Go Back To Where You Came From, ICE

1.7.26

Happy Wednesday and welcome to today’s edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Today’s breakdown includes the fatal shooting of a woman by ICE, updates on the CDC vaccine changes, Donald Trump’s attempt to annex Greenland, and a successful attempt to seize Russian oil tankers.

Let’s break down it down.

ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Woman in Minneapolis Amid Federal Raid….Federal immigration agents in Minneapolis shot and killed a woman today, with DHS claiming she tried to run over officers during enforcement operations. DHS labeled her part of a group of “rioters” and said the officer fired “defensive shots,” but offered no identities. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded ICE leave the city immediately, saying the federal presence is “causing chaos” and endangering immigrant communities. Gov. Tim Walz is monitoring the situation and urges calm as details remain sparse. The shooting unfolded as Minneapolis braces for a massive influx of ICE and Homeland Security agents—potentially thousands—for immigration and fraud investigations tied to the Trump administration’s focus on Somali-run childcare centers.

Common Sense Takeaway: When federal law enforcement drops into cities like an occupying force, people get hurt. A killing with no names, no transparency, and no independent explanation is state power without oversight. If your immigration policy requires militarizing neighborhoods and calling civilians “rioters” after they’re dead, you’re the problem. Prayers to this woman.

Doctors Alarmed After CDC Cuts Childhood Vaccine Recommendations….Pediatricians across the country are warning that the CDC’s abrupt decision to shrink the childhood immunization schedule will confuse families, fuel vaccine refusal, and ultimately put kids at risk. As reported yesterday, the agency reduced the number of vaccines recommended for all children from 18 to 11, moving routine shots like flu, COVID-19, rotavirus, and meningitis into a “shared decision-making” category instead of universal guidance. Doctors say the science on vaccine safety and effectiveness has not changed but the messaging has. That shift, they warn, undermines trust, makes already difficult conversations with parents harder, and weakens protection just as measles, whooping cough, and flu are surging again in the U.S. Pediatricians also fear fewer wellness visits, missed screenings, and more preventable hospitalizations as confusion spreads. Vaccines remain one of the safest and most effective tools to protect children, and doctors say weakening clear guidance risks reversing decades of progress.

Common Sense Takeaway: When doctors say the science hasn’t changed but the policy has, that’s your red flag. This isn’t a medical shift, it’s a political one, and kids are the collateral damage. Confusing parents, weakening trust, and making prevention optional is how you invite once-gone illnesses to make a comeback.

Denmark and Greenland Demand Talks After Trump Declares Desire to Annex….Leaders in Denmark and Greenland have formally requested a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the Trump administration doubled down on its intention to take over Greenland, a strategic Arctic territory that is part of Denmark. The White House has even said the U.S. military is “always an option” as part of exploring ways to secure the island amid rising competition from China and Russia. Copenhagen has pushed back sharply, warning that any attempt to seize Greenland could undermine NATO and betray the alliance’s principles of sovereignty and self-determination. France, Germany, the U.K., Poland, Italy and Spain joined Denmark in affirming that the mineral-rich island “belongs to its people.” The push for talks comes as European leaders and NATO allies vocally reject U.S. pressure, stressing that diplomatic engagement—not threats—is the way forward.

Common Sense Takeaway: Threatening to take territory from an ally isn’t strength, it’s how you torch alliances and destabilize the world for no reason. You don’t defend democracy by bullying democracies, and you don’t protect NATO by threatening NATO members. This is how “America First” turns into America isolated.

U.S. Seizes Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker After High-Seas Chase….The U.S. has seized two sanctioned oil tankers tied to Venezuela—including a Russian-flagged vessel captured in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit—escalating tensions with Moscow and deepening the Trump administration’s global standoff over Venezuelan oil. The main ship, formerly known as Bella 1 and renamed Marinera, was tracked across oceans, changed flags and identities to evade capture, and was ultimately boarded under a U.S. court order. Russia has accused the U.S. of piracy and violating international maritime law, while Washington says the ships were part of a sanctions-evading “dark fleet” moving illicit Venezuelan oil. The seizures come right as Trump seeks control over tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude oil and as U.S. military assets move into position across the Atlantic turning oil enforcement into a new front in the U.S.–Russia confrontation.

Common Sense Takeaway: Seizing ships, escalating standoffs, and daring Russia to react is brinkmanship that could end deadly for Americans. This administration is turning energy enforcement into a military spectacle.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Check back tomorrow for more!