging linking the fraud investigations to the protests. Reframe the killings.

Homan is the fixer. The message-maker. The enforcer of Trump's narrative.

Sending him to Minneapolis says: The federal government will not back down. ICE operations will continue. The protests don't matter. The fraud conspiracy is now the official story. And Tom Homan, the man who defended family separation, will make sure everyone stays on message.

The Shutdown

How Government Funding Actually Works

The House passed six appropriations bills last week, bundled together as one massive package. Total: $1.2 trillion. That's 80 percent of the entire federal budget for fiscal year 2026.

The six bills fund:

1. Department of Homeland Security ($64.4 billion) - ICE, Border Patrol, TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, Secret Service, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
2. Department of Defense ($831 billion) - Military operations, personnel, equipment, veterans programs
3. Department of Health and Human Services ($125 billion in discretionary + mandatory spending) - Medicare, Medicaid, CDC, FDA, NIH, ACF
4. Department of Transportation ($86 billion) - FAA, highways, transit, Amtrak, maritime, pipeline safety
5. Department of State ($58 billion) - Embassies, diplomacy, foreign aid, international organizations
6. Department of Treasury ($16 billion) - IRS, financial regulation, tax enforcement, Bureau of Engraving

Why bundled together? Because it forces an all-or-nothing vote.

Republicans can't pass defense spending without passing DHS. Democrats can't fund healthcare without funding ICE. Nobody can fund State Department or Treasury without funding Border Patrol. That's the leverage, and the trap.

The remaining five appropriations bills (Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Financial Services) passed in December and are already funded through September 2026. They're not at risk. This shutdown only affects the six agencies in the current package.

But these six include Defense and HHS, the two largest agencies. A shutdown that includes the military is politically catastrophic for whoever gets blamed.

The Senate must pass this package by midnight Friday, January 31, or funding lapses and these agencies shut down.

Not the whole government. Just these six. But "partial government shutdown affecting defense and healthcare" is functionally the same as "government shutdown" politically.

What Actually Shuts Down, And What Doesn't

If funding lapses at midnight Friday, here's exactly what happens:

Department of Defense:

• All civilian personnel (approx. 750,000 employees) furloughed without pay
• Active-duty military (1.3 million) continue working without pay
• Veterans benefits continue (funded separately)
• Major weapons programs and procurement pause
• Training exercises pause unless deemed mission-critical
• Military bases remain operational at reduced capacity

Department of Health and Human Services:

• Medicare and Medicaid payments continue (mandatory spending, not affected by shutdown)
• CDC disease monitoring and outbreak response reduced to skeleton staff
• FDA food safety inspections pause except for high-risk items
• NIH research grants pause, clinical trials continue
• Head Start programs close (320,000 children affected)

Department of State:

• Embassy operations continue at reduced capacity
• Passport processing stops for non-emergency applications
• Visa processing severely delayed
• Foreign aid disbursements pause
• Diplomatic security continues (essential)

Department of Transportation:

• FAA air traffic controllers (essential) work without pay, approximately 14,000 controllers
• TSA security screeners (essential) work without pay, approximately 50,000 screeners
• Highway and transit grants pause
• Amtrak continues with delays
• Pipeline and hazmat safety inspections reduced

Department of Treasury:

• IRS operations severely curtailed (tax season impacted)
• Tax refund processing delays
• Audits and collections pause
• Financial crimes enforcement continues (essential)
• Debt payments continue (constitutional requirement)

Department of Homeland Security:

• TSA (essential) works without pay
• Coast Guard (essential) works without pay
• Secret Service protection (essential) continues without pay
• FEMA disaster response (essential) continues without pay, but grants pause
• ICE and Border Patrol: Designated "essential," continue working, but there's more to this story

That's the official shutdown plan. But it assumes these agencies don't have other funding sources.

They do.

The $75 Billion Slush Fund: Why ICE Doesn't Need This Bill

In July 2025, Congress passed Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", a massive tax, spending, and policy package that included border security, tax cuts, defense increases, and immigration enforcement funding.

Buried in it: $75 billion for ICE over four years, specifically allocated for detention and removal operations.

That money was appropriated for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. It doesn't expire in a shutdown. It's not part of the annual appropriations process. It's multi-year funding that's already allocated and available for ICE to spend regardless of whether the DHS appropriations bill passes.

This is separate from the $64.4 billion for DHS in the current bill. The $64.4 billion covers all of DHS, ICE, Border Patrol, TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, Secret Service, CISA, and headquarters operations. The $75 billion is just for ICE, just for detention and enforcement, just for four years.

Senator Patty Murray acknowledged this in her statement last week:

"The suggestion that a shutdown in this moment might curb the lawlessness of this administration is not rooted in reality: under a CR and in a shutdown, this administration can do everything they are already doing, but without any of the critical guardrails and constraints imposed by a full-year funding bill. ICE is now sitting on a massive slush fund it can tap whether or not we pass a funding bill."

Murray is saying: Blocking the appropriations bill doesn't stop ICE. It just removes the (minimal) restrictions and oversight requirements embedded in the annual appropriations language.

So when the government shuts down Friday night at midnight:

• Pentagon civilians get furloughed
• TSA agents work without pay
• Coast Guard personnel work without pay
• FEMA disaster grants pause
• IRS operations halt
• FDA inspections stop
• CDC disease monitoring reduced

But ICE? ICE keeps conducting raids. ICE keeps making arrests. ICE keeps operating in Minneapolis, using the $75 billion that's already there, that doesn't lapse, that Congress gave them last July for exactly this purpose.

This is why Trump can afford a shutdown. ICE operations don't stop. Border Patrol doesn't stop. The only thing that stops is Democrats' leverage.

The Democratic Revolt: Who Changed Their Votes, And Why It Matters

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's statement Sunday, January 25:

"What's happening in Minnesota is appalling, and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans' refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included."

Schumer's demand: Strip DHS from the package. Pass the other five bills. Send DHS back for renegotiation with restrictions on ICE operations.

Republicans refuse. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the bills stay bundled. No separation. No renegotiation.

Republicans hold 53 Senate seats. They need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. That means they need at least 7 Democrats to vote yes, probably 8, since Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) typically votes against all large spending bills on principle.

They don't have the votes. And the list of Democrats saying "no" is growing, including Democrats who usually vote for security spending and who have broken with their party before to keep the government open.

Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington): The Negotiator Who Walked Away

Murray is the ranking member, the top Democrat, on the Senate Appropriations Committee. She negotiated this entire spending package. She spent weeks in closed-door sessions fighting to:

• Keep ICE funding flat at current levels (preventing Trump's requested $8 billion increase)
• Add $20 million specifically for body cameras
• Add $2 million for de-escalation training programs
• Prevent cuts to other DHS programs (FEMA disaster relief, Coast Guard operations)
• Include report language requiring DHS to brief Congress quarterly on use-of-force incidents

Murray was telling her Democratic colleagues the bill was worth voting for. Democrats had won meaningful concessions. The restrictions weren't everything progressives wanted, but they were something, real money for body cameras, real training requirements, real oversight.

Then Alex Pretti was killed Saturday. Murray's statement Sunday:

"Federal agents cannot murder people in broad daylight and face zero consequences. I will NOT support the DHS bill as it stands. The DHS bill needs to be split off from the larger funding package before the Senate, Republicans must work with us to do that."

Murray negotiated the bill. Murray defended the bill to skeptical Democrats. Murray convinced colleagues to vote yes.

Now Murray is blocking her own bill.

That's how dramatic Pretti's killing was. The senator who built the compromise won't vote for it. The senator who spent weeks fighting for body camera funding is now saying it's not enough, not if agents can kill citizens, lie about it, and face zero consequences.

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada): The Shutdown Breaker Who Changed Sides

Cortez Masto broke with her party in December 2025 during the record 43-day government shutdown over health insurance subsidies.

Background: In November-December 2025, the government shut down when Democrats refused to pass appropriations bills unless they included extensions of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that were set to expire. Republicans refused. The shutdown lasted 43 days, the longest in U.S. history, surpassing the 35-day shutdown in 2018-2019.

