Once again, Trump waited until negotiations with Iran were becoming productive to drop bombs on their civilians. Reports indicate that Iran had offered to cease all stockpiling of enriched uranium just before we began this war, a step in the negotiations which provoked hope for peace. But it was that same day that the U.S. attacked with Israel, killing hundreds of civilians on day one, including at a girls school where the U.S. murdered more than 150 young girls. The strike was confirmed to have been a Tomahawk missile. We’re the only ones engaged in this conflict with those weapons. It has also been reported that the reason we committed this war crime was because we had outdated intelligence; an unacceptable excuse.

As of March 27, we had killed nearly 2000 people in Iran, injured tens of thousands, and displaced millions. The death toll resulting from Israel’s cruel attacks on civilians in Lebanon have risen over 1000, and millions more are displaced there. It’s worth noting that when Hegseth took over the Department of Defense, he all but scrapped the team dedicated to limiting civilian casualties, cutting it back by 90%. We’re more focused on lethality than strategy.

It appears that many Americans are more disturbed by gas prices or the impact on the world’s fertilizer supply than the innocent lives we’ve stolen. The Straight of Hormuz remains closed to passage for most countries, though limited ships from Pakistan, India, and Turkiye have been allowed through, while China, France and Italy remain in talks with the Iranian government. Gas prices have soared globally due to the closing of the Straight, and U.S. farmers have concerns about the upcoming planting season due to the rising cost of fertilizer, since 1/3 of the world’s fertilizer passes through the Straight.

Trump has pleaded with our allies, the same ones we’ve spent the last year carelessly provoking with trade wars and imperial threats, to help open the Straight by force. As anyone with sense would expect, those allies have not come to aid our unnecessary war. Meanwhile, the military has raised its maximum enlistment age to 42, prompting speculation about a draft as the White House Secretary says Trump “keeps all options on the table” but that it’s not in the administration’s current plans.

While we’ve killed several top leaders in Iran, the regime remains steadfast; they’ve prepared for this conflict for decades and have several layers of backups for each important role. Trump is continually boasting victory and claiming we’ll soon be winding down, but we’ve only seen more troops deployed and whispers are getting louder about boots on the ground. U.S. soldiers would be at a decided disadvantage in the mountainous Iranian landscape, with limited routes for retreat. There is no end in sight, despite Trump’s commentary. He claims we’re negotiating with Iran and very close to a deal, while Iran insists they haven’t engaged in any talks. And he keeps TACOing on his threats to target their energy infrastructure if they don’t open the Straight.

To add insult to injury, some people are making millions through the stock market and polymarket bets with obvious insider information.

At least nineteen people have been killed by ICE this year. If this pace continues, deaths will double the record set last year. This is a list I’ve compiled of their names. In the coming weeks, I’ll be adding information like the date and circumstances of their deaths. The list will be updated monthly.

My list includes people killed by ICE or due to ICE operations in our communities, deaths in ICE custody, and deaths resulting from inhumane releases from custody such as leaving a blind man miles from his home on a winter night with no resources and without notifying his family, and a woman who was found unresponsive at a bus stop 3 days after being released from ICE custody nearly an hour from her home. The administration would balk at the inclusivity of this list. But I think it’s important to not limit ICE’s death toll to the administration’s preferred technicalities. These people would be alive if ICE weren’t engaging in cruel tactics.

Noem was “fired” as DHS Director, but simultaneously appointed into a new role as Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas, a new “security architecture” designed to embody the Monroe Doctrine and Trump’s imperialist goals in the Western Hemisphere. Apparently, Noem’s $200 million ad campaign promoting herself is of no concern to the administration.

MarkWayne Mullin was rapidly confirmed as the new Director, despite the funding lapse in the agency. Mullin is a MAGA, as you’d expect. During his confirmation hearing he indicated that he would enforce the need for judicial warrants, and apologized for his comments about Alex Pretti (claiming that Pretti was deranged and out for blood), but refused to apologize to Pretti’s family. He says his goal is for the ICE to not be in the news so often; a hard goal to achieve while maintaining current quotas and the ongoing expansion of detention facilities. The goal isn’t to wind anything down, really, but to do it more quietly.

Meanwhile, several bills have been presented to pay TSA, FEMA, CISA, & the Coast Guard and each attempt has been blocked by Republicans. They’re demanding funding for the entire agency, including annual funding for ICE and CBP despite those agencies being the only ones that have sufficient funding outside of the annual appropriations due to the bill passed last year which allocated additional funds their way. TSA agents have been thrust into the spotlight. They’re calling out from work in huge numbers, often to do gig-work like driving Ubers so they can pay their bills. Many TSA workers are quitting because they can’t live with the instability of congressional gamesmanship. Airports across the nation have seen major disruptions as security lines stretch into hours-long wait times.

As a “solution”, Trump sent ICE agents into airports to “assist” by literally standing around, doing nothing. They’re not trained to perform security checks like TSA, so all they can do is guard entrances and exits so more TSA agents can work the security lines. Homan said they’re also going to carry out their normal duties in the airports: identifying undocumented immigrants and making arrests. Travelers are still facing the longest wait times in history, even with their help.

Trump did sign an Executive Order on Friday for DHS to pay TSA officers immediately but it’s unclear if the pay will be sustained or a one-time catch-up. Mullin said they could be paid as soon as tomorrow. Officers have gone without pay since February 14, so any pay at this point is welcome. But the staffing crisis isn’t going anywhere until people have certainty that this won’t happen for a third time six months from now. Would you apply for a job if you weren’t sure how often you’d experience months-long disruptions in pay?

As always, consider pledging to strike with GeneralStrikeUS when we reach the critical 3.5% threshold for revolution if you haven’t already. There are many more pledges needed. Think about how you can help your community prepare for such an event.

You can find a map of upcoming protests here. It’s updated daily, according to the website, and includes links with additional information about the events. REMEMBER, a protest is not just a protest; it’s a community event. If you’re protesting, it’s your responsibility to engage with your community outside of the protest as well. Go there to blow off steam, AND to meet new people and either invite them into your organizing efforts, or to join theirs.

You can find many Know Your Rights materials in several languages here. Check out the National Immigrant Justice Center for ways to help if you’re not sure where to start.

WeResistNow still provides ideas and some resources for ways to resist in our every-day personal and professional lives.