{{Firstname|Good morning}}, this week we look at how pressure is testing leadership, reputation, and public safety, from global hesitation around the 2026 World Cup and ICE related protests, to Arizona’s role in critical minerals and border state leadership, and a historic Arizona Wildcats run built on unity and love.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup was supposed to be a global welcome mat, a signal that North America is open, confident, and ready. Instead, I am hearing a different concern from abroad. Not about stadiums or logistics, but about uncertainty, ICE, raids, and whether traveling to the United States feels safe or predictable.

That hesitation is real. Several foreign governments have raised travel cautions for the U.S., pointing to unrest and demonstrations tied to immigration enforcement. At the same time, flights and hotels are filling up fast. Fans still want to come. The problem is that the experience of entering and moving around the country feels riskier than it should.

This matters because reputation is an economic asset. It is also soft power, the ability to attract people, talent, and investment without coercion. When a country is viewed as unpredictable or hostile, behavior changes quietly. Families pick different destinations. Students apply elsewhere. Conferences, cultural events, and executive travel look for alternatives. Over time, fewer decisions break our way.

The current driver is not sport. It is immigration enforcement posture. Highly visible raids, mixed messaging, and a lack of clarity around how lawful visitors will be treated create doubt. Add heightened scrutiny at the border, and travel becomes something to manage rather than enjoy. In a World Cup year, that is a strategic failure.

This is not just a U.S. issue. Mexico and Canada are co hosts. If the United States is perceived as the unpredictable link, it affects the entire North American brand.

On a personal note, Arizona is not hosting matches, so I will be watching my first World Cup from Mexico, and I am genuinely excited. The World Cup is about shared experience and hospitality, and Mexico understands that instinctively.

I have worked inside DHS. Security matters. But security without consistency becomes a self inflicted wound. The World Cup is a global audit. How we treat visitors now will shape how the world treats us long after the final match.

I support the right to protest and the right to document ICE activity from public spaces. Both are protected under the Constitution. What worries me right now is not the legitimacy of the protests, but the environment around them. We are seeing real injuries and deaths, and we are watching agencies that look unprepared, stressed, and inconsistent in how they handle crowds.

I say this as someone who worked inside Department of Homeland Security. When operations get improvised and leadership is reactive, the risk to civilians goes up fast. That means protestors have to be disciplined, intentional, and focused on safety without giving up their rights.

Below is a tightened version of guidance drawn from civil liberties groups and widely accepted “Know Your Rights” standards:

Protest is most powerful when it is disciplined. Staying alive, staying out of jail, and documenting clearly is not backing down. It is how movements protect their people and win credibility.

This moment demands courage, but it also demands judgment.

This week, a post from U.S. Embassy Tokyo quietly captured something important. Japanese investment in Arizona’s advanced manufacturing and energy future is not theoretical anymore. It is happening now.

For those of us who work in cross border investment, this matters deeply. Arizona is a border state, but too often it is discussed only through the lens of migration or enforcement. What this announcement reinforces is a different truth. Border states are also production states, innovation states, and national security states.

Projects like this strengthen U.S. supply chains, reduce reliance on unstable or adversarial markets, and anchor high quality jobs in regions that understand global trade better than most. They also validate a model that firms like Intermestic Capital, where I am actively involved in building and financing strategic projects, have been advancing. Strategic foreign investment, when aligned with U.S. national priorities, can be a powerful force multiplier for growth, resilience, and security.

This is especially true in critical minerals, where the United States has spent decades falling behind. Cobalt is essential to batteries, defense systems, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing, yet much of the global supply chain remains concentrated in jurisdictions that pose long term risk to U.S. interests.

That is why the EVelution Energy project in Yuma, Arizona matters. The facility is designed to be the first large scale, solar powered cobalt processing plant in the United States, converting imported cobalt materials into national security products domestically. Through my work with Intermestic Capital, I am supporting the financing and development of this project, because it reflects what smart industrial policy should look like. Critical materials processed on U.S. soil, under U.S. standards, strengthening American supply chains.

For a border state like Arizona, this is the future. Not just enforcement, but production. Not just proximity, but strategic relevance. Border states are not a liability. They are a competitive advantage.

This is what the border looks like when it works.

As an alumnus, I have watched a lot of great Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball teams. Legendary coaches. Tournament runs. Seasons that defined an era. But what this team is doing right now belongs in a category of its own.

With the recent win over Arizona State, Arizona improved to 22–0 overall and 9–0 in conference play, marking the best start in program history and one of the longest winning streaks the Wildcats have ever had. In today’s college basketball landscape, that kind of sustained excellence is rare. This is not a soft schedule or a fluke stretch. This is week-in, week-out consistency at the highest level.

What stands out most, though, is not just the wins. It is the culture.

After the ASU game, a player was asked what makes this team click. His answer was simple and powerful. He said they love each other. In a time when we talk endlessly about division, incentives, and individual branding, hearing that word — love — stopped me in my tracks.

Love means trust. Love means accountability. Love means showing up for your teammate when things get hard. You do not build a streak like this without it.

That context matters even more in the NIL era. College basketball has changed. Players have more leverage, more options, and more reasons to move on quickly. Building and keeping a roster intact long enough to develop chemistry is harder than ever. Long, year-over-year dominance is no longer the norm.

Which is exactly why this run is so impressive.

This team is not just talented. It is connected. It is well coached, disciplined, and bought into something bigger than any one season or individual deal. That cohesion shows up on defense, in unselfish play, and in how they close games under pressure.

As an alumnus, there is real pride in watching Arizona represent itself this way. Tough. Confident. United.

The future will only get more complicated in college sports. But for now, this moment deserves to be enjoyed. Winning streaks like this do not come around often. And the best ones are built not just on skill, but on love.

Bear Down.

When communities are on edge, silence is not neutral. It is a decision. And right now, as ICE activity, protests, and fear intersect across Arizona, the most striking absence is executive leadership.

This is not about being for or against immigration enforcement. The federal government has a job to do. States do too. The governor’s responsibility is to set clear expectations, explain how public safety will be maintained, and reassure communities that constitutional rights will be respected. That clarity lowers the temperature. It protects protestors. It protects law enforcement. And it prevents confusion from turning into confrontation.

Across the country, governors in California, New York, Illinois, and Maine have understood this moment. They have spoken publicly and professionally about ICE activity, lawful protest, and coordination with state and local authorities. They have outlined what their states will do, what they will not do, and how safety will be preserved. Agreement is not the point. Clarity is.

In Arizona, we have not seen that kind of leadership from Katie Hobbs.

As tensions rose and protests grew, the state’s top executive voice has been largely absent. No clear guidance. No public framework. No reassurance to communities watching events unfold and wondering where the lines are. In a state where Latinos make up nearly one third of the population, and where communities of color approach half, silence is not calming. It is destabilizing.

I have worked inside Department of Homeland Security. I know what happens when coordination breaks down. Leadership is not about choosing sides. It is about organizing systems.

What should that leadership look like right now?

It means bringing state, local, and federal law enforcement together with clear roles and communication channels. It means working directly with community leaders, faith groups, and advocacy organizations to share accurate information. It means ensuring schools, cities, and counties have plans for protests and enforcement activity. It means clearly stating that people can exercise their rights safely, and that escalation benefits no one.

Arizona does not need theatrics. It needs a governor who shows up, explains the plan, and leads with competence. Presence is policy. And leadership, when done right, keeps people safe.

Thanks for reading this edition of my newsletter! I'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts about what you think are the most critical issues that need to be addressed. Email me at [email protected] or connect with me on social media using the hashtag #Intermestic.

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