Minneapolis has become the face of the ongoing assault on civil liberties at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Immigration agents spent weeks overwhelming Minneapolis residents and local law enforcement. But one thing about people in Minneapolis is that they stand up for their neighbors. During the onslaught of federal agents and the deaths of two people, Minneapolis residents banded together to push back. Here are some of the ways that people in Minneapolis came together to protect their neighbors and friends.

Training sessions on how to deal with ICE agents were heavily attended

As federal immigration agents swarmed Minneapolis, residents took matters into their own hands to keep people safe. Organizations and concerned residents held informational meetings for anyone who wanted to learn about their rights when confronting the agents. There were images of people packing into churches and other places to learn about how to best show up for neighbors.

The ICE encounter training sessions, which started in Minneapolis, quickly expanded to the rest of Minnesota. People showed up across the state and showed that not only are they there to learn, but they are there to push back. Each training drew in more people and created a network of people ready to protect their neighbors.

Activists used the training sessions to get people to sign up for other ways to help their neighbors who were afraid to leave their homes. A network of volunteers banded together to help deliver life-essential items, like food and medicine. The effort by Minnesotans to help is a heartwarming reminder that U.S. citizens believe in humanity and helping people.

Mutual aid networks are going strong in The Land of 10,000 Lakes

There have been several organizations promoting mutual aid networks collecting donations to buy things people need. We are talking about diapers, food, medicine, formula, etc. Searches on social media bring up several results of people uplifting these crucial lifelines. Thousands of dollars have been raised to make sure the people living in fear of leaving their homes in Minnesota can survive.

Currently, ICE is conducting raids that are violating the U.S. Constitution. Due process has been pushed aside as ICE agents round people up and put them into the deportation process. People with active asylum cases and no orders of removal have been taken by agents, sometimes while in courthouses for immigration court dates.

People are starting to share on social media that ICE agents are changing tactics. They have allegedly started to stop people from delivering the essentials to neighbors. People are trying to warn volunteers to be aware of the new tactics. There have been reports of ICE agents in plain clothes trying to make their way into food pantries and churches to get addresses for families afraid to leave their homes.

Minneapolis is a tight-knit community, and the work they are doing is inspiring. We are grateful for the work that our allies are doing in Minneapolis and Minnesota. When masked agents came for those around them, people in Minneapolis stood up and showed up. Their strength and tenacity in the face of a disproportionate federal presence meant to intimidate is an example to the rest of the country. People can, and should, stand up for their neighbors. History will remember those who sat silent during this time.