ENOUGH of This Sh*t!

Five federal agents. One American citizen. A knee in his back, a busted face, and a government that shrugged.

Jack Hopkins

Sep 24, 2026

ENOUGH of This Sh*t!

Five federal agents. One American citizen. A knee in his back, a busted face, and a government that shrugged.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #1,033: Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026

I want you to picture something.

It’s Sunday in Evanston, Illinois. A quiet college town about 12 miles north of downtown Chicago. You’re outside, minding your own business.

And suddenly five federal agents are on you.

They want your ID. You don’t hand it over fast enough. Next thing you know, your face is on the pavement, and there’s a knee grinding into your back.

Witnesses are watching. One of them says the agent was “beating up on him.”

And here’s the kicker.

You’re not the guy they were looking for.

You were never the guy they were looking for.

You’re an American citizen.

The Wrong Man

That’s what happened, according to police and multiple news reports.

ICE agents were hunting a fugitive with a Chicago address. They grabbed the wrong man. Pinned him to the ground. Hurt him badly enough that he ended up at St. Francis Hospital with injuries to his head, his neck, and his teeth.

His teeth.

Two witnesses, Ryan Garton and Michael Lipson, said his face looked “badly messed up” and swollen.

Then…after he told them he was a U.S. citizen…they let him go.

No handcuffs. No charges. No “we’re sorry.” Just a bloodied American…left to pick himself up off the ground.

And…what did the Department of Homeland Security have to say about it?

That agents “left the scene without further incident.”

Read that again. Without further incident.

A man’s teeth are damaged. His face is swollen. He’s headed to a hospital. And the official government position is that nothing much happened here.

That’s not a statement. That’s an insult.

This Is Not a One-Off

Now, the apologists will tell you this was a mistake. An honest error. Things happen in the field.

Fine. Let’s talk about the “things” that keep happening.

At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration enforcement during President Trump’s second term.

Ten.

And…earlier this year in Minneapolis…during something called “Operation Metro Surge,” ICE agents killed two U.S. citizens.

Not detained. Not questioned. Killed.

So no, I’m not interested in hearing about isolated incidents anymore. When the “isolated incidents” start filling up a spreadsheet, you’re not looking at bad luck.

You’re looking at a pattern.

And a pattern is a policy with the label peeled off.

“Show Me Your Papers”

Let’s be honest about what we’re really talking about.

This man was pinned to the ground because he wouldn’t hand over identification.

In the United States of America.

We grew up on movies where the villain in the trench coat demands to see your papers. We cheered when the hero refused. That was supposed to be the whole difference between us and them.

Now…it’s happening on a Sunday afternoon…in suburban Illinois…and the government’s response is a shrug and a press release.

Here’s the ugly truth. If five agents can put a knee in the back of an American citizen because they thought he was someone else…then your citizenship isn’t a shield anymore.

It’s a defense you get to mount after you’re face down on the concrete.

That should terrify every single person reading this…no matter who you voted for.

Jack, Let Go and Tell Me What You Really Think of This Sh*t

1. Jack, wasn’t this just an honest mistake?

A mistake is grabbing the wrong coffee at Starbucks. Five armed agents slamming a man into the pavement because he didn’t cough up ID fast enough isn’t a mistake. It’s a choice. They chose force first and facts later, and an American citizen paid for it with his teeth.

2. But he refused to show ID. Isn’t that on him?

Oh, give me a break. Since when is “didn’t obey fast enough” a license to rearrange somebody’s face? Last I checked, not carrying your papers isn’t a capital offense in this country. If your answer to a guy being stubborn is a knee in the back, you don’t want law and order. You want obedience. Those are not the same damn thing.

3. What did you think of the DHS statement?

“Left the scene without further incident.” Christ almighty. The man went to the hospital with injuries to his head, neck, and teeth. If that’s “without incident,” I’d hate to see what they call a bad day. That statement was written by someone who has never been face down on concrete…and never plans to be.

4. Are you saying all ICE agents are thugs?

No. I’m saying the system doesn’t give a shit whether they are. When you ramp up quotas, hand out masks, and never punish the guys who screw up…you don’t have to hire thugs. The job makes them. Good people in bad systems do bad things…and the bosses sleep just fine.

5. Isn’t this just liberal hysteria?

Hysteria is when you panic about nothing. At least 10 people have died in immigration enforcement encounters during Trump’s second term. Two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis. That’s not hysteria. That’s a body count. If noticing a body count makes me hysterical…then hand me the fainting couch…because I’m not shutting up.

6. What do you say to people who voted for this?

I say: you voted for a crackdown on “illegals.” Congratulations, you got a crackdown on everybody. That’s how it always works. The boot never stays on the neck you pointed it at. Your cousin, your kid, the guy who mows your lawn, the guy who looks a little like somebody on a warrant. You built a machine that can’t tell the difference… and it doesn’t care to.

7. Why aren’t Democrats doing more about it?

Because a lot of them are scared of their own shadow. They’d rather write a strongly worded letter and go to a fundraiser…than stand in front of a detention center and raise hell. I’m tired of “deeply concerned.” I want pissed-the-f*ck- off. I want subpoenas. I want budget fights. If they won’t do it…we find people who will.

8. Should people stop cooperating with ICE altogether?

Know your rights and use every damn one of them. Film everything. Stay calm, say you’re a citizen if you are, and don’t give them an excuse. Witnesses are why we even know about Evanston. A phone in the right hand is worth more than a thousand press releases. But nobody should get themselves hurt playing hero. Be a witness, not a casualty.

9. Does any of this actually change if we vote?

Congress writes ICE’s checks. Congress holds the hearings. Congress can put a leash on this thing or keep feeding it steak. So yes, it changes if we vote, and it changes a hell of a lot faster if we vote in numbers they can’t ignore. Sitting it out because “they’re all the same” is exactly what the people running this circus are praying you’ll do.

10. Bottom line, Jack. What do you really want?

I want a country where an American can walk down the street in Evanston without five strangers turning his face into hamburger meat because of a bad guess. I want agents who screw up…to answer for it. I want a government that says “we were wrong” like a grownup. And…until I get it… I’m going to keep yelling…keep writing…and keep dragging five people to the polls. Every. Damn. Time.

I’m Done Being Polite About It

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss says his city will “remain vigilant about federal activities.”

Good. Evanston police are investigating. Good.

But…vigilance isn’t enough. Investigations aren’t enough.

I’m sick and f*cking tired of reading these stories. I’m sick of the “we regret nothing” statements. I’m sick of a government that treats broken teeth as a rounding error.

Enough!

Enough of the knees on backs. Enough of “papers, please.” Enough of officials who think an American citizen’s face is an acceptable price for a sloppy manhunt.

So here’s what you do with that fury.

Call your members of Congress. Both senators. Your representative. Ask them one question: “What are you doing to stop ICE from brutalizing American citizens?” Make them answer it.

Then…look at your calendar.

Tuesday, November 3. Every House seat and about a third of the Senate are on the ballot. These are the people who fund ICE. These are the people who can rein it in…or look the other way.

Make them choose.

And don’t go alone. You know the rule. Bring five.

Because the next guy face down on the pavement might not be a stranger in Evanston.

He might be your son.

#HoldFast

Back soon.

-Jack

Jack Hopkins

P.S. DHS says its agents “left the scene without further incident.” Forward this to five people and ask them if broken teeth count as an incident.

P.P.S. If you live in Illinois, the Evanston Police Department is investigating. If you saw anything that day…call them. Witnesses are the reason we know this story at all.

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