EARLY ON MONDAY MORNING, federal agents pounded on the door of 72-year-old Omar Muñoz’s home in Commerce, California.
asserted
agents → pound → Commerce
Armed officers had surrounded his house before dawn and were threatening to break down the front door unless he came out.
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he → surround → door
When he answered, the agents handcuffed and dragged the lawful permanent resident from Belize out of his home, still in his pajamas, parading him in front of their own government film crew and other media who had been tipped off to document the raid.
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who → answer → raid
As reporters for the Los Angeles Times put it, Muñoz
described seeing helicopters, at least eight cars and several agents from different agencies descending on his home, and recalled thinking, “What movie am I in?”
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I → put → movie
The movie in which he was made into an unwilling cast member is President Trump’s “Operation Protect the Vote.”
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he → make → Vote
Muñoz is accused of fraudulently registering to vote and casting ballots, allegations he denies.
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he → accuse → allegations
His daughter immediately recognized why this was happening: “They’re trying to instill fear in society,” she said.
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she → recognize → society
Her father is being used as a propaganda tool.
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father → use → tool
The MAGA-friendly California Post,1 which was granted the exclusive story
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which → grant → story
, crowed about the access: “Inside the biggest voter fraud bust in California’s history—as network of 28 democracy-defying cons are snared.”
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network → crow → cons
In these statewide raids, authorities charged only 28 green card holders, including Muñoz, among California’s 23 million registered voters.
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authorities → charge → voters
The arrests were carried out by squads from Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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arrests → carry → Immigration
HSI’s primary responsibility is supposed to be investigating serious cross-border criminal activity.
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responsibility → suppose → activity
But under the Trump administration, HSI has been given very different tasks—like investigating campus protesters, spying on critics of the administration, and executing the recent pre-dawn raid on Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home.
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HSI → give → home
And the 28 individuals charged in California are not the end of the administration’s use of HSI late in this campaign season: HSI agents have reportedly fanned out across the country to go to people’s homes to ask about their immigration status, voter registration, and past voting.
uncertain
agents → charge → status
It’s DHS on doorsteps now.
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It → ’ → doorsteps
It’s dangerous election interference.
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It → ’ → ?
The good news: It’s possible to fight these lawless intrusions and to win.
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It → ’ → intrusions
But to fight them, you need to understand them first.
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you → fight → them
Here’s what you should know.
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you → ’ → what
It’s easy to become numb.
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It → ’ → ?
Good journalism fights that numbness.
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journalism → fight → numbness
It slows down.
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It → slow → ?
It looks closely.
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It → look → ?
It reminds us that every story happened to somebody—and that democracy needs defenders who pay attention.
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who → remind → attention
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Unlock → unlock → story
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you → get → Longwell
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