Minnesota YES!
Hello CRAGgys,
Minnesotans turned out by the thousands in frigid weather yesterday to oppose the paramilitary invasion of the Twin Cities by federal agents. They filled downtown for blocks and staged protests at the airport, where 100 praying clergy members were arrested.
Minnesota
On Friday some 800 businesses around the state participated in a general strike. People were asked to avoid shopping, and stay home from work and school. (Many schools were closed for cold weather.) Health care workers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and others around Minnesota staged short walk-outs to protest ICE entering hospitals.
ICE has detained children, including a 2-year old who was sent to Texas on Friday, against judge's orders (she has since been returned). School "District leaders tell MPR News that they have verified incidents in which children, parents and school staff members have been pulled into vehicles by masked agents."
In Columbia Heights, where 5-year old Liam Conejo Ramos was arrested:
"“ICE agents have been roaming our neighborhoods, circling our schools, following our buses, coming into our parking lots and taking our children,” said superintendent Zena Stenvik. “The sense of safety in our community and around our schools is shaken, and our hearts are shattered.”
As I write, there are reports of another person shot and killed by federal agents, just blocks from my old neighborhood. The victim was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Minneapolis. As with the murder of Renee Good, the Department of Homeland Security is blocking local officials from investigating the incident.
Friends of ours live or work in that neighborhood. One was teargassed this morning. others are afraid to leave their houses.
Governor Walz Statement on Third Shooting Involving Federal Agents in Minnesota
January 24, 2026
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today issued the following statement in response to a third shooting involving federal law enforcement agents in Minnesota.
“The federal occupation of Minnesota long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. It is a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state. And today, that campaign claimed yet another life.
“I have seen the video. It is sickening. But Minnesota’s justice system will have the last word. It must have the last word.
“As I told the White House in no uncertain terms this morning, the federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation. The state will handle it. Period.
“All of us understand the potential this incident has to further inflame tensions on our streets. The difference is, we want calm, and they want chaos. We cannot – we will not – give them what they want by meeting violence with violence.
“Minnesotans and our local law enforcement have done everything we can to deescalate. The federal government must deescalate. I once again call on the President to remove the 3,000 agents from Minnesota who are sowing chaos and violence.
“Despite these horrific acts by the federal government, Minnesotans are still standing up for the rule of law and the dignity of all people. They are protesting – loudly, urgently, but also peacefully – and it must stay that way. Minnesotans are witnessing, creating a log of evidence for future prosecution of ICE agents and officials. They are helping their neighbors, walking their kids to school, and feeding their families. I salute their courage – and their restraint.
“They think they can provoke us into abandoning our own values. They are wrong. We will keep the peace. We will secure justice for our neighbors. And we will see this occupation end.”
Context
Some useful context on the situation in Minneapolis is provided by Ruby Cramer in a New Yorker article about Mayor Jacob Frey. Some key points:
- ICE came looking for Somali people, whom the president constantly vilifies, and were frustrated to discover that the nearly all Somali immigrants in Minnesota are citizens.
- Since ICE couldn't find Somalis to deport, ICE pivoted to hunting Latinos.
- Minnesota's undocumented population is about 130,000 people. Texas and California each have over 2 million; Florida has about 1.6 million. Michigan is about 130,000; Maine, where ICE is deploying this week, has only around 10,000 undocumented residents. (Numbers from Pew, 2023 data.)
- The excuse for attacking Somalis in Minnesota is a long-running fraud investigation involving stolen Covid relief funds. Journalist Caitlin Dickerson points out that fraud is a white-collar crime; it's investigated with spreadsheets and bank statements, not armed thugs.
- ICE is taking credit for detaining or deporting criminals who were already held in Minnesota prisons, or had been deported years ago. One was released to ICE in October 2003.
- ICE agents in Minneapolis outnumber the police 5 to 1.
- The local police do not coordinate with ICE in any way and have no intelligence on what they are doing. (But ICE sometimes calls 911 demanding that the local police arrest protestors.)
- The local police are trying to protect the public, but are vastly outnumbered, and being injured and racially profiled themselves. The police chief, Brian O'Hara, who came in to reform the force after the murder of George Floyd, is appalled by the unprofessional, undisciplined actions of ICE agents.
- They are escalating because they are afraid of us. They do not want their lies to be exposed, their authority threatened, their power challenged. Truth is not their friend. Our power is unity .
The real goal of ICE is not to detain immigrants, the main goal of paramilitary forces in the streets is to restrict the rights and freedoms of all of us. When they are allowed to act with impunity, we become a society where the rule of law applies selectively. We are all less safe, democratic, and less free.
