immigration and customs enforcement

Painting Accepted

~ MaryG ~ 32 Comments

Good news!

My painting—Woman in the Teal Bathrobe, Minneapolis 2026—was officially accepted into the Stronger Together: Art for Democracy juried exhibition. The show opens Friday, May 2 at my church and will tour to a few other locations including the Fitchburg Art Museum.

Prizes will be awarded at the opening, but I’m just happy to be included. I’m very eager to see the other paintings. I’m told they got some fantastic entries from all around New England. There are 47 artists in all. Including me. I’m one of the artists! I didn’t have “exhibit a painting in a museum” on my official Bucket List, but maybe I should have. I’m pretty excited.

Thanks again to everyone who gave input on this painting and encouragement on my artwork in general.

And thanks to the unknown photographer who took the viral photo that was my inspiration.

PLEASE NOTE: Senator Susan Collins of Maine and all other Republican Senators except for Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul voted yesterday to advance a $70 billion plan to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agencies for the next three years, without any of the guardrails sought by Democrats. And by guardrails, I mean the basic procedures that normal police officers have to follow—like getting a warrant before they break down your door.

Related post:

Artistic Dilemma

Executed by ICE on January 24, 2026

~ MaryG ~ 4 Comments
Alex Pretti, registered nurse, United States citizen

Statement from the family of Alex Pretti:

“We are heartbroken but also very angry.

Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman.

The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed.

Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”

Related post:

Minneapolis

Minneapolis

~ MaryG ~ 17 Comments

It is currently 4 degrees Fahrenheit in Minneapolis and both the current and former ministers of my Unitarian Universalist Church in Massachusetts are there to answer a call to clergy.

I hope the media will cover their act of courage.

I’d like to say that what we’re seeing in Minnesota—and now Maine—is not America, except it is. This is what Trump voters wanted. He was perfectly clear on this.

Greg Bovino (aka Colonel Lockjaw) really looks the part.

He’s even got the coat.

I somewhat resisted the whole Fuck ICE thing. I haven’t been to any protests specifically targeting ICE. I’ve been more concerned about women’s rights, abortion, democracy and healthcare.

But what I’m seeing now has pushed me right over the edge.

FUCK ICE

This is not the America our grandparents fought for.

The People of Minneapolis vs ICE: A Street Level View