As I scroll social media I save stories that seem important to share. I also have my own experiences to sprinkle in. If I were to include every single unconscionable arrest, this post would be a book. Here is an attempt at what it has been like the last week living in Minneapolis.
The Daily Rundown (since the last post)
On Saturday, January 17, Minneapolis prepared for an anti-Islamic march and rally lead by pardoned January 6 rioter Jake Lang. Lang had been charged with beating police officers with a baseball bat during the January 6 attack and was jailed for four years before Trump pardoned him. Lang promised to burn the Quran and march from downtown Minneapolis to a neighborhood known to hold a large Somali population. Counter protestors outnumbered Lang’s crowd and his march was unable to leave downtown. Ironically, it was a trans woman, Daye Gottsche, who helped him escape after he got in her car as she waited at a nearby stop light.
“I don’t necessarily know if he deserved our kindness, but I would not change anything that happened.” – Daye Gottsche
On Sunday, individuals protested at a church service where a pastor, David Easterwood, appears to be the same David Easterwood who is a top ICE official in the Twin Cities. Rev. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a known advocate and lawyer, was charged under 18 U.S.C. § 241 (a federal “civil rights conspiracy” statute) alongside Chauntyll Allen (another known advocate). Prosecutors advocated to keep Levy Armstrong and Allen incarcerated and the Trump Administration posted fake photos of Levy Armstrong on X. Levy Armstrong, Allen, and William Kelly (another advocate with a separate hearing)were released Friday.
Also on Sunday, federal agents broke down the door of ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a U.S. citizen, and led him outside in his underwear despite the subfreezing temperatures. The agents eventually realized he was a U.S. citizen with no criminal record and returned him home. There is no undoing the trauma endured, physical risk he was placed in, the damage to his property, or the precedent it set.
Monday was a federal holiday, honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The irony was not lost on us. As I drove to meet friends at a coffee shop to cowork, I noticed neighbors getting off the bus with neon pink whistles, clearly visible, tied to their backpack straps for easy access should they quickly need to alert anybody to ICE presence. I have my own on my keys and a separate one for easy accessibility while I drive. At the coffee shop, I see whistle kits available for free. On the door of the business, there are multiple signs in multiple languages confirming it is a private business and that ICE officers, CBP officials, and other federal agents are not allowed inside.
On Tuesday, five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was detained and his picture was shared across the internet. When he arrived home after school, Liam was pulled out of the car and asked to knock on his door to see if any family members would come out of the house. He was used as bait. JD Vance argued it was a kindness DHS detained Liam, because they wouldn’t want to leave a child unattended. Neighbors have reported other arrests with less consideration for the children. Liam’s school district shared Liam’s family had an asylum case pending and no deportation orders. They also reported, that same day, another student, a 17-year-old, was taken by ICE on his way to school. This was without the presence of any parents.
Also on Tuesday, neighbors found a fully loaded magazine left behind by ICE after using chemical irritants near a park where children frequently play.
I did what I could to keep up with my job and went to my first class of the semester that afternoon. I felt disconnected as I tried to be present for my professor while also wondering what atrocities were taking place while I was unable to offer assistance.
On Wednesday, Nasra Ahmed, a 23 year old U.S. citizen who was arrested and detained by ICE for two days, held a press conference. She begins the story at 3:50 and shares how she was called the N word, forcefully, arrested and received a concussion (she had never been arrested prior).
That same day, a federal judge ordered the release of the two men arrested in North Minneapolis (in which one of them was shot by officers). “U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Micko ruled that the two men did not pose a threat to public safety or a high risk of fleeing from court obligations, citing their past nonviolent criminal histories and familial ties.” This again contradicts the Trump administration’s assertions they are only going after “the worst of the worst.”
My classes on Wednesday were slightly more tolerable as I was able to return to the immigration clinic. The supervising professor consulted us as we made plans for the upcoming months and mapped out where we wanted to focus our efforts. In the past, we were able to represent clients in court. That practice ended when the Chief Immigration Judge left with the new administration. Now, even court observers are struggling to attend hearings.
On Thursday, reports of a two-year-old’s detention circulated. Her father was driving them home after going to the grocery store when their car windows were smashed by ICE agents in their driveway. They were also asylum seekers and were detained without a warrant. The agents used chemical irritants and flash-bang devices against the crowd that gathered at the scene. The father asked agents to let his daughter stay with her mother or other family members but DHS did not allow it. By 8:10pm a judge signed an order for the toddler’s release. Twenty minutes later, however, their attorney was informed both the child and the father were placed on a flight to Texas. I have reason to believe this recording is of their arrest and the community response (one shot of chemical irritant included, evidence of broken window at the end).
ICE Detention Visit
I don’t have class on Thursday and instead I was dressed and ready at 6:30am to carpool with one of the attorneys at work to a jail housing ICE detainees. I had done two visits during the fall semester through the clinic at school, but this was the attorney’s first visit to offer consultations in response to increased ICE presence. He asked me to accompany him as his interpreter, knowing I could do my own consults if he was partnered with English speaking detainees.
I’ve grown numb to the stories I hear during these visits. I now expect the cases I’m presented with to be full of constitutional violations and contradictions to what the administration claims is happening. The first man we meet with was detained on Christmas as he got in his car with the presents he planned to take to his children. ICE agents surrounded his vehicle with multiple of their own, pulled him out, and attacked him while asking what his name was and what his status was. He is sure they surrounded his car solely based on the color of his skin.
This client had been given a visa for survivors of human trafficking. His story is an example of how “legal status” depends on accessibility to filing the correct paperwork, understanding the various documents, and affording legal representation. “T visas” can often be extended and may offer a pathway to residency and then citizenship. The client I met with didn’t have an attorney when his visa expired, and by the time he was able to afford a consultation with one, it was too late to file an extension or apply to become a permanent resident. He did not have any violent criminal history, and ICE did not know who they were arresting when they detained him. If he had an attorney a few years ago, while his T visa was still valid, he likely would’ve been able to apply to be a lawful permanent resident and would be preparing to naturalize to become a citizen. Instead, his inability to afford a lawyer has him in detention, fearing the return to the country he fled from.
The second client we met with fled to the United States when he was 19-years-old because his uncle murdered his brother and planned to murder him next. He had no violent criminal record and shared how ICE treated him like an animal when they attacked him prior to his detention. When we asked if there was anybody we could contact on his behalf, he shared he was too scared of his family members who are still looking for him. Some had come to the United States and he feared they would find him, but he also fears returning to his home country because he knows his uncle is still there.
The last client we met with had been leaving work when ICE surrounded her vehicle and demanded to know her name and citizenship status. She remembered her rights and offered her drivers license but refused to answer any of their questions. She had been in detention for three weeks, with no answers as to why she was there or what was happening to her six-year-old and ten-year-old who had not been detained. She is a single mother who hopes her parents or her brother are watching them. She had no criminal record and had lived in the United States for 13 years. She had been the victim of a violent crime in the United States, which could qualify her for a U visa (similar to the T visa), but she shared her reasons for hesitating to report it to police. We talked through her legal options, considering her arrest did not seem legal and she likely had multiple avenues to remain in the United States. However, as with the first man, she would need a lawyer able to take her case and the resources to afford the services. This meant we also talked her through how to prepare for a deportation: delegating parental authority to her kids, signing over her home (she owned it), transferring her bank accounts, and considering ownership of her other possessions in the United States.
Daily Rundown Cont.
On Friday, Minnesota held the first general strike in the United States in 80 years. The ask was to not work, not go to school, and not to shop or invest in anyway in the economy on this day. This was organized prior to the extreme whether advisories that eventually cancelled school for many due to temperatures nearing 20 degrees below zero. Despite the risk of cold-related injuries, 50,000 – 100,000 individuals showed up to demand ICE leave the Cities.
While some marched downtown, others protested at the airport. 100 clergy members were arrested, some had simply been praying when they were taken.
This same day, observers arrived to the Whipple Federal Building to find it surrounded by fencing to keep people out.
I worked from home (continuing with client meetings felt important despite the strike) and then went to a friend’s house that evening. I sat and crocheted while she cut out “Red Cards.” She is involved in her neighborhood and has been coordinating rides for those scared to drive themselves or their children and is preparing to host a whistle kit assembly meeting. They will have hundreds of kits including know your rights information, whistles and other resources in multiple languages to hand out to the community.
Saturday morning, I tried to allow myself to sleep in. It was semi-successful and I turned to my phone and saw a missed call from my partner. She was working a shift as a first responder. She should not have been calling. I then saw her text.
“ICE just shot someone else. It’s bad. It’s off Nicollet. It’s all I know right now. Be safe.”
We live on Nicollet.
I checked the neighborhood chats to find the cross streets. I found one video and cautiously chose to watch. Somehow, the contents were worse than anything I could have imagined given the week we had.
Community members gathered after witnesses were arrested and their phones were taken. Others were arrested violently with guns drawn on them even after the original shooting. The BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) was denied access the the crime scene despite a judge-signed search warrant.
More information came out confirming Alex Pretti was killed. He was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital who had been recording ICE activity with his iPhone and then went to help a woman (this recording has not been circulated as widely and shows the moments before Pretti went to help the woman). Gregory Bovino said he “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Pretti had a permit to carry a gun. As he helped a woman being pepper sprayed, immigration officers grabbed him and pulled him to the ground. As multiple agents attacked him, one saw Pretti’s gun and took it from him. The first shot was not fired until after Pretti had been disarmed. This resulted in multiple shots fired by federal officers while standing within arms reach of Pretti.
Alex Pretti’s family released a statement and as important as it is to share his story, it is unfortunately one of many. 2025 was the deadliest year for those in ICE custody and the contradicting narratives between the Trump Administration and evidence shown are not unique. In response to Pretti’s death, the National Guard has established a perimeter of checkpoints around the neighborhood and is limiting access to the area. Vigils took place, and continue to take place, throughout the Twin Cities. None of this should be happening.
What is Next
Sunday night ICE was in the parking lot next door for three restaurants offering Sushi, Chinese, and Argentinian food. Monday morning, they were across the street where day care drop-off happens at a church. Reports of ICE officers dressed as civilians, first responders, and food distributors circulate. Supposedly, Bovino is leaving Minnesota and Trump has had conversation with Gov. Walz. Regardless of what comes next, we are all on edge. We do not feel safe. We are relying on our neighbors like never before.
Action Items
As overwhelming as all of this information can be, it is possible to channel any “big feelings” (as I like to simplify them) into action. We can make a difference. Ongoing education is always important. Keep reading about what is happening now as well as what has led us to this moment. It is also vital to make your representatives aware of where you stand. Here is one resource (also an app for your phone) that offers phone numbers and scripts for calling your Representatives.
Unfortunately, educating ourselves and waiting for our representatives to act takes time. Alongside those actions, there are direct ways to make an impact. Get in touch with your local organizations and see how you can support. And if you are someone with the financial means, donate. I recommend checking out MPLS Mutual Aid (a LinkTree with a variety of recommended legal aid organizations, food relief, rent relief, school support and more) and Stand With Minnesota.
Some other organizations I’ve seen named (but I have not personally researched):
- Sharing & Caring Hands, Northside
- Sabathani Community Center, Southside
- Waite House, Southside
- Source MN, Southside
- Second Harvest Heartland
- Every Meal
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” – Desmond Tutu
*This post was written and scheduled prior to my ability to dig into the reports of another shooting by immigration officials in Arizona, a judge blocking the removal of Liam Ramos, a man spraying Representative Ilhan Omar with an unknown substance at a town hall, and an ICE agent attempted to illegally enter Ecuador’s consulate. I am not an expert, I am not a journalist, but I am seeing and hearing a lot that concerns me and am using this as an outlet to process.
