Fellow KTActivist, welcome to your first Kitchen Table Action for February.
During January and February, we’re focused on Police Accountability & Federal Overreach because accountability doesn’t disappear all at once. It erodes quietly when systems overlap, responsibilities blur, and no one is clearly answerable to the public.
Today’s action is intentionally low-key and low-pressure.
No calls. No confrontation. No public statements.
Just seeing clearly what’s happening in your own community.
But this is important because you need to learn to research and explore issues on your own. Too many people simply wait for someone else to do the work when they should be more proactive about gathering and reviewing information.
You don’t need to fix anything today.
You just need to map it.
🔎 This Week’s Kitchen Table Action: Research
Your Task:
Map Federal entanglement with your local law enforcement
Type of Action:
Guided Research (15 minutes)
Your Goal:
Identify whether your local police department, sheriff’s office, etc, is formally or informally integrated into federal law enforcement operations.
Who You’re Targeting:
Your city or county law enforcement agencies or departments (information-gathering only).
✅ What to Do (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Identify Your Local Law Enforcement Agency
Determine whether your area is served primarily by:
a city police department
a county sheriff’s office
or both
Write down the agency and/or department name(s). That’s your starting point.
Step 2: Check for Federal Task Force Participation
Search online for your department’s involvement in any of the following:
Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs)
Federal task forces or deputization programs
Cross-agency “joint operations” with federal law enforcement
Helpful starting points:
DOJ or FBI press releases mentioning your city
Your department’s “About,” “Partnerships,” or “Special Units” pages
Local news coverage of joint operations
PLEASE NOTE:
You’ll need to get online and start searching. I’ve provided one link but learning how to uncover information like this on your own is important. Researching questions and finding accurate, reliable information is a critical skill we should all continue to develop.
Step 3: Look for Immigration Enforcement Agreements
Search for whether your department participates in:
287(g) agreements
ICE task force partnerships
Detention or transport agreements
These are often listed on:
City council or county commission meeting minutes
Step 4: Check for Military Equipment Transfers
Search for whether your agency and/or department has received:
surplus military vehicles
tactical weapons or gear
equipment through federal transfer programs
Clues often appear in:
city budgets
police annual reports
local reporting on “surplus” equipment
Helpful link:
The Police Funding Database (LESO/1033 program) for domestic police transfers.
📝 Simple Mapping Worksheet
You don’t need to write an essay. Just note what you find.
Local agency name:
Participates in federal task forces? (Yes / No / Unsure)
Immigration enforcement role? (Yes / No / Unsure)
Military equipment received? (Yes / No / Unsure)
Sources you checked (links or notes):
That’s it. You’re done.
Why This Works
Federal overreach often feels abstract because it’s framed as something happening “elsewhere.”
This action does something important:
It identifies where federal influence has become local
It replaces assumptions with evidence
It prepares you for future actions grounded in facts, not fear
You can’t challenge entanglement if you don’t know where it exists. Mapping is the first step toward accountability.
Small Moves, Steady Reps
This action might feel quiet but it’s foundational.
Every movement that succeeds starts with people who understand the system they’re up against. Taking this research action isn’t about pressure. It’s about clarity.
Next time, we’ll build on this by looking at how the law treats officers who stand by during federal abuses and what accountability can actually look like under state law.
Until then, thank you for taking one steady step forward.
In Solidarity,
Brandon
Share This
If this action helped you see your community more clearly, please share The Kitchen Table Activist with someone who cares about justice but doesn’t know where to begin.
That’s how this grows… one kitchen table at a time!