I recently returned from a trip to the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Below is a snapshot of my experiences and what I learned.
For several months now, Minnesota has been invaded by 3000 ICE agents who were sent to abduct as many people as possible to send to for-profit immigration prisons. Most of those abducted were there legally and some were American citizens. Two of these people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were murdered for observing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. I decided to go and support and learn what I could.
Minnesota Nine Press Conference, St Paul Federal Building
I arrived in the Twin Cities in time to support a press conference of 7 of the Minnesota Nine who were arraigned on federal charges (which is rare) for protesting and reporting on a deacon of a church who also serves as the Director of a local ICE office. Is it a coincidence that 8 of the 9 people being prosecuted by the federal government for protests in the Twin Cities are African American?
On my first evening, I met with Veterans for Peace, including Ann Wright who was visiting from Hawai’i. They had just finished a protest against genocide in Palestine and shared their outrage about the murder of Alex Pretti, who was a Veterans Administration nurse. They recounted with pride their recent public memorial event for Alex - which you can watch here.
I later met other Veterans for Peace, including a Quaker retired coast guard from California, who were guarding the Eureka Compass which serves as a large food bank. Unfortunately, guards are needed because the food banks are at risk of being invaded by ICE agents, and the food distributors are frequently followed.
On Saturday, I met with Mel Duncan, who founded the NVI Palestine Unarmed Civilian Protection project in the West Bank. He returned to the Twin Cities in December to find his hometown also occupied by outside armed actors acting outside the law. He jumped into patrol work at a local school, and has provided much needed training to local activists wanting to learn how to do unarmed civilian protection in a US city under occupation.
I ate lunch at a Salvadoran restaurant that was locked to prevent ICE from entering, but we knocked and were warmly welcomed. Businesses with immigrant staff or customers have been hard hit by people staying at home, fearful of abduction or mistreatment.
Renee Good Memorial
The memorials of Alex Pretti and Renee Good are not far apart and had many visitors bringing flowers, candles and all kinds of beautiful momentos. A brass quartet played. These memorials are located on the very streets where they were murdered. The intensity of the pain and loss were evident by the many tears shed of people who were present.
On Sunday, I attended a Twin Cities Friends Meeting which had many of its members actively engaged in mutual aid, boycotts, sing-ins, protests, and patrols. One older friend said, “There is a role for everyone. I drive my neighbor to and from work and help with grocery shopping because they are too afraid to leave the house.”
I attended a Workers Assembly at the Twin Cities Labor Center. There were at least 300 people, and everyone had a vote. Proposals for upcoming actions were debated and voted on and they agreed on a proposal to call for a general strike on May 1, with the goal of abolishing ICE. Labor has played a big role in organizing resistance, including a successful general strike on January 23, 2026.
On Monday, I bagged items at the Eureka Compass at the Zion Lutheran Church with my Quaker Friends who came from the DC area. The huge operation in the church basement was staffed by dozens of volunteers, including two elderly women who came in from Michigan to help for a week.
I joined a local group that engages in singing protests. We sang and held signs at an Enterprise rental car franchise and gently urged them to stop renting their cars to ICE. Many beautiful new songs have been created for this resistance movement.
I went to a Somali restaurant for dinner owned by a woman. Her community has been hit very hard by the US government with abductions, business failures, and intimidation, despite most of them having US citizenship and legal residence.
On Tuesday, I attended another protest and press conference for 2 of the Minneapolis 9 who chanted “Down Down with Occupation. Up Up with Reparations!” I had a late night meeting with Pastor Lena Gardner who is a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. I learned that the response to George Floyd helped mobilize, organize and prepare Twin Cities residents. Minnesotans are still angry at the abduction of 3000 to 4000 residents and are calling for accountability, dismantlement of ICE, the return of abductees and reparations. They also see too much backsliding after George Floyd’s movement reforms and wants real lasting change.
On Wednesday, my last day, I supported the Isaiah Coalition in their protest against ICE at the state capitol. Hundreds filled the dome and marched in a snow storm.
Finally I stopped by the Whipple Center which serves as the ICE headquarters and detention center, where I witnessed the release of one abductee who was greeted by 24/7 medical teams with blankets and food. Resistance activists take photos of the thousands of cars going in and out of the gates while others yell profanities at the incoming and outgoing ICE agents.
Some Learnings
In just 5 days, I witnessed an occupation of a U.S city, but also a robust resistance. Because of the occupation, I witnessed lots of damage - lasting damage, well beyond the abductees. Kids who have missed school, businesses that have failed, income lost with no further funds for basic necessities, such as rent or food, 2 people killed, many others injured. I believe we should be inspired by the resistance happening on the ground, but more importantly, we cannot let this happen again. ICE must be dismantled. Accountability and lasting changes are needed - masks should be illegal for all armed actors worldwide, and State actors must be held accountable and borders need to be opened.
Some Nonviolent Tactics
The resistance has deployed a range of nonviolent tactics. As listed in the stories of my trip above, mutual aid of many sorts, patrols looking for ICE agents, guards, observers, locked doors, signs that said ICE not welcome at certain businesses, singing protests, boycotts, sit-ins, whistles, signs, frog costumes, flags, memorials, a database of ICE cars and license plates, speeches, rallies, fraternization, and red hats! People use all the tools at their disposal. And they refused to take the bait. Trump wanted them to use violence so he could send in troops, but nonviolent persistence and resistance prevailed.
What's Next?
When people see their towns and cities being occupied, whether in Palestine, Kashmir, Western Sahara, or Minnesota, one option is to invite visitors to support and volunteer. We always think we can’t do much, but they are not looking for heroes. So don’t be a burden. Wash their clothes, walk their dog, do their grocery shopping, cook them a meal, take them out to dinner, fix their computers, and drive them to appointments. The goal is to listen and co-resist alongside them.
Michael Beer, with Co-Resisting Friends from the DC Area near the George Floyd Memorial in the Twin Cities.
