At dawn, volunteers armed with bright orange whistles patrol the streets of south Minneapolis, ready to blow them in unison if they spot an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle. The neighbourhood, where US citizen Renee Good was killed by a federal officer, has been eerily quiet, with fewer parents walking children to school and many immigrant families too afraid to leave their homes.
President Donald Trump has mobilised 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota, a force that now outnumbers the Minneapolis police by five to one. The Department of Homeland Security has called it the largest operation in the agency's history. Armed, masked agents have been making arrests at bus stops, grocery stores and outside churches. “Make no mistake, this is an occupation,” said Angela Conley, a Hennepin County commissioner.
The operation has transformed daily life. “It’s affecting every aspect of daily life,” said Ryan Pérez, organising director of Copal, a nonprofit supporting Latine families. Some agents have been present since December, with more arriving after Good's killing sparked protests. Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to send troops into Minneapolis and St Paul, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into state and local officials over alleged obstruction.
Rightwing influencers have also descended on the city, targeting Somali businesses and nonprofits with harassment. Federal agents, who say they are seeking to arrest undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds, have been criticised for detaining legal residents and US citizens. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a class-action lawsuit alleging racial profiling.
Among those affected is Daisy Martinez, whose husband Tomas was arrested on New Year's Eve while driving their son to hospital. “It’s almost as if he was kidnapped,” she said. Her son now sees a therapist. Garrison Gibson, a Liberian man, was arrested after agents used a battering ram to enter his home; a federal judge ordered his release, but ICE re-arrested him the next day before releasing him again.