Democrats held firm: No subsidies, no spending bill. Republicans wouldn't budge. Federal workers missed two paychecks. National parks closed. TSA lines stretched for hours as unpaid screeners called in sick.

Cortez Masto voted with Republicans to reopen the government without the ACA subsidy extensions. She was one of only three Democrats to break ranks. Her statement at the time:

"Sometimes you have to choose between perfect and functional. I chose functional. Federal workers shouldn't miss paychecks because we can't compromise."

That vote cost her politically. Progressives called her a sellout. Primary challengers started organizing. Progressive groups threatened to withhold endorsements. She defended it repeatedly: the shutdown was hurting working families, military families, federal workers in Nevada, she couldn't justify prolonging their pain for a policy goal, however important.

Now, three months later, she's voting no. Her statement Monday:

"The Trump Administration and Kristi Noem are putting undertrained, combative federal agents on the streets with no accountability. They are oppressing Americans and are at odds with local law enforcement. We have bipartisan agreement on 96% of the budget. We've already passed six funding bills. Let's pass the remaining five bipartisan bills and fund essential agencies while we continue to fight for a Department of Homeland Security that respects Americans' constitutional rights."

Cortez Masto voted to end a shutdown three months ago, breaking with her party, angering progressives, sacrificing her political standing, to prioritize "functional" over "perfect."

Now she's voting to cause a shutdown.

The senator who said "federal workers shouldn't miss paychecks" is now saying some things matter more than paychecks. The senator who chose "functional" over "perfect" is now saying ICE killing citizens crosses a line that can't be compromised on.

That's the shift. That's how significant Pretti's killing was.

Additional Democrats Who Flipped, And Why They Matter:

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona):
Freshman senator, just sworn in January 2026, already taking a hard line. Gallego is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He typically supports defense and security spending. His statement: "I came to the Senate to stand up to this kind of abuse. I won't start by funding it."

Gallego represents Arizona, a border state where ICE has significant operations. Voting against DHS funding from a border state is politically risky. He's doing it anyway.

Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona):
Former astronaut, former Navy captain, moderate Democrat who typically votes for defense and security spending. Kelly usually sides with law enforcement in spending debates. His statement:

"I support strong border security. I've voted for billions in border security funding. I don't support federal agents killing citizens and lying about it. This administration needs to get its house in order before asking for more money."

Kelly and Gallego represent the same state. Both Arizona senators, from a border state, are now voting against DHS funding. That's unprecedented.

Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia):
Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Defense hawk. Former governor. Warner never votes against defense or security spending. He's the Democrats' most consistent supporter of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

His statement:

"Trump's endless empowerment of federal immigration agents has resulted in yet another senseless killing. This brutal crackdown has to end. I cannot and will not vote to fund DHS while this administration continues these violent federal takeovers of our cities."

Warner chairs Intelligence. He has access to classified briefings on ICE operations, DHS activities, intelligence assessments of domestic threats. He's seen everything. And he's voting no.

Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont):
Freshman senator, previously served 16 years in the House. Known as a pragmatic progressive who works across the aisle. His statement accused DHS Secretary Noem of turning ICE "into an aggressive paramilitary force that terrorizes our communities, interferes with local policing and makes our communities less safe."

"Paramilitary force." Not from a firebrand progressive. From a pragmatic former House member with 16 years of experience.

These aren't the usual suspects. These aren't progressives who always vote against security spending.

Warner chairs Intelligence. Kelly is a Navy veteran and former astronaut. Gallego is a Marine who served in combat. Cortez Masto broke with her party three months ago to end a shutdown.

They're all saying no now.

The coalition against this bill isn't just the left wing. It's moderates, veterans, Intelligence Committee chairs, border-state senators, and the Democrat who negotiated the bill.

That's how severe this is. That's how much Pretti's killing changed the politics.

