It's hard to know what to say or do about the ongoing horror in Minnesota. 

If you feel helpless, you are not alone. 

But know that the Trump Administration wants us to feel hopeless. They want us to look away. To give up. 

Don't give up. 

Here are some concrete steps you can take: 

• Join us Jan. 26th at Coyote Moon to hear more about a local organization working to protect immigrant rights. Come at 11:30 if you're ordering lunch. Program begins at noon. 
• Call Rep. Jeff Hurd to demand an independent investigation of DHS brutality. He voted for a huge increase in the DHS budget. It's his responsibility to provide oversight. 
• Consider helping organizations on the ground in Minnesota.

If you were at the screening of SELMA last week, you got a powerful reminder of what can happen when regular folks resist injustice. 

We're pretty critical of Rep. Jeff Hurd when he appears to be on the wrong track, so it's only fair that we point out when he does something praiseworthy. 

He was one of four Republicans in the House who voted against censuring Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her remarks concerning the late Charlie Kirk. 

Hurd was quick to point out that he found her remarks "vile," but added "“The right response to reprehensible speech like this isn’t silencing: it’s more speech." 

Sounds a lot like what AG Phil Weiser said when he was in town last week. 

If you agree with Rep. Hurd, give his office a call and let his staff know. Because you can be certain the people who disagree are weighing in. 

If you've visited the website of a federal agency since the government shutdown began, you may have been confronted with a banner message blaming "Radical Left Democrats" for the shutdown. 

Those messages may be a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits "electioneering" by federal employees, including Cabinet members, while on the job. 

You can file a Hatch Act complaint using this handy website. 

Let the Trump Administration know what you think about this.