.png)
Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov took to social media this week to warn voters about the dangers of supporting radical Democratic candidates who might bring food insecurity and threats to public safety to their communities, shortly after the Trump administration cut food stamp benefits for 42 million Americans and deployed thousands of federal agents to conduct immigration sweeps.
The councilwoman's prescient message came as the USDA announced it would not use its $6 billion contingency fund to pay November SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, leaving roughly one in eight Americans without critical food assistance. The administration later reversed course, agreeing to provide only half of the usual benefits, with recipients potentially waiting weeks or months to receive payments.
"Here's hoping that President Trump will be willing to send in federal enforcement before he can do too much damage," Vernikov wrote, apparently referring to herself and her party's control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Trump's proposed 2026 budget would slash WIC fruit and vegetable benefits by 62 to 75 percent, taking away more than $1.3 billion in nutritional assistance from 5.2 million pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. The councilwoman did not specify whether these particular mothers and children should direct their complaints about food insecurity to rational people or to their doorsteps.
Meanwhile, thousands of federal agents from the DEA, ATF, and FBI have been reassigned to immigration enforcement operations, with agents wearing face coverings and plainclothes while conducting raids at workplaces, courthouses, and public spaces. In September, the Cato Institute found that over 25,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers had been diverted from their regular duties, including nearly one-quarter of FBI agents.
More than 170 American citizens have been detained by immigration agents in recent months, with some dragged, tackled, beaten, and held for days despite presenting identification. Among those detained were elected officials, including Chicago alderwoman staff members, a Puerto Rican alderwoman handcuffed inside a hospital emergency room, and a military veteran.
When asked about the aggressive tactics, President Trump told CBS's "60 Minutes" that he believed immigration enforcement raids "haven't gone far enough," adding that violent methods were acceptable "because you have to get the people out".
The councilwoman expressed particular concern about the breakdown of public safety that might result from voting for extreme candidates, though she did not elaborate on whether masked federal agents conducting warrantless raids represented the kind of law enforcement she envisioned protecting communities.