What Democrats Want, And Why They Won't Get It

Democrats are demanding policy riders added to the DHS spending bill:

1. Warrant requirement: ICE must obtain warrants for immigration arrests, same as any other law enforcement agency
2. Training standards: Mandatory de-escalation training, use-of-force restrictions, regular recertification
3. Identification requirement: Agents must identify themselves, wear visible name badges, no masks or face coverings except for health reasons
4. Operational limits: Border Patrol restricted to border operations within 100 miles of borders, no interior city enforcement
5. Body camera mandate: The $20 million in the bill must be spent on cameras, usage must be mandatory for all enforcement actions
6. Protest protections: Explicit prohibition on using force against peaceful observers, protesters, and journalists
7. Accountability: Officers involved in shootings immediately placed on administrative leave, independent investigations required

None of this is currently in the bill, except the $20 million for body cameras, which Murray got. But there's no requirement to actually use them. No prohibition on excessive force. No warrant requirement. Nothing structural that would prevent another Renee Good or Alex Pretti.

Republicans say no to all of it.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina): "Now is not the time to defund one of our major national security priorities: border protection."

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted: "We're not defunding ICE. Live with it. I'll oppose any effort to defund DHS. Every Republican should."

Even Republicans who are troubled by the Pretti killing won't vote for restrictions.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) posted: "The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth."

Cassidy wants an investigation. He won't vote for restrictions on ICE operations.

Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) called for a "thorough and impartial investigation" and said "any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump's legacy."

Tillis criticized the White House response. He won't vote for restrictions.

The GOP position is unified: Investigate if you want. Release body camera footage if the investigation concludes. But don't tie ICE's hands. Don't add restrictions. Don't change operations. Don't require warrants. Don't mandate identification. Don't limit where agents can operate.

Democrats' position: We're not funding the agency that killed two citizens without restrictions that prevent it from happening again.

Standoff.

The Trap

Here's why Trump wins either way.

Scenario 1: Government Shuts Down

If Democrats block the bill and funding lapses Friday night at midnight, here's exactly what happens:

Agencies that shut down or reduce operations:

• Department of Defense (750,000 civilians furloughed, 1.3M military work without pay)
• Department of State (passport processing stops, visa delays)
• Department of Treasury (IRS operations severely curtailed during tax season)
• Department of Transportation (grants pause, infrastructure projects halt)
• Department of Health and Human Services (CDC reduced, FDA inspections stop, Head Start closes affecting 320,000 children)

DHS programs that continue at reduced capacity:

• TSA (airport security workers unpaid but work, 50,000 screeners)
• Coast Guard (personnel unpaid but work)
• FEMA (disaster response workers unpaid but work, grants pause)
• Secret Service (protection continues unpaid)

ICE and Border Patrol: Keep working at full capacity, keep getting paid

Why?

ICE is designated "essential" under DHS shutdown contingency plans. But that's not even the main reason.

The main reason: ICE has $75 billion in funding that doesn't lapse. From the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" passed July 2025. Multi-year appropriations for detention and enforcement operations through fiscal year 2029.

That money is available whether or not the DHS appropriations bill passes. ICE can spend it during a shutdown. Border Patrol can spend it. Detention facilities stay open. Enforcement operations continue.

So if Democrats shut down the government Friday:

• Pentagon civilians get furloughed (swing-state voters, military families)
• TSA agents work without pay (airport delays, angry travelers)
• Coast Guard personnel work without pay (maritime safety reduced)
• IRS operations halt (tax refunds delayed, angry taxpayers)
• FEMA disaster grants pause (states can't rebuild from disasters)
• FDA inspections stop (food safety concerns)
• Head Start closes (320,000 children lose childcare)

But ICE? ICE keeps conducting raids in Minneapolis. ICE keeps making arrests. ICE keeps operating exactly as it has been, using the $75 billion slush fund.

Trump's message: "Democrats shut down the government and are refusing to pay our troops, but they want criminal illegal aliens to run free. They closed Head Start programs hurting working families, but they defunded border security. They stopped tax refunds, but they won't stop the invasion."

None of that is true, ICE is fully funded, operations continue regardless. But it doesn't matter. The optics are catastrophic for Democrats:

• Military families blame Democrats for missing paychecks
• Travelers blame Democrats for TSA delays
• Parents blame Democrats for Head Start closures
• Taxpayers blame Democrats for IRS dysfunction

While ICE operates at full capacity and Trump says Democrats are "soft on immigration" and "defunded border security."

