Chicago – January 17, 2026
A dramatic clip showing a helicopter skimming low over water at night, heavily armed figures rappelling down and storming a building isn’t a trailer for a military blockbuster or a Pentagon operation. It’s a Department of Homeland Security video highlighting U.S. Border Patrol agents in action accompanied by the Bible verse, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” as part of an online message push.
This illustrates how, in President Trump’s second term, content creation and governance have become deeply intertwined. The administration is increasingly using highly produced videos along with friendly influencers to justify and normalize more confrontational immigration policies.
The tactic is on clear display in Minnesota, where the federal government has deployed thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents, marking one of the biggest immigration enforcement operations in recent memory.
Tensions reached a boiling point after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis during an enforcement action. The incident, captured on video and spreading widely online, has sparked both local and national outrage. Good was struck multiple times by gunfire during an interaction with federal agents that quickly escalated.
Following the shooting which sparked large protests and clashes with federal agents who used flash-bang grenades, pepper balls and chemical irritants against demonstrators supporters of the administration amplified footage to push for invoking the Insurrection Act and deploying the military to quell unrest.
