The Guardian, 2/12/26
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/12/ice-crackdown-minnesota-suburbs
In the denser urban core, dozens of observers often stream into the streets to document agents. In the suburbs, the response looks different: it’s more spread out, and in some places, more politically difficult.
Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s “border czar”, announced on Thursday that the federal surge in Minnesota would be ending, with agents being drawn down over the course of this week and next. But they will leave a trail of havoc throughout the state, and it’s unclear when people will feel comfortable resuming normal activities. The surge of immigration agents into Minnesota has left no part of the state unscathed.
. . .
In Minneapolis, the density of the city itself means that agents can quickly be outnumbered by observers on the streets. In suburban areas, rapid response covers larger geographic areas, and often people aren’t able to make it to a reported site of ICE activity until after agents have left.
Depending on the political makeup of an area, there are added dynamics at play: some in the community may agree with what ICE is doing, so those who are working to support immigrants must do so underground. Local governments may be helping behind the scenes but are not able to publicly make statements highlighting that work.
More....
===================================================
ICE moves out to the suburbs, The Verve, 2/13/26
https://www.theverge.com/policy/878713/ice-minnesota-dhs-suburbs
https://archive.ph/EP4Z9
.
. . The less densely populated areas outside the Twin Cities make it harder for protesters and observers to organize.
This was my sixth day in Minnesota and my first in Lakeville. After days of fruitlessly searching for ICE in Minneapolis, with Lety’s help, I spotted them within minutes of arriving in Lakeville. Lety has lived here her whole life. The reports from the cities had been chilling: ICE breaking people’s windows, shipping children off to jails in Texas. And it was happening here, too, she said. “You always hear about what’s happening in the city,” she told me, “and that’s great. But it’s like, please don’t forget about the suburbs!”
It’s not hard to see why ICE has expanded its reach beyond the Twin Cities. The qualities that have hindered ICE’s operation in Minneapolis and St. Paul — density and walkability; a large, almost exclusively left-of-center population — are absent here. In Minneapolis, I saw patrollers on nearly every street corner. It’s easy to gather for protests or come together to organize a mutual aid network. The sidewalks in Lakeville were deserted, as were the broad streets that led onto the highway. Had there been any bystanders, they may not have wanted to get involved.
“I hide my whistle under my clothes when I’m out in Lakeville,” Lety said. Not everyone in town is conservative — it’s closer to a 50/50 split — but unlike in the cities, it would be unwise to assume that everyone here is on the same side.
More...
= new reply since forum marked as read