Democrats lose.

Scenario 2: Democrats Cave, Bill Passes

If Democrats provide the 7-8 votes needed and the package passes, here's what happens:

• DHS gets $64.4 billion in new annual funding
• No warrant requirements added
• No use-of-force restrictions added
• No operational limits added
• No identification requirements added
• Body cameras funded but not mandated
• Zero consequences for Renee Good's killing
• Zero consequences for Alex Pretti's killing
• Zero restrictions on future operations

ICE operations continue, now with $64.4 billion in new annual funding on top of the $75 billion multi-year slush fund. That's $139.4 billion total over the next few years for detention and enforcement.

Plus: Democrats voted for it. They funded the agency. They can't credibly attack ICE operations anymore because they voted to fund them after two citizens were killed.

Progressives revolt. Primary challenges. Town halls erupt. "You said 'never again' after Renee Good. Then you voted to give ICE more money after Alex Pretti."

The Democratic coalition fractures. Progressive donors threaten to withhold money. Activists threaten to sit out 2026 midterms. The senators who voted yes, Murray, Cortez Masto, Warner, face primary challengers.

Trump claims victory: "Democrats caved. They know we're right. They know ICE is doing important work securing our border and removing criminal illegal aliens. They voted for it. Even Democrats who opposed me voted to fund ICE."

ICE operations continue. No restrictions. Democrats lose credibility with their base.

Democrats lose.

Scenario 3: Strip DHS, Pass Other Five Bills

This is what Schumer wants. Pass Defense, State, Treasury, Transportation, and HHS. Strip out DHS. Send DHS back to committee for renegotiation with restrictions.

The problem: The House already passed these as one bundled package. Separating them requires the House to vote again on five separate bills.

The House is on recess until February 2. Speaker Mike Johnson would need to call members back to Washington, during their scheduled district work period, to vote on separating the bills.

Johnson has given zero indication he'll do that.

Why would he?

If Johnson brings the House back:

• He looks weak (caving to Democratic Senate demands)
• He angers his own members (interrupting their district time)
• He splits his conference (some Republicans will oppose splitting bills, preferring a shutdown that blames Democrats)
• He gives Democrats leverage (negotiations start from scratch, Democrats can demand more restrictions)
• He risks losing the vote (House majority is only 5 seats, any Republican defections could sink it)

If Johnson does nothing:

• The government shuts down Friday
• Trump blames Senate Democrats (Schumer is blocking the bill)
• ICE keeps working anyway (the $75 billion slush fund)
• No restrictions get added
• Republicans claim Democrats are "defunding the military" and "closing Head Start"

Johnson has no incentive to help Democrats escape the trap. Republicans benefit from a shutdown, politically and operationally.

And even if Johnson somehow agreed to call the House back and split the bills, what then?

The House would pass the same five bills without controversy. Defense, State, Treasury, Transportation, HHS, all bipartisan.

Then the House would pass the DHS bill again, the same bill, no restrictions added. Because Republicans control the House. They already voted. They're not adding warrant requirements or use-of-force limits or operational restrictions. Johnson isn't negotiating new DHS language. House Republicans aren't suddenly going to vote for restrictions they just voted against.

So this scenario requires:

1. Johnson calling the House back from recess (unlikely)
2. The House agreeing to split the bills (unlikely)
3. The House passing five bills separately (possible)
4. The House negotiating new DHS restrictions with Senate Democrats (impossible)
5. The House passing a new DHS bill with restrictions (impossible)
6. Senate Republicans allowing floor debate on a bill with restrictions (impossible)
7. The Senate passing it with 60 votes (impossible if restrictions are strong)
8. Trump signing it (impossible)

It's fantasy. It's not happening. The House isn't coming back. Johnson isn't splitting the bills. And even if he did, nothing would change.

This scenario exists so Democrats can say "we tried." But it's not a real option.

The Actual Trap

Let's be clear about what happened here:

Trump sent 3,000 federal agents to occupy Minneapolis. They killed two U.S. citizens for monitoring federal operations. Video contradicted DHS lies both times. Protests erupted.

