A newly elected Minneapolis city council member, who lost his left eye to a police rubber bullet during the 2020 George Floyd protests, has described a recent fatal shooting by federal immigration agents as a terrifying echo of that traumatic period.
A Community Paralyzed by Fear
On his third day in office, Soren Stevenson's district became the centre of a national firestorm. Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on the edge of his ward in south Minneapolis. The following day, Stevenson sat in a nearly deserted Plaza Mexico food court, a local Latino business hub normally bustling at lunch. He noted half the stores were closed, with residents too afraid to go outside amidst heightened federal enforcement.
"If we want to talk about what’s making a good city, what’s making a good economy, what’s making us feel safe, it’s not this," Stevenson stated, drawing a direct line between community safety and the aggressive federal presence.
Personal and Collective Trauma Resurfaced
The incident has dredged up profound personal trauma for Stevenson. During the 2020 racial justice protests ignited by the police murder of George Floyd—an event that occurred partly within his district—he was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by an officer. The injury cost him his left eye and much of his sense of smell, leading to a civil lawsuit against the city that was settled for $2.4 million.
"It’s been dredging up a lot of feelings from 2020," he confessed. "Hearing the helicopters go over the site... It’s really reminiscent in a scary way." He and his neighbours are asking why this intense federal focus repeatedly falls on the same Minneapolis neighbourhood.
Community Response and Political Resolve
Despite the fear and trauma, Stevenson reported a powerful sense of community activation. Mutual aid networks from 2020 have reignited, with people offering rides, delivering groceries, and supporting those afraid to leave home. He called this collective spirit the community's "immune system."
As a council member, Stevenson is resolved to challenge ICE's presence. He is exploring ways to "make [ICE’s] job harder" and compel them to leave Minneapolis, echoing Mayor Jacob Frey's blunt demand for the agency to "get the fuck out of Minneapolis." He insists local authorities must be involved in investigating Good's death, as they have a greater stake in the outcome than federal officials, some of whom have already suggested the agent acted in self-defence.
Visiting the makeshift memorial at the shooting site—barricaded by locals with wood, old Christmas trees, and bins—Stevenson saw parallels to the occupied protest site at George Floyd Square. He felt the community's response was a clear sign they would not surrender quietly. "We’re not gonna go quietly," he said. "I like that about us."
