Ignorance Is Their Greatest Weapon

In light of the recent shooting in Minneapolis, where a United States citizen was killed while exercising what appears to be a lawful constitutional right to record federal agents, it has become critically important for Americans to understand the protections they have under the law. Because of my own experiences in life, experiences that forced me to learn how to defend myself legally, to study statutes, constitutional protections, and the limits of government authority, I have become very well versed in the law. I was thrust into situations where ignorance was not an option, where my safety depended on knowing what the Constitution actually says. That self-education has become one of the greatest tools of empowerment in my life, and it is something every American must embrace. The reason so many abuses of power continue in this country is because those who wield authority are betting on and banking on the fact that citizens are not self-taught, that they are not self-aware, and that they have never taken the time to study the very Constitution that protects them. When people do not know their rights, those rights become easy to violate. Knowledge cuts through intimidation, and understanding the law removes the fear that those in power rely on.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to record government officials performing their duties in public. This applies to ICE, Border Patrol, FBI, local police, and any agent acting under federal authority. Courts have consistently recognized that recording law enforcement officers is a form of protected speech and public oversight. The Constitution does not grant this right exclusively to journalists. It grants it to the people. Observing and documenting the actions of government officials is a constitutional safeguard, and as long as an individual does not physically interfere with an operation, the act of recording is fully protected. A camera is not obstruction. A camera is not interference. A camera is a constitutional instrument of accountability.

The Fourth Amendment provides another critical layer of protection by prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures. It requires that any detention be supported by reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Reasonable suspicion must be based on specific, articulable facts indicating criminal activity. Standing on a sidewalk, filming a government agent, or observing officers from a lawful position does not constitute reasonable suspicion. Probable cause, which is required for an arrest or intrusive search, demands even stronger evidence. Filming a public official does not satisfy that standard. For this reason, federal agents cannot legally detain a citizen simply because they are recording them, nor can they escalate a situation without clear constitutional justification.

These same principles apply during vehicle encounters. Federal agents do not have blanket authority to order an individual out of a vehicle. They may only do so when the stop itself is lawful, which means it must be supported by reasonable suspicion anchored in specific facts. Without a lawful basis for the stop, ordering someone out of a vehicle becomes an unconstitutional seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Breaking a car window constitutes a use of force and can only be justified during a lawful arrest, a lawful detention, or when an immediate and articulable threat exists. A citizen choosing to record or declining consent to a search does not create such a threat and does not justify forced entry or removal.

The Constitution becomes even more protective when federal agents approach a private residence. A home is afforded the strongest Fourth Amendment protections in American law. Many immigration operations involve administrative warrants, which are internal agency documents that do not authorize forced entry. Only a judicial warrant signed by a judge grants authority to enter a home without consent. Citizens have the right to refuse entry if the warrant is not judicial. They have the right to ask to see the warrant, to read it, to verify that it bears a judge’s signature, and to record the entire encounter. Consent to enter must be freely given, and a citizen is under no legal obligation to open the door or speak unless a valid judicial warrant is presented.

The Fifth Amendment protects the right to remain silent. A citizen is not required to answer questions, justify their presence, or explain their actions. Silence is a constitutional shield, not an admission of guilt. If a situation escalates, the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel. A citizen may clearly state that they wish to speak with an attorney before answering any additional questions.

Understanding what to say and what not to say is essential when exercising constitutional rights. Statements that uphold your protections include: I do not consent to a search, am I being detained or am I free to go, I choose to remain silent, and may I see the warrant. Statements that should be avoided include volunteering unnecessary information, providing explanations, granting permission indirectly, or arguing on the spot. The Constitution will protect you, but only if you invoke it. This is where self-awareness becomes critical. People who do not know their rights tend to surrender them unknowingly, and those who have never studied the law often give away constitutional protections in moments of intimidation. Those who abuse authority rely on that ignorance. They depend on it. They expect it. When a citizen becomes informed, confident, and aware, the balance of power shifts instantly.

The Constitution was written to restrain government power and protect individual liberty. These rights do not disappear in encounters with federal agents. They do not evaporate because an operation is underway. They do not fade because a badge is present. They remain intact because they originate from the supreme law of the land. If citizens do not know their rights, violations can occur quietly and without resistance. If citizens become self-taught, self-aware, and empowered by understanding the law, they become far more difficult to intimidate and impossible to silence. Now more than ever, as events unfold across the country, every American must understand the laws that protect them, the constitutional limits placed on federal authority, and the rights they possess everywhere they go: in public, in their vehicles, and at their own front door.

General Coco

Salvation Revolution Ministries