JT Cestkowski

At tonight's anti-war protest in Chicago, I interviewed Jordan, who had to check if his nieces' school was bombed as part of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The full interview will be published on @statuscoupnews.bsky.social

Hundreds are out in downtown Chicago to protest the war against Iran.

🚨BREAKING: Trump's FBI was investigating child sexual abuse allegations against him from a young teen dating back to the 1980s. Now, Trump's DOJ is withholding over 50 pages of interview documents with the accuser from public release via the Epstein Files. Via @jtcestkowski.bsky.social ⬇️

Unions proved their collective strength during the general strike in Minnesota last month. Imagine if even more workers were in unions. BLS data: www.bls.gov/news.release...

New numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that union membership is at its highest level in 16 years, according to analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. But it's still just 11.2 percent of the whole workforce that is unionized.

JUST IN: Federal agents chased someone in a car until they crashed and "sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital," per St. Paul police.

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons denies that the agency has any database of American citizens or people who protest the agency's actions.

@kenklippenstein.bsky.social has reported that several such databases exist. ICE agents have photographed me multiple times just for reporting on their operations

ICE head Todd Lyons refuses to say if anyone has been fired for their conduct since he took command of the agency last year. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) points out that immigration agents have killed 2 people so far this year, leaving out people who have died in DHS custody or killed last year.

Just now, the leaders for ICE and CBP denied in sworn testimony before Congress that their agents are involved in planning to guard voting precincts.

"We need fighters!"

Juan, a man in a luchador mask and t-shirt labeling Trump and Epstein as "#Besties," says he isn't seeing enough leadership from Democrats at Saturday's ICE Out general strike rally and march in downtown Chicago.

From the cutting room floor: Me turning into a snowman in Chicago last night. ☃️

"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."

I met Michael, a former Minnesota resident, at last night's Chicago ICE Out protest. He moved to the Windy City in time for its own occupation by federal immigration agents. He says it's his duty to be in the streets.

Scenes from tonight’s snowy general strike march in downtown Chicago calling for a removal of ice agents from the Twin Cities.

Chants of “Fuck Trump!” as the national general strike against ICE march in downtown Chicago passes Trump Tower.

Right now a protest of thousands has taken to the streets in south Minneapolis to call for federal immigration agents to leave their community in the wake of those agents killing a second person, 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

Great day for a general strike!

RIGHT NOW
Twin Cities activists are denouncing the Trump administration for arresting and charging people in the community for protesting inside Cities Church in St. Paul over the weekend.

Overnight, federal authorities arrested several people in connection to the viral protest.

Skye did not let this abuse deter her. She is back out patrolling for ICE today. I did a ride along with her as she looked for ICE.

Story to come for @statuscoupnews.bsky.social

"This is tyranny."

Ellison told me in an interview on @statuscoupnews.bsky.social last night that the Trump administration weaponizes the justice system against people it doesn't like. And then today, it comes out that he will be subpoenaed by the Trump Justice Department.

🚨"It looks just like a cover up to me" -Minnesota AG @keithellison.bsky.social tells our @jtcestkowski.bsky.social on the Trump DOJ's "inexplicable" refusal to investigate the killing of Renee Good.

"Give us the file—we'll do it. It speaks to cover up and the whole world should denounce it."

Minutes ago, a person wearing a federal badge pointed what looks like a gun at protesters outside of the Whipple Federal Building near Minneapolis. The car the person is in then accelerates away from the protesters.

As they were leaving one scene, federal agents dropped tear gas canisters out of their moving vehicles in a residential neighborhood, seemingly just because they could.

One landed right at the feet of video journalist Jon Farina.

Immigration agents again fired tear gas and pepper balls at Twin Cities area residents today while out raiding neighborhoods. This is now an everyday occurrence in America.

Video by @statuscoupnews.bsky.social’s Jon Farina.

The girl I am interviewing in this clip is 16 years old. She was standing where agents told her to stand. We still got shot at with pepper balls.

HAPPENING NOW
Immigration agents are in a standoff with the Minneapolis community on the city’s south side.

This is St. Paul, Minnesota, right now as thousands of immigration agents are being deployed to the Twin Cities. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino is leading this convoy.

HAPPENING NOW
Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Angie Craig are asking to be allowed entry to the Whipple Federal Building, where ICE agents have based their operations in the Twin Cities area.

RIGHT NOW
Riot police are on the streets of downtown Minneapolis in response to an anti-ICE protest.

Immigration agents have put up a barbed wire gate across the entrance to the Whipple Federal building, where protesters are demonstrating against ICE’s violence and raids in the Twin Cities.

Protesters outside the federal building in Minneapolis are shouting challenges to the immigration agents inside.