Stand with Minnesota
Directory of places to donate to support the resistance in Minnesota, including mutual aid groups, food, housing, legal, and others.
How to Act
- Demand that the Senate block further funding for ICE. Congress already forwarded this bill to the Senate. Rein in ICE NOW Indivisible Campaign. Call and email today, call again on Monday.
Indivisible: We are calling on the Senate to reject the current bill, and withhold their votes from any legislation funding DHS unless it:
- Strengthens restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol’s ability to conduct dragnet arrest operations and target people based on their race, language or accent, place of employment, or location at the time of the apprehension;
- Ends Border Patrol deployment to our cities and rejects its ever-expanding mandate in immigration enforcement; and
- Limits DHS's reprogramming and transfer authority, including specifically preventing reprogramming and transferring funds for detention.
- Join your local group, Indivisible, AWAVE, KATO, League of Women Voters are all working to protect democracy. You cannot fight back with social media. You must work with your communities. Contact info below.
- Speak to your friends, family and neighbors. Opposition must grow to be successful.
- There's a call to light a candle at 8 pm (7 central) tonight to "Shine a Light for Minnesota".
- Attend your local meetings! Speak your mind! Details below.
Local Aid (ongoing)
AWAVE and Keweenaw Indivisible are working with the Salvation Army to provide housing assistance. The Western UP does not have a homeless shelter. Please donate.
Local orgs are raising money to help our neighbors with housing-related issues such as utility bills and emergency shelter this winter. Please contribute if you are able! One-hundred percent of the proceeds will remain local and go towards supporting those experiencing housing insecurity or at risk of homelessness.
When and Where to Speak UP
Check the calendar for details.
Here's the list view of Elected Official Meetings: https://calendar.online/electedofficialmeetings.
I want company, I will go with you. Drop me a line.
Some public body meets somewhere every single week; take 30 minutes to show up and express your opinion. (Sample statements.) And let me know if you go and what you learn.
Houghton Country Jail Committees
The 2026 jail project needs public input! You can show up and just observe one of the committees, or speak up! Details and schedules.
January 28
- Houghton City Council, 6 pm
January 29
- Village of South Range, 5 pm.
January 30
- Calumet Township, 1 pm
Why and how to attend local meetings
Events
- "Shine a Light for Minnesota" Rally at the Marquette Post Office, 7 pm.
- AWAVE 1st Anniversary Celebration
Organizational Meetings
Details are on the CALENDAR. (Organizers: Please send updates when times, dates, locations change!) These groups are all very welcoming. Drop by a meeting to connect with friendly faces. Any level of engagement contributes to making our world better.
Houghton/Hancock
- Yoopers for Ukraine 🇺🇦 Rally at the bridge Sundays at 3 pm.
- Keweenaw Indivisible meets 3rd Tuesdays, 6-8 pm (work groups at 6, general membership at 7) at the KUUF. (Join KI). [Note meeting has been shifted to accommodate the HoCo Commission, which meets on the 2nd Tuesdays.]
- Houghton County Dems meet every 1st Wednesday, 7 pm at the Super 8.
- 4th Wednesdays AWAVE, 6 pm. Gathering at KUU Fellowship Houghton.
- 3rd Sundays, 7-8:45 pm, Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy Monthly Action Committee (KATO). Please register at the link to help with the headcount.
Baraga
- Baraga County Democrats, 3rd Tuesdays at 6 pm, L'Anse Township Hall
Marquette
- Every Tuesday evening at 7pm, Yoopers Unite, a gathering of local pro-democracy groups, at LoveMarq Church, 728 W. Kaye Ave, Marquette.
- Visibility Brigade Demonstrations take place regularly in Marquette and Ishpeming. Click here for information and to register through Mobilize.
- Saturday Morning Demonstrations at the Post Office in Marquette: Members of Citizens for Peace and Justice, Lake Superior Region Indivisible, Yoopers Unite, area community members, friends and neighbors gather for a peaceful demonstration at the Marquette Post Office every Saturday from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm.
- Subscribe for free to the Lake Superior Region Indivisible newsletter here. Contact LSRI at lsrindivisible@gmail.com
Michigan
- Statewide Indivisible Michigan (SWIM). This page lists various virtual events for statewide connections.
Leaving MAGA resource
- Leaving maga resources by former MAGA folks that might help people speaking with friends and relatives.
Thanks for all your support and all your efforts to promote and expand freedom, justice and democracy!
Stay safe,
Sarah
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