The Warrant Trap

Minnesota isn’t just protesting ICE: it’s the test case for a new home-entry doctrine.

The Warrant Trap

Minnesota isn’t just protesting ICE: it’s the test case for a new home-entry doctrine.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #752: Monday, January 26th, 2026

If you’re watching Minnesota right now, you’re probably seeing the same surface-level loop everywhere:

• A 37-year-old ICU nurse, Alex Pretti, shot and killed during a federal “targeted operation” in Minneapolis.

• DHS claims he was “armed” and “violently resisted,” while video reviewed by major outlets appears to show him holding a phone…not a weapon.

• Protests intensify. Clergy get arrested at MSP airport.

• Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul sue the federal government to stop “Operation Metro Surge.”

All of that is real.

But it’s not the big story.

The big story…the one with viral potential that most people still aren’t connecting…is this:

At the exact moment…Minnesota is the epicenter of these clashes…a newly surfaced ICE memo advances a theory…that agents can force entry into homes using only administrative paperwork, not a judge-signed warrant.

That memo is dated May 2025 and has been reported as authorizing entries with an administrative warrant under certain circumstances.

And Minnesota….is where you can see why that matters.

Because once “administrative paperwork = permission to cross your threshold,” the entire posture of enforcement changes.

It stops being “we’re enforcing immigration law.”

It becomes: the door is negotiable.

The missing link: Pretti + Metro Surge + the memo

1) “Metro Surge” is not a normal posture

DHS has publicly framed Operation Metro Surge as a crackdown that hit 3,000 arrests and “worst of the worst” messaging.

Minnesota and the Twin Cities argue it’s an unprecedented deployment that’s instilled fear and interfered with local governance and safety…and they’re asking a federal judge to halt it.

2) Pretti is why the public’s attention is locked onto Minnesota

Pretti’s death is being contested in the information space right now:

Senior officials have made extreme claims about intent and weapons, while fact-checking outlets and reporting point to contradictions and video evidence disputes.

Whatever your politics, this is what people recognize instantly:

“They’re saying one thing. The video suggests another.”

That’s viral because it hits a universal nerve: trust.

3) Now put the memo next to it

ABC News reported on an ICE memo issued in May that authorizes entry into homes with an administrative warrant in certain cases.

Newsweek published what it described as the full memo…and summarized the same core claim:

Administrative warrants can be used to enter residences for arrests in specified circumstances.

Now ask yourself the only question that matters:

If you normalize “administrative authority” at the front door… what happens to every crowd scene...every sidewalk confrontation…every bystander…every legal observer…every neighbor?

Minnesota is showing you.

Because the fight isn’t just “immigration.”

The fight is: what counts as lawful entry…and who gets to decide in the moment.

Why this is the story with national blast radius

Most people think the Fourth Amendment fight is theoretical.

It isn’t.

It’s a checklist of real-world consequences:

• More home operations

• More forced-entry disputes

• More confrontations in mixed-status neighborhoods

• More confusion about what residents can legally refuse

• More chaos that makes “use-of-force incidents” more likely

And the public won’t follow a legal brief.

They’ll follow one sentence:

“They want to treat administrative paperwork like a judge’s warrant.”

That’s a story that travels.

Because it’s not about your party.

It’s about your threshold.

What should change in how we talk about this (starting today)

If you keep arguing “immigration,” you’re playing on their field.

Switch the frame:

Oversight. Limits. Receipts.

• Publish the policy.

• Clarify the standards.

• Preserve the evidence.

• Put officials under oath.

• Make the rules visible.

Minnesota’s lawsuit is explicitly trying to force these questions into a courtroom.

And local reporting makes clear that state investigators (BCA) are now involved in examining the Pretti scene…meaning evidence and cooperation are front-and-center.

This isn’t a vibes war.

It’s a receipts war.

Stop here and do this (in-app)

In the comments, reply with one word:

• DOOR (the home-entry memo is the real story)

• VIDEO (Pretti narrative vs footage is the accelerant)

• COURT (the lawsuit is the hinge point)

(Reading in email? Tap “View in app” so your comment counts.)

If you’re reading free, I want you to hear me clearly:

I’m grateful you’re here.

Free subscribers are not “second class” around this newsletter. You’re the distribution engine. You’re the reason these stories don’t die in a private inbox. You’re the reason a post can break containment…because you share it…restack it…quote it…and bring new people into the conversation.

So…if all you can do is read and spread the message? That matters. A lot.

And…here’s the hard truth about this moment:

Information alone isn’t enough anymore. The machine counts on people being overwhelmed…scattered…and unsure what to do next.

That’s why I’m building something different…something operational.

And that’s where paid members come in.

Paid subscribers are what make it possible for me to do the daily work at the level I’m doing it…research…verification…synthesis…writing…and now the added layer of tools:

Targets…scripts…and checklists that turn this into action.

Your paid membership doesn’t just “unlock extra words.” It funds the time…the focus…and the follow-through that keeps this whole operation running…for everyone.

So: if you’re free…thank you. Keep reading. Keep sharing. Keep this alive.

And…if you’ve been thinking about upgrading…this is the moment…because the Action Desk and Signal Alerts aren’t “commentary.”

They’re the do-this-now version:

Scripts, targets…and checklists…that save you time and help you move with clarity.

#HoldFast

Back soon…with more…

-Jack

Jack Hopkins

P.S. Before I go…let me say this plainly: I’m angry. And I know you are, too. And…the truth is…“angry” doesn’t even begin to describe what a lot of us are feeling right now…because this isn’t just politics. It’s people. It’s trust. It’s the rules of the country. It’s the line between “law” and “power.”

But here’s the thing: anger is only useful when it becomes precision.

So here’s the most effective, most intelligent path forward…summarized:

1. Stop arguing the big abstract fight. Don’t get pulled into endless debates about “immigration.”

2. Switch to the frame that wins: oversight…limits…and receipts.

3. Demand the bright lines in public: no forced home entry without a judge-signed warrant (except true emergencies)…publish the standards…preserve the evidence.

4. Force officials to answer yes/no questions…and demand timelines. Vague sympathy is a stall tactic.

5. Create paper trails and pressure trails: calls…emails…public comments…and follow-ups that can’t be waved away.

6. Recruit two more people to do the same…because momentum…is what institutions fear most.

That’s how we win: not by yelling into the void…but by turning outrage into organized…repeatable pressure that leaves a record…and forces consequences.

We are making a difference. We have been for a while now. We will continue…and…I am certain…the difference we make…will continue to become even more significant. Thank you. Truly.

-Jack