With ICE’s occupation becoming increasingly destructive and violent in Minneapolis and greater Minnesota, it is difficult to see a way out of this reality. The occupation of ICE in Minnesota has not only threatened American democracy but incited fear and violence into a peaceful Minneapolis. What repeated ICE shootings and kidnappings mean for the future will depend both on the reactions of Minnesotans alongside our elected officials and the President, in tandem with the Department of Homeland Security.
Despite ICE instigating violence in Minnesota, President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 after an ICE agent shot a man in the leg over an alleged attack on Wednesday the January 14th. The Insurrection Act would allow President Trump to deploy troops domestically, something that has not been invoked since the LA Riots in 1992. Although this is a real possibility, Trump has backpedaled all previous threats to invoke the Insurrection Act.
If the President chooses to invoke the Insurrection Act and continues to escalate the political environment in Minnesota and across the country, ICE’s illegal activity and kidnappings will continue and increase. ICE’s activity not only incites terror into our communities but has encroached on the First Amendment, 4th, and 5th amendment rights. If ICE continues, we will continue to witness the degradation of democracy in the United States, under a government that prioritizes force over legitimacy, as the President continues to invoke emergency measures for emergencies he and his cabinet have manufactured. This administration has ensured that ICE is no longer a federal agency working to protect Americans; they are a federal agency dedicated to inciting terror into communities, pushing submission and complacency. We need to call it for what it is; ICE is not law enforcement, they are publicly executing American residents and citizens. ICE are the domestic terrorists.
If Minnesotans and our government are able to deter the administration from continuing with Operation Metro Surge, then our state government, civil society groups, and neighbours can begin to repair the harm. However, tragedies and events such as ICE’s occupation will have a lasting impact on the community—whether it be shared trauma, kids being unable to attend school, property damage or families that will remain separated.
What these events in Minneapolis mean for the immediate future is that the United States’ international reputation will continue to deteriorate as states abroad condemn President Trump’s actions, and domestic tensions will continue to rise over the issue of not just immigration but human rights. What these events mean for 2026 is that the midterms in November are more important than ever. It is essential for everyone who is eligible to vote to do so as the control of the House of Representatives and the Senate is on the ballot. If more people are elected who believe in defunding and abolishing ICE into Congress, it will become easier to pass bills that will make progress to exactly that. Congress can and must pass bills to ensure ICE does not receive any further funding and reins in their activity. With a Republican majority this is incredibly hard to achieve, but if we are able to elect more Democrats in the midterms, we can begin to make more real changes to deescalate the activity of ICE across the country.
What is most vital right now is that Minnesotans continue to condemn the actions of ICE, doing so peacefully. To engage in excessively violent behavior would be to offer Trump further reasons to escalate the situation in Minnesota and across the country. As Governor Tim Walz stated in a press release, “We can—we must—speak out loudly, urgently, but also peacefully.” Minnesota is stronger than ICE and our love for this community will prevail over the hatred exuded by ICE and the current administration.
Max • Feb 8, 2026 at 4:47 pm
Great vocab.