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Angela in America: ICE, Fitbit Fits, and Our Collective Blindness
When the News Cycle Collides With New Year Resolutions
“April is the cruelest month,” T.S. Eliot wrote—but January is giving April a run for its money.
I keep trying to write this New Year, New You column about the importance of staying in shape—mentally and physically—and how that affects our outlook. How we have to believe in ourselves, have confidence, even in the face of doubt and worry. It was all mapped out. I felt inspired. I even bought a new Fitbit Inspire 3 watch to track my progress.
Two weeks into 2026, the news cycle blew that plan apart.
When the News Hijacks the New Year
The moment feels like a Disney ride gone awry—unexpected twists, sudden drops, and nothing remotely thrilling about it. People are being killed.
How do you focus on counting carbs or walking 10,000 steps a day when you’re watching videos of an ICE agent shooting and killing 37-year-old Renee Good, an American citizen, in Minneapolis, in cold blood?
Our 13-year old Yorkie is blind, but I am not.
Thanks to iPhones and social media, we are all digital citizens and armchair analysts, working the evidence to fit our particular agendas—or simply trying to make sense of the senseless.
How do you not reach for ice cream or mac and cheese while listening to the narratives on this one?
The Scene, Replayed and Debated
Was the car angled toward the ICE agent or turning away?
Did he appear injured—or was he strutting afterward, adjusting his mask?
Did he fire three shots because of alleged trauma from a prior ICE incident in which he was reportedly dragged by a car?
If an officer has PTSD severe enough to impair judgment, he should be taken off duty. Period.
Did Renee Good’s wife “mouth off” and provoke the confrontation? Is Karen Good—according to Homeland Insecurity Secretary Kristi Noem—a “domestic terrorist” for warning neighbors that ICE was in the area? Did she pose a clear and present danger?
Common sense—and the rule of law—say otherwise.
Common Sense Isn’t Complicated
Anyone who has tried to navigate for a parking space at Trader Joe’s or Costco around the holidays knows what a deranged person using a car as a weapon looks like. This wasn’t that.
By most accounts, Karen Good lived up to her name.
Facts Still Matter
Yes, words were exchanged. That does not justify killing someone point-blank.
Anyone who has spent five minutes in a lesbian bar knows how annoying backup can be. People are annoying. All people.
Words—even taunting ones—are not justification for lethal force.
ICE, Enforcement, and Escalation
Should you watch your step and your mouth around armed ICE agents during heightened tensions? Of course. These agents are armed—and on a mission.
ICE recruitment now includes a reported $50,000 sign-on bonus, paid out over several years. The mandate is clear: get deportation numbers up. The mission is funded by “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (or, as Republicans might say, the bill named after Bill Clinton).
I joke at times—but this is serious.
Immigration, Without the Lies
I’m not condoning illegal immigration. There should be a clear path to U.S. citizenship if you follow the rules.
But let’s stop pretending every undocumented immigrant is a violent criminal. Most are not. They are neighbors, babysitters, gardeners, coworkers, friends. Many have worked here for years. Many have families.
The protests around ICE are about how enforcement is conducted: aggressive raids, random pickups, and the inhumanity of it all.
Due Process Is Not Optional
Contrary to popular belief, undocumented immigrants do have constitutional protections. Their rights are not identical as citizens (can’t vote, can’t hold office, etc), but they do have rights.
The Constitution says “person,” not “citizen.”
“No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” — Fifth Amendment
“Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” — 14th Amendment
The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that noncitizens—including undocumented immigrants—are “persons” under the Constitution.
What About the ICE Agent?
Deadly force is permitted only when an officer reasonably believes it is necessary to stop an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.
A car can be considered a deadly weapon, but that alone does not automatically justify shooting. Officers are generally advised to move out of the way rather than fire at vehicles due to the risk of uncontrolled crashes and stray gunfire.
So ask yourself:
Why didn’t other agents draw their weapons?
Why shoot through the windshield rather than disabling the vehicle?
Does this meet the legal standard of “objective reasonableness”?
According to reports, Good’s death is the fifth during the recent immigration enforcement surge. It does not include 32 deaths in ICE detention since 2025, largely attributed to medical neglect. No ICE agents involved have been charged.
Without oversight or accountability, we are not a functioning democracy. We are a banana republic.
Fitbit Update: Monitoring vs. Meaning
At this point, I’m throwing a fit over my Fitbit.
Am I taking the right steps as a citizen—or just logging aimless miles?
I exceeded 10,000 steps yesterday. My exercise score? Zero.
There’s a reason I resisted wearing a watch for years. I’m already overly aware of time. I don’t need another device telling me to try harder. The phone is enough.
This Fitbit tracks everything—and explains nothing.
What I do know is this:
- Try to be a decent human being.
- Speak up for what you know is right.
- Care about how others are treated.
- Defend democracy. It’s all we have.
- Use time wisely. Life turns on a dime.
I’ll write about believing in yourself next week. Unless this ride takes another step in the wrong direction.
Comments, questions, email me at: angela@sparkhamptons.com
Legal context: The standards governing law enforcement use of deadly force are based on Supreme Court precedent and federal policy, including the “objective reasonableness” standard under the Fourth Amendment. Deadly force is generally permitted only to stop an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, not to prevent escape. Policies typically discourage firing at moving vehicles except in extreme circumstances.