Then Trump:

1. Invented a conspiracy: $100 billion fraud, 100 times larger than documented fraud, zero evidence provided
2. Reframed the killings: Protests aren't about dead citizens, they're covering up theft
3. Sent his fixer: Tom Homan to "coordinate" and "investigate", political enforcer, not investigator
4. Forced an impossible choice: Fund ICE with zero restrictions OR shut down the government
5. Made sure ICE wins either way: The $75 billion slush fund means operations continue regardless of what happens Friday

If Democrats block funding:

• Government shuts down
• ICE keeps working at full capacity (already funded with $75B)
• Trump blames Democrats for "closing Head Start" and "defunding the military"
• Media covers shutdown chaos, not the killings
• Public blames Democrats
• No restrictions get added
• ICE operations continue exactly as before

If Democrats pass funding:

• ICE gets $64.4 billion more (on top of $75B = $139.4B total)
• No restrictions get added
• Zero accountability for two killings
• Trump claims Democrats endorsed his operations
• Progressives revolt against Democrats who voted yes
• Primary challenges, fractured coalition
• ICE operations continue exactly as before

Either way:

• ICE keeps working
• No restrictions
• No consequences
• No accountability
• Trump controls the narrative

The only variable is which party takes the blame for the shutdown. That's it. That's the entire "choice."

The injury is total. ICE operations continue. Citizens stay dead. The fraud conspiracy becomes the official story. Protests get reframed as criminal cover-up. And Democrats choose between funding the agency with zero restrictions or shutting down the government while the agency operates anyway.

Niccolò Machiavelli wrote in The Prince (1532): "Men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge."

Kill two citizens. Invent a $100 billion conspiracy to reframe the killings. Force a government shutdown that doesn't stop your operations. Give the opposition a choice where both options result in your victory.

The injury is so complete that resistance becomes self-defeating.

Democrats can block funding, ICE continues, Democrats get blamed, no restrictions.
Democrats can pass funding, ICE continues, Democrats lose credibility, no restrictions.

The injury leaves no avenue for revenge. That's not politics. That's not strategy. That's domination.

This is what happens when a government eliminates accountability. You kill the people who watch. You lie about why. When the lies are exposed, you invent a bigger scandal. Then you force the opposition into a trap where they lose regardless of what they choose.

And you make sure your operations continue no matter what.

The Pattern

This is Week 5 of systematic escalation, the same pattern documented across multiple Trump administration operations.

Week 1 (Early January): Deploy 3,000 agents to Minneapolis under Operation Metro Surge. More agents than Minneapolis and St. Paul police combined. Target a city with half the national average of undocumented immigrants. Begin mass arrests, more than 3,000 to date.

Week 2 (January 7): Kill Renee Good. Claim self-defense ("weaponized vehicle"). Video proves otherwise. Call Governor Walz and Mayor Frey "insurrectionists" for demanding accountability. Federal investigators block local police access to crime scene.

Week 3 (January 14): Threaten Insurrection Act. Trump posts on Truth Social that he'll deploy U.S. military to Minneapolis if state officials don't "stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists." The Act hasn't been invoked since 1992, and never before against a governor's wishes to suppress protests against federal actions. DHS Secretary Noem says she discussed it with Trump and "he certainly has the constitutional authority."

Week 4 (January 24): Kill Alex Pretti. Call him "domestic terrorist" (Noem), "assassin" who "tried to murder federal agents" (Miller). Video verified by five major news organizations proves otherwise. Deploy body cameras but don't release footage. Former Vice President Pence calls images "deeply troubling."

Week 5 (January 26): Invent $100 billion fraud conspiracy (100x larger than documented fraud, zero evidence). Send Tom Homan to "coordinate investigations." Force government shutdown crisis over the killings. ICE funded either way through $75B slush fund. Democrats trapped.

Each week: Escalate. Reframe. Win.

The Venezuela Parallel: Identical Structure

Venezuela follows the identical pattern:

Week 1: Invade Caracas. Capture President Maduro. Kill 100+ people. Claim "humanitarian intervention" to stop "drug cartel state."

Week 2: Install interim government (Maduro's own officials who switched sides). Declare "we're going to run Venezuela." Explicit colonial occupation. Media reframes invasion as "liberation."

