Last week, I had the opportunity to join Katie Couric for a Substack Live conversation to talk about the reality on the ground here in Minnesota, the status of our lawsuit against ICE, and what we all can do to help our neighbors, here in Minnesota and beyond.

Enjoy this special edition of Affording Your Life!

Let’s start with the facts. Republicans currently control the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the presidency. That means they have full authority to pass a budget and keep the government open. When one party holds all the power in Washington, that party also holds the responsibility to govern.

This shutdown began because Republican leadership has refused to negotiate on Democratic proposals to protect and strengthen healthcare – proposals that would make sure families in Minnesota and across the country can afford the care they need. Democrats have been willing to compromise to keep the government open. But negotiations only work if both sides show up, and so far, only one side has walked away.

The effects of this shutdown are being felt in every corner of Minnesota.

Thousands of federal employees who work at the Minneapolis VA, or the IRS center in Bloomington, or the National Weather Service in Duluth are either furloughed or working without pay. That means workers are missing paychecks. Families are struggling to cover rent. People are having to choose between essentials like groceries and child care.

Farmers who depend on the USDA for crop insurance payments and loans are seeing delays right when they need support the most. Small businesses waiting on federal contracts or loans can’t move forward. Families relying on nutrition assistance or housing programs are anxious about whether help will arrive on time.

These are not abstract numbers on a budget spreadsheet. These are real Minnesotans. They are our neighbors, friends, and public servants caught in the middle of a political standoff they didn’t create.

Republicans have the power to end this shutdown today. All it takes is a willingness to govern responsibly and to sit down and negotiate in good faith.

Minnesotans value hard work, decency, and accountability. We expect our leaders to do their jobs. Keeping the government open, protecting healthcare, and respecting the people who serve our country should not be partisan issues.

It’s time for Republicans to put politics aside, reopen the government, and start serving the people.

There are moments in history when nations are tested—not by war or disaster, but by whether they can remain faithful to their ideals.  

Today, we face such a test. Donald Trump just told 800 top military leaders that they need to prepare to confront an “invasion from within.” He is preparing the United States military to turn on Americans who don’t agree with him.

This is tyranny.

Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no enemy army in our neighborhoods. There are only Americans. Our neighbors, our families, our fellow citizens. We may disagree, protest, or demand better, but we belong here just as much as any president does.

To speak of an “enemy within,” to call for military force in our cities, or to use American streets as a “training ground” for war, is to abandon the very Constitution that gives a president his authority.

Democracies don’t operate this way. But dictatorships do. 

History has shown us where this road leads. From Berlin to Beijing, from Mubarak to Mussolini, those who invoke the fear of an internal invasion do so to justify censorship, repression, and brutality. Always in the name of “order.” Always in the shadow of tyranny.

We do not fear our own people.

We do not treat our cities as warzones.

And we do not use the military to settle political disputes or to suppress dissent.

If we allow the language of war to replace the language of democracy, we risk losing not just our freedoms, but our very identity as a nation.

To avoid that dark fate, we need to see the truth of what’s happening with clear eyes: America is not under attack from within. America is being tested from above, by those entrusted with power but unwilling to wield it responsibly.

And we, the people, must meet that test.

We must speak out, stand up, and remind our leaders that in this country, power flows from the people to the president—not the other way around.

This is not just about policy. It is about principle. It is about whether the next generation inherits a republic, or a regime.

So, to every citizen: Do not be silent. Do not be afraid.

The most patriotic act you can take right now is to demand your government remember that it was built to serve, not to rule.

Today I want to speak about Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo — a Supreme Court ruling that affects not just law, but who we are as a nation — and especially about one justice’s dissent that stands as a moral compass in the storm.

The Ruling: What Happened

In Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority stayed an injunction that had barred ICE in Los Angeles from arrests based solely on factors like race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or accented English, being found in certain locations, or working certain types of low-wage jobs. The district court had found that ICE was relying on those four factors alone in many cases, which the Fourth Amendment forbids.

The Supreme Court permitted the government to resume those kinds of detentions under that standard, even though no detailed majority opinion was published. The public only knows who is responsible, and the full force of what’s allowed now, because of Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent.

Justice Sotomayor: Her Wisdom and Her Words

Justice Sotomayor’s dissent is not just a legal disagreement. It is an act of truth-telling. She writes:

“We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job.” 

These words cut to the heart of what is at stake. They force us to acknowledge that policy, when unrestrained, can touch innocent lives in ways that tear at the fabric of justice.

She continues:

“Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent.” 

In those few words, she reminds us that rights do not defend themselves. They depend on someone speaking up even when the cost is high, even when the majority is quiet.

Why Her Dissent Matters

* Naming the harm: Justice Sotomayor does more than identify legal error. She names the human toll — people seized because of their appearance, language, type of work. She calls out the injustice by telling us plainly: “looks Latino … speaks Spanish.” Those are not abstractions, but people’s lives.

* Moral clarity: The phrase “while our constitutional freedoms are lost” is chilling because it suggests we are already losing them — or letting them slip away. She doesn’t wait for them to go; she challenges us not to.

* Courage in dissent: In the face of a decision made without full court procedure—without argument, without a signed majority opinion—she stands alone (joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson) to preserve the idea that constitutional protections mean something. She does not allow the marginalized to be erased by silence or ambiguity.

Lessons & Charge for Us

We learn from her that:

* Words have power, especially when spoken in courage. Her dissent is more than dissent — it is a warning. It is a mirror for what America promises to be.

* Constitutional rights depend on vigilance. The language of the law is fragile if those sworn to uphold it remain silent.

* Each generation must defend justice. Her dissent is an invitation: not to be mere spectators, but participants. To ensure that rights aren’t conditional on language, race, or job, but universal.

Conclusion: Her Voice, Our Responsibility

Justice Sotomayor has raised her voice in this case with precision, force, and conviction. Her words—“We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job” — will echo long after this ruling unless we do more than remember them.

As she says, “Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent.” Let us not stand idly by. Let us take her dissent as our rallying cry. To speak, to organize, to defend what should never have to be defended: equal justice under the law.

Thank you.

A federal appeals court just struck down Trump’s tariffs. Learn what means for you on today’s episode of Affording Your Life.