High school and middle school students — and some of their parents and teachers — are marching in the streets of Salt Lake City, Park City and other communities to add their voices to those who publicly deplore the violent, racist, illegal and unconstitutional actions of the federal agency known as ICE.
Students at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University are protesting the inclusion of another rogue federal agency, Customs and Border Protection, in those school’s campus job fairs.
Utah, your kids are all right.
Among the grown-us, Utah businesses led by the Utah Small Business Strike Coalition are taking part in one-day closures, or donating to the cause, to protest the vile activities of supposed federal officers who act with no regard for the Constitution, or for law enforcement professionalism.
(Here’s a spreadsheet with the names of businesses who are supporting the movement. You may want to direct some of your business there. If you know of others, add their names to the comments below.)
We are a long way from Minneapolis, but we know what is necessary in these times.
Note that these efforts in Utah, like those in Minnesota, are overwhelmingly peaceful, sometimes even joyful, as those participating feel good about what they are doing and how many other people are with them.
They are led and followed by people who know that the very last thing we need is more anger and violence. The Trump administration wants nothing more than an excuse to crack down on public opinion, to be given an excuse to detain, or open fire on, those who disagree with the government.
Even to have an excuse to cancel the 2026 elections.
The actions of ICE the CBP are not only harming powerless individuals, they are making us all less safe in our communities.
Too many of these federal goons are wearing masks, not wearing any official identification, driving unmarked cars, pretending to be above the law, scornful of federal judges who are trying to rein them in.
That harms the ability of real law enforcement agencies — our police, sheriffs, state patrols — to work within their communities, to be trusted by them, to really enforce the law and keep our homes and streets safe.
These local officers work in plain sight, no masks, names and badge numbers in the clear, as brave and honorable law enforcement officers do.
There are efforts in Congress to limit the lawless activity of these empowered thugs. To force them to show their faces, wear ID, obey the law and heed the judges who are there to enforce that law. At the very least, all of Utah’s political class should support those efforts.
Just as our neighbors, and their children, are.
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