Opinion:  Patricia Johnson

United States tax dollars is what keeps our country operating,  As poll after poll has indicated the majority of U.S. citizens are not satisfied with the direction our country is headed in a lot of areas, but mostly when it comes to the Department of Homeland Security, DHS.

DHS is run by Kristi Noem, the cabinet member responsible for all components of DHS.  As you can see by the following organization chart, ICE is a component of the DHS.  

The most recent New York Times/Siena Poll released January 22, 2026 indicated a majority of registered voters disapproved of the manner in which the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , ICE is handling its job.  55 percent strongly disapproved, while 8 percent somewhat disapproved for a total disapproval rate of 63 percent.  

The poll was taken between January 12, 2026 and January 17, 2026.  Renee Good was shot by the ICE agent on January 7, 2026 so this poll is representative of voters opinion of ICE shortly after her death.  Statements made by DHS personnel on how the shooting happened have been contradicted by the videos released by news media.

On Saturday, January 24, 2026 Alex Pratti was shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents.  CBP is also a component of DHS, run by Kristi Noem.

Once again, the statements made by DHS personnel surrounding this killing were contradicted by videos taken at the scene.  At no time did Alex Pratti remove his weapon from his holster.  The firearm was removed from his holster by a CBP agent and after the removal Alex Pratti was shot numerous times by CBP agents.  Future polls will probably indicate a much higher disapproval percentage for DHS.

Our government is out of control and needs to be stopped.  Normally, registered voters could change the way our government works by voting, notifying their congressional leaders of views, and/or protesting.  The goal of protesting is designed to show congressional leaders changes need to be made.

Unfortunately, we currently have a House of Representatives and Senate that are controlled by Republicans who consistently follow the wishes of President Trump out of fear.  They don’t always agree with the President’s views but are placed in a bad position.  If they oppose what Trump wants they are blackmailed into agreeing with him, by threats of Trump backing their opponent in the next election.

Blackmail is the same tactic Trump has used on our Universities, Law Firms and the Media as well as other entities to have them do his bidding.  Perhaps we should follow his lead.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) designated Monday, January 26, 2026 as the opening date of the 2026 tax filing season.  This designation was issued January 8, 2026 on IRS News Release IR-2026-02

Every U.S. taxpayer has the right to request an extension on paying the taxes due April 15, 2026 without exception.  The difference is, if your taxes are not paid by the date due the taxpayer is subject to interest and penalties for nonpayment.

How much are you willing to pay to change the way our government is being run?

If all tax returns were filed by April 15, 2026 for individuals that have a refund coming, and all individuals that owe taxes waited until after April 15, 2026 to file, we would definitely get our point across without the violence currently being seen in the streets of America.

Remember if you owe taxes on your 2025 income tax return and fail to file by April 15, 2026 you will be liable for both interest and a penalty on the amount due.  You must complete IRS form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.  Completion of this form extends your filing deadline to October 15, 2026, but does not extend the payment date.  

You will be charged interest and penalties for late payment. 

There is the possibility that if enough taxpayers withhold payment, members of the House and Senate will realize taxpayers are demanding change now, not waiting until the midterm elections and will pass a bill to waive the interest and penalties due on 2025 tax returns.  Thinking our legislators might do the right thing may be wishful thinking at this point, but if enough taxpayers fail to file they may find the guts to do what’s right.

Withholding tax returns is a form of protest that most Americans will think is too radical an approach to the problem at hand, but what other choices are there?  Can we really continue to allow, what appear to be untrained, members of DHS to treat protestors as domestic terrorists and kill at will?

© 2026 Patricia Johnson