Week 3: Meet with ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips executives. Begin planning oil extraction. Trump: "Venezuela is going to make more money than they've made in a long time", meaning the U.S. is taking Venezuela's oil.

Week 4: European allies object. Trump threatens them with 50% tariffs on all goods. NATO fractures. Germany, France refuse to recognize interim government.

Week 5: Launch "Board of Peace" (Trump as chairman for life) as UN replacement. Every democracy declines. 35 autocracies join. Create permanent structure for authoritarian control.

Same pattern:

1. Violent action (invasion/occupation)
2. Reframe as necessary (humanitarian/law enforcement)
3. Escalate when questioned (military threats/Insurrection Act)
4. Create new crisis (oil extraction/fraud conspiracy)
5. Build permanent structure (Board of Peace/$75B ICE slush fund + government shutdown as leverage)

Minneapolis is the domestic version. Venezuela is the foreign version. The Board of Peace is the institutional version. But the pattern is identical:

• Occupy (Week 1): Deploy overwhelming force
• Kill (Week 2): Eliminate resistance, lie about justification
• Threaten (Week 3): Escalate to military/constitutional crisis
• Reframe (Week 4): Invent new crisis to justify original action
• Permanence (Week 5): Create structure ensuring operations continue regardless of opposition

The occupation becomes permanent. The killings become justified retroactively. The resistance becomes criminal. The pattern repeats.

Venezuela to Minneapolis to the world. Foreign policy becomes domestic policy becomes international restructuring. Same method. Same escalation. Same outcome: total domination.

What Dies With Minneapolis

Federal agents killed two U.S. citizens for monitoring federal operations.

Both times, the Department of Homeland Security lied about what happened.

Both times, video proved the lies.

Zero agents charged. Zero investigations opened. Zero consequences.

Trump's response: Claim the killings don't matter because Minnesota is hiding $100 billion in theft (100x larger than documented fraud, zero evidence). Send Tom Homan, the man who defended family separation, to "investigate." Force a government shutdown that won't stop operations anyway because ICE has $75 billion in existing funding.

This is what occupation looks like when it's working. The state kills citizens. Invents conspiracies to justify it. Manufactures crises to maintain control. Wins either way.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote from Birmingham Jail in 1963: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

What's happening in Minneapolis doesn't stay in Minneapolis.

Federal agents killing citizens for watching them establishes the precedent.

DHS lying about killings and facing zero accountability normalizes impunity.

Trump calling state officials "insurrectionists" for defending citizens criminalizes resistance.

Inventing a $100 billion fraud conspiracy to cover two killings proves the distinction between fact and fiction has collapsed.

The government shutdown threat, while ICE stays funded anyway, proves the trap is complete.

The $100 billion fraud conspiracy is the misdirection. The real story is simpler, more brutal, and already happened:

The federal government killed two people for watching what it was doing.

And then it blamed them for trying to hide a crime that doesn't exist at the scale claimed.

That's not law enforcement. That's not immigration policy. That's not even authoritarianism in the abstract.

It's the specific, documented, video-verified method by which a government eliminates accountability:

1. Kill the people who watch
2. Lie about why
3. When lies are exposed, invent a bigger scandal
4. Force the opposition into a trap where they lose regardless of choice
5. Ensure your operations continue no matter what

Four days until the government shuts down.

ICE will keep operating, the $75 billion slush fund guarantees it.

The $100 billion will never be found because $99 billion of it doesn't exist.

Two citizens will stay dead because they filmed federal agents working.

And Democrats will choose between funding the agency with zero restrictions or shutting down the government while the agency operates anyway.

Minneapolis is the warning.

The shutdown is the trap.

The conspiracy is the cover.

The $75 billion slush fund is the permanence.

What happens Friday is just which party takes the blame.

What happens next is the pattern becoming irreversible.

Investigation by A. Kade
The Kade Frequency
January 27, 2026

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Read more investigations:

• Operation Minneapolis - When ICE Occupied an American City
• The UN Heist - Trump's Board of Peace
• Venezuela Invasion - The Oil Theft