I am not a rebel.

I am a rule follower, a law and order kind of guy. It’s how I was raised. My father was a US Marine Corps drill sergeant and following rules was important in our family. When I was a kid, my siblings and I were not allowed to watch “The Dukes of Hazzard” because my dad didn’t like that it made a fool of the law. We were THAT kind of family.

I don’t have a problem with people who are not like me. I have friends and loved ones who are rule breakers and I find no fault with that. I do expect those who break the rules to accept the consequences of their actions, and I have no sympathy for those who complain when they are caught and held accountable for their actions. But if your principles lead you to break the law, and you are willing to accept the penalties if you are caught, then you are all good as far as I am concerned.

There have been a few times in my life when there were widespread protests against the government or law enforcement. I have never participated in these protests, not even once. It’s not that I’ve believed that all of the claims against law enforcement have been unwarranted: There have certainly been times when law enforcement has failed and holding them accountable was the right thing to do. But on the whole I have found the protests to be performative and a waste of time, and the protesters to be naive and/or uninformed. I have never felt motivated to join the rebels, even when I’ve shared some of their concerns with law enforcement tactics.

Something has changed in me this month. I am still a rule follower, and I still have the utmost respect for law enforcement. I feel sympathy for members of the Minneapolis and Saint Paul police: They are being put in an impossible situation and are handling themselves like the true professionals they are. But my respect does not, and will not, be extended to ICE agents. ICE has proven themselves undeserving of my respect and unworthy of my support. I can’t sit quietly by while my city is overrun by poorly trained and morally bankrupt mercenaries. I won’t sit quietly by while these masked men in desperate need of anger management therapy surround my home and terrorize my neighbors.

Reasonable people can disagree on the best policies to address the immigration problems in this country. Reasonable people can debate about how much, if any, state and local police should support immigration enforcement. People of good conscience can have different opinions on which undocumented immigrants are targeted, and how they are targeted. This goes beyond reasonable disagreement.

ICE agents are routinely violating the rights guaranteed to residents by law. ICE agents are hiding behind masks and insisting that they can do whatever they want to whoever they want with zero accountability. ICE leaders are claiming sweeping immunity to avoid accountability for any of their illegal actions. And most tellingly, administration officials are shamelessly lying about their agents’ actions, despite ample video evidence proving their dishonesty time and time again.

I refuse to be gaslit by these criminals. I will not be swayed by their propaganda. I will not look the other way while thousands of others suffer needlessly.

I am still not a rebel, but I am joining the rebellion. I will protest. I will observe ICE and record their crimes to ensure they can be held accountable in the future. I will support my neighbors who are living in fear, and I will never submit to living under the thumb of a lawless, unaccountable government.