The North Star Resistance: Minnesota’s Fight Against Operation Metro Surge

I am a born-and-raised Minnesotan. Minneapolis, surrounded by lakes and rivers, is a progressive, artsy, foodie city with deep appreciation for cultural diversity. Immigrants are an integral part of our city’s social fabric. Minnesotans regularly lend a helping hand to shovel snow, volunteer at kids’ schools and little leagues, carpool, organize block parties and neighborhood watch groups, and exchange names and numbers with their neighbors.  People show up for each other. The principle of showing up for a neighbor reinforces an informal community infrastructure and gave way for creative acts of resistance to counteract the terrorizing invasion by the Department of Homeland Security US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

I recently retired from my faculty position with the University of Minnesota School of Nursing where we worked to attract prospective students who are underrepresented in health care because it’s good for patient care and the community to have a diverse healthcare workforce.  I also provided mental health care to children and adolescents in a federally qualified health center (FQHC). Our clinic provides safety-net healthcare for all people, regardless of their immigration status. For 15 years I let that description roll off my tongue without much thought about providing care to all, regardless of immigration status. Suddenly, in December of 2025, it was clear that our federal government was targeting my patients and their families. 

Operation Metro Surge was touted to target the ‘worst of the worst’ criminals. In reality it was a massive, cruel, and deadly attack on the people of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the state of Minnesota. It became quickly clear that ICE agents used racial profiling and large-scale raids to meet their daily quota of arrests. Our streets were flooded with 3,000 armed ICE agents conducting mass raids and arrests.  Groups of ICE agents aggressively stopped people, demanded proof of US citizenship, and became physically violent if people asked questions or resisted. The usual rules followed by law enforcement were ignored and groups of people, regardless of their immigration status or citizenship, were assaulted, tear-gassed, and arrested.  It was common that cars would be abandoned in the middle of the street and families wouldn’t know what happened to loved ones. Minnesotans were terrified, children were afraid to go to school, and parents stayed home from work. 

What happened next in Minneapolis fills my heart with pride and hope. Minnesotans resisted in very Minnesotan-like ways. Ordinary neighbors began to show up and resist the federal invasion of our community.  Many brave Minnesotans took out their phones to record and post ICE actions on social media and national news. Despite frigid temperatures, hundreds of thousands of people showed up for peaceful protests, resistance marches, candlelight vigils and memorials for Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, killed by ICE agents.  Minnesotans organized quickly and creatively. Community based groups collected donations and delivered food, medications, money, and supplies to families sheltering at home. Schools offered on-line learning to students fearful of taking the bus.  Neighborhood watch patrols were organized to stand guard at the beginning and end of the school day, the time when ICE waited in front of the school.  Our church became a sanctuary for folks to gather and support each other. Block by block, neighbors checked in on each other to share resources and information.

Minnesotans used their skills and talents to show resistance.  Groups of people organized to offer rides to work, school and doctor appointments. Carpenters organized to repair homes and front doors broken down by ICE. Towing companies picked up cars that were abandoned when ICE officers arrested an individual on the street at no charge. Volunteers set up tables and shared soup, sandwiches, hot chocolate, coffee and water.  Local church pastors and faith leaders joined together to create public service announcements and social media videos with teachings about loving your neighbor. People who love to sing joined together and formed the “Resistance Singers”.  A screen-printing company in Northeast Minneapolis printed free anti-ICE slogans on tee shirts. Gas masks, eye wash, whistles, and other items were distributed to try to keep each other safe during protests.  We were reminded to buy local, and support local restaurants, especially those run by immigrants. 

News came out that detainees were released from federal custody at random times of the day or night, with no phones, and often without warm clothes or a ride home. Groups organized quickly to stand by 24 hours/day outside the federal building in Minneapolis to offer clothes, phones, and transportation to those released from detention. Others donated airline miles to help fly detainees home who had been released from detainment centers in Texas.  

Minnesota is known as the ‘North Star State’ which symbolizes unity, hope, and guidance.  Minnesotans showed their true north- shining brightly through rapid and creative community organization of ordinary people pitching in with everyday acts of kindness.  For me, this sense of unity and community has become increasingly palpable and meaningful. A friend recently observed ‘When they sent ICE to Minnesota, they picked the wrong place because people are going to stand up for their neighbors here’.  And we did.     

If I had a suggestion for what others can do in their own community it would be to help support the infrastructure of your community neighborliness. In Minnesota the informal infrastructure and shared value of neighbor support became the foundation for resistance to the ICE invasion. Create neighborhood watch groups, support immigrant owned businesses and invest time volunteering in meaningful ways.  Living by the values of treating others with consideration and kindness, the way we’d like to be treated ourselves, is really quite simple, and will strengthen our entire community.

The views expressed in the Community Voices Community Action Series are those of the author and are not written by the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice.