Lessons on Resistance: ICE’s Occupation of the Twin Cities

We’re in a coal mine and the canary is singing; here’s what I learned from organizers in Minneapolis and St Paul.

What is Going on in the Twin Cities?

I recently (1/15/26) had the pleasure of hopping on call with organizers and activists with boots on the ground in the Twin Cities, hosted by the local Sunrise Movement hub. They told myself, and many others, the horror they’re up against and the hope they’ve found in each other. Before I tell you what we can learn from them, let’s make sure we have a common understanding of the events preceding it.

At some point in December ICE began its current operation (Operation Metro Surge) in Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, with the rest of the state soon to follow. On January 6th 2026, it was reported that ICE sent 2,000 “agents” to Minneapolis bringing their numbers near 3,000, a more than 400% increase from ICE’s previous operation in Chicago. On January 7th, Renee Nicole Good was murdered when ICE agents gave her opposing orders, making compliance impossible. Leaving an unbearable burden on the family and children she left behind. She was not the first to die by ICE’s hand, nor will she be last. With the influx of ICE came not just their bullets but their tear gas, flash bangs, and cruelty too. There are countless reports of cars left with the nozzles still in the tank at ghost town gas stations and agents going door to door to kidnap folks. No due process, no statement of rights or reasons, no checking of civilian status. Causing school absences to spike to ~50%, classrooms hollowed out by fear.

This paired with the Department of Homeland Security, and our Vice President, (neither of whom, actually, have the authority to make this claim) alleging that ICE agents have immunity for any actions taken, effectively means that Minnesota is under occupation by a lethal military force without proper jurisdiction or oversight. Sit with this for a moment, feel the horror in that.

Regardless the people of the Twin Cities have banded together to protect themselves and their neighbors, let’s talk about their successes. So we may further it and prime our own cities for it. First and foremost using encrypted messaging platforms like Signal the Twin Cities have been able to form direct lines of communication across as much as 4% of their population. With the ability to tap into so much man power organizers report bands of up to 1,000+ people concurrently patrolling their neighborhoods for ICE, actively preventing kidnappings (or worse).

In addition to patrols there have been nightly noise demonstrations organized at the hotels that house ICE agents (Hilton and Hilton franchises). These take two forms generally; pre-noise-ordience and post-noise-ordinance. With a relatively simple goal, make sure that agents cannot sleep as well. More importantly to remind them at all hours of the day that they are not welcome and that the hell they wreak will not go unnoticed. Before noise ordinances kick in protests are generally legal, protesters bring anything they can to make loud noises and sing chants. Once the ordinances do kick in protesters remain until the local police make them leave.

The last thing the Twin City organizers told us about was a scheme they hatched to target Hilton Hotels in way that allows everyone around the country, and more, to aid in their struggle. To aid in your struggle before Hilton aids ICE in your city. I’ll leave some resources regarding this below, long story short. They say to make a reservation and cancel before it’s time to pay or the refund window ends. With this, a clear message can be sent to corporations that they cannot “Both Sides” their way through destroying our communities.

While in this call I was in the company of folks from all around the country with a couple international participants. Many shared stories of their own gruesome ICE encounters. Even more shared how they stay hopeful and action oriented in times like these. It became clear to me that besides sharing our stories and knowledge that the way we survive such an onslaught of hate is to focus on the love.

Notes on ICE More Broadly

ICE is obviously not doing well as a whole, they’re desperate for new recruits, fast tracking applicants with incomplete paperwork and lack any background check. I suspect part of the reason the Twin Cities required such a large scale operation is because wide swaths of this “army” have had 6 weeks or less (sometimes none) of any formal training.

Notably our federal administration is openly lying about many details of this operation and it’s consequences. It is evident that they know law and order are not on their side. They wouldn’t have to lie otherwise. I lack the expertise to claim it has but does it not seem that this conquering nation is now set to conquer itself by carrying out the final stages of Manifest Destiny. Which was always a thinly veiled attempt to root out Indigenous people from their land to establish a white enthostate (that should ring a bell for other current world problems).

a plea to your conscience

It behooves me to iterate that I am no expert, I’m just someone who sees the world for what it is and is willing stand up and proclaim that we all deserve more dignity than this. I was talking to friend before writing this piece, trying organize my thoughts. We shared a moment, I think everyone should. She asked if it was “cheesy” to call the folks in Minnesota “brave”. We ended that conversation with the sentiment that absolutely they are brave, maybe the bravest among us, but the current moment requires that same bravery of us all.

In trying to find your own bravery I urge you to remember your personal “why”, think of the people and connections that get you up in the morning. Think of the neighbors banding together ’round the country. Remember that all of us want the same thing, a life with dignity. I know it’s hard to figure out where to start, I’ll leave some advice below, but the first step is always understanding your own skills and community.

In a country where school shootings are commonplace it is truly is impressive (in all the wrong ways) that students could still be scared out of the classroom. Are we truly happy as Americans to live in a world where our kids fear school because they’re hunted for sport?

ICE and the pillars that uphold it know the people are not with them and they believe that through fear they can isolate us. There will always be more of us than them. America has a rich and deep history of folks fighting for a better future for their kids and neighbors, from 1776, to the Emancipation Proclamation, to the suffragists, and the Civil Rights Movement. Now, the torch is ours. A better future is within reach but the powers that be require we carry it’s flame forward.

Odds & Ends

Sunrise Movement:

Home

https://www.instagram.com/sunrise.twincities

Know Your Rights

Immigrants’ Rights

Protesters’ Rights

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/page/2

Stopped by Police

Talking to People About Their Rights

Notable Sources of Relevant Information

Those ICE has Taken Already (2025-1/16/26)

This is unfortunately not an exhaustive list. There are too many people who are disappeared without a trace to track. May you take a moment to think of them too. Find more about them in the links above.

Genry Ruiz Guillén, 29
Serawit Gezahegn Dejene, 45
Maksym Chernyak, 44
Juan Alexis Tineo-Martinez, 44
Brayan Garzón-Rayo, 27
Nhon Ngoc Nguyen, 55
Marie Ange Blaise, 44
Abelardo Avellaneda Delgado, 68
Jesus Molina-Veya, 45
Johnny Noviello, 49
Isidro Pérez, 75
Tien Xuan Phan, 55
Chaofeng Ge, 32
Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, 32
Oscar Rascon Duarte, 58
Santos Banegas Reyes, 42
Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39
Norlan Guzman-Fuentes, 37
Miguel Ángel García Medina, 31
Huabing Xie, (No age found)
Leo Cruz-Silva, a 34
Hasan Ali Moh’D Saleh, 67
Josué Castro Rivera, 25
Gabriel Garcia Aviles, 54
Kai Yin Wong, 63
Francisco Gaspar-Andrés, 48
Pete Sumalo Montejo, 72
Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani, 48
Jean Wilson Brutus, 41
Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, 46
Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, 39
Nenko Stanev Gantchev, 56
Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55
Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, 42
Luis Beltran Yanez–Cruz, 68
Renee Nicole Good, 37
Parady La, 46

Lessons on Resistance: ICE’s Occupation of the Twin Cities

What is Going on in the Twin Cities?

Notes on ICE More Broadly

a plea to your conscience

Odds & Ends

Sunrise Movement:

Know Your Rights

Notable Sources of Relevant Information

Operation Metro Surge

General Interest

Re: The Dead

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Those ICE has Taken Already (2025-1/16/26)

Share this:

Like this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Discover more from bibdeayo-tester