Andrew L. Urban
Convulsed with irrational rage at the pursuit of criminals illegally present in the US since the Biden era’s welcome policies, rioters are increasingly violent in their reactions to ICE agents in their neighbourhoods. Well, at least in the self-declared Sanctuary neighbourhoods … those that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE, often claiming, to justify their aggro, that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is an evil, racist organisation that drags innocent black and brown citizens off the streets. It’s an uncivil war…
Observing these violent interactions and the hysterical anti-ICE overreach of many Democrat politicians over the past couple of weeks, I have grown concerned that America is sliding down the path to a raggedy version of a civil war. It’s the ripple effect of the open borders policy …
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 to May 26, 1865) pitted the anti-slavery states of the North against the slavery states of the South. Over 600,000 died. Could the second American Civil War begin in 2026, pitting the Sanctuary jurisdictions (states, cities, counties) against the ICE-supporting rest? It would be absurd, of course, but very real.
There are 17 Sanctuary States and many other Sanctuay jurisdictions, from cities to counties, containing somewhere between 100 and 150 million residents in total. It isn’t a fringe element, with California (39 million) and New York (20 million) amongst the big ones (like Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington). Close to eight million illegal immigrants live in sanctuary jurisdictions, representing about 56% of the estimated national total illegal immigrant population (around 14 million in 2024), according to a Centre for Immigration Studies analysis.
synchronised resistance to ICE
The most compelling factor that supports this potential ‘civil war’ hypothesis is the extent of co-ordination that already exists between individuals and groups involved in the riots. The networking and coordination among anti-ICE demonstrators and rioters appears to be extensive, spanning multiple US cities and involving a mix of grassroots efforts, national coalitions, and far-left ideological groups. This has intensified in response to recent events like the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, leading to synchronized protests and resistance tactics. While some activities remain decentralized and community-driven, others show clear signs of organized planning through shared resources, funding, and communication channels.
Anti-ICE activities have been reported in at least 20-30 major U.S. cities since mid-2025, with a surge in early 2026. Protests and “ICE watch” networks—where volunteers monitor and disrupt ICE operations—have emerged in jurisdictions resistant to federal immigration enforcement, including sanctuary cities.
For example, Minneapolis, epicenter of recent unrest, with over 1,100 rapid-response volunteers in one neighbourhood alone; Los Angeles saw simultaneous aggressive protests with New York, involving rapid-response crews; New York City reported 200+ arrests, with pre-made signs and bullhorns distributed by organizers; Atlanta, New Orleans, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina saw widespread rallies.
Nationwide events, such as the “ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action” in January 2026, involved over 1,000 planned demonstrations across the country, marking a coordinated response to Good’s death. Riots have led to 500+ arrests in the past week, with violence concentrated in California but spreading elsewhere.
Key groups include Indivisible Project, MoveOn Civic Action, ACLU, Voto Latino, United We Dream, 50501, Not Above the Law coalition, as well as many immigrant groups and far left/Socialist groups such as Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Refuse Fascism, Peoples Forum NYC, Revolutionary Internationalist Youth, Spartacist League. There are more…
Methods of coordination include digital tools like Signal and Zoom, tactics sharing and distribution of helmets, for example, and cross-jurisdictional links.
It would be relatively easy for these networked groups to coalesce virtually on demand, should any member group call for it as a precursor to united violent action. They would be in effect the anti-ICE Army, and with America’s gun laws being what they are, their members could be quickly armed. Some already carry guns to anti-ICE protests.
Stockpiles of bottled water and other everyday items that can be weaponised are evidence that points to secretive third party funding, not to mention payments to those activists who have jobs but miss work to attend these demonstrations.
Organised groups (e.g., rapid-response teams via Signal/Zoom, neighbourhood watches, “MigraWatch”-style monitoring) have encouraged direct confrontation: following agents, yelling, recording, and physically intervening. Some rhetoric escalated to calls for physical resistance (“be willing to get kicked in the teeth,” using fists/bats/rocks until agents relent). This created chaotic scenes, with residents surrounding federal vehicles, blocking arrests, and clashing directly.
How could it come to pass?
From what I’ve seen in a dozen or more serious confrontations, escalation to life threatening situations is ever present. One ICE agent overcome by a mob of protesters …. and the fuse is lit.
Anti-ICE sentiment could well surge to violent confrontations between sanctuary jurisdictions and ICE supporters through a combination of escalating federal enforcement tactics, local resistance, high-profile incidents, and mutual accusations of provocation. This dynamic has already played out intensely in early 2026, particularly in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on January 7, 2026.
Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, poet, mother, and apparent volunteer observer/monitor of ICE activities, became a flashpoint. Federal officials described the shooting, based on video evidence, as self-defence after Good allegedly used her vehicle to threaten an ICE agent, but local leaders including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, disputed this based on the same video evidence, calling it unjustified and demanding ICE leave the city.
Nationwide protests erupted, with over 1,000 events under banners like “ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action.” Vigils, marches, and memorials honoured Good, while celebrities and activists amplified ‘calls for justice’. This ‘martyrdom effect’ mirrors past events (e.g., George Floyd in the same city), rapidly mobilizing communities and turning even passive opposition into active, confrontational resistance.
But suppose a different ‘martyrdom effect’ arose when an ICE officer was killed in an ambush.
At this point, all it would take to spark a cross-jurisdictional conflict with weapons is a charismatic anti-ICE figure calling for ‘self defence’ – probably in the name of protecting citizens, no matter how ironic and hypocritical that would be.