FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community, Labor, Faith Groups Call for Solidarity as Federal Government Targets Minnesotans Who Organized Against ICE Violence

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – A broad coalition of civil society groups responded with a call to unity in the face of reports that the Trump administration’s Department of Justice may have investigated without reason and engaged in surveillance of community and labor groups who helped organize tens of thousands of Minnesotans to peacefully defend their neighbors and constitutional rights during the lawless, chaotic ICE and CBP operation that terrorized countless Minnesotans. 

These organizations were engaged in the broad, peaceful civic response that brought hundreds of thousands of us together to protect our neighbors and our constitutional rights. Amid the continued weaponization of the Justice Department, we still have zero accountability for the ICE and CBP agents who terrorized countless Minnesotans and murdered Renee Good and Alex Pretti in broad daylight. Even then, they tried to lie about what happened despite video evidence.

Today, groups representing Minnesotans across parties and places, races and backgrounds issue the following statement:

“We know the truth, and we will not be intimidated. When self-serving politicians are losing, they lie and attempt political repression, trying to silence the voices of those who bravely stand up to them. Minnesotans will not be intimidated or divided by sham accusations or investigations of some of the countless groups and community members who organized, acted, and stood up together to protect their neighbors during Operation Metro Surge.

“This winter, Minnesotans stood together in rejecting the Trump regime's occupation of Minnesota. Trump’s ICE and Border Patrol agents broke countless laws while kidnapping Minnesotans based on racial profiling, violating our constitutional rights, and murdering our neighbors. In response, Minnesotans organized at an extraordinary scale. Across the state, Minnesotans joined with community, faith, labor, and neighborhood organizations to build networks that protected our neighbors and defended our constitutional rights.

“Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans took action together, including constitutional observation, sharing food, filing legal briefs, protecting kids on their way to school, and marching in subzero weather to protect our neighbors and restore the rule of law. Minnesotans’ organized, peaceful response protected our neighbors, defended constitutional rights, and constrained abuses of federal power, showing what Minnesotans can accomplish when we act together.

“Around the country, the Trump regime’s weaponized DOJ is lashing out desperately in hopes of intimidating people and organizations that have shown the power of communities acting together to challenge abuses of government power and defend democracy. They are doubling down on their lies. In cases ranging from the Reflecting Pool in DC to the false accusations against a Minnesota man shot by ICE through a doorway, their charges have often crumbled or been withdrawn when evidence proved them false. 

“Minnesotans have already proven we won’t cave to bullies. We know the power we have when we organize and act together, and we’ll continue using that power to defend our neighbors and our freedoms. That’s what we do.”

Signed by:

AFSCME Council 5
AFSCME Local 2822
CAIR-Minnesota
Communities United Against Police Brutality
CTUL
CWA Local 7250
East Central Minnesota Area Labor Council
Education Minnesota
FairVote Minnesota
Faith in Minnesota
Future of Us
Gender Justice Action
Golden Valley Save Our Democracy Indivisible
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (“IAM Union”)
IAM Union, District 77
Indivisible South Metro MN, Bloomington
Indivisible St. Peter/Greater Mankato
Indivisible Twin Cities
Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia
ISAIAH 
Jewish Community Action
LIUNA Local 363
Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation
Minneapolis Regional Retirees Council, MLFRF, AFL-CIO
Minneapolis Starbucks Workers United
Minnesota 50501
Minnesota AFL-CIO
Minnesota Alliance for Retired Americans
Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE)
Minneapolis Federation of Educators
Minnesota Nurses Association
NALC Branch 9
The New Justice Project Minnesota
North Dakota AFL-CIO
North STAR Alliance
Northern Plains United