From community watch to mutual aid, grassroots networks in the Twin Cities build on efforts spurred during the 2020 George Floyd protests
Steps from a Minneapolis police department precinct that burned during 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests, Jamie Schwesnedl climbed into his SUV and plugged his phone into the console. He was beginning his afternoon shift watching for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in the neighborhood. Through his car’s speakers, community members gave updates about the location of federal agents nearby.
Schwesnedl is one of thousands of residents in the Twin Cities who have joined neighborhood-level rapid response groups in an attempt to disrupt ICE operations in the city. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis to carry out the Trump administration’s “largest operation to date” targeting immigrants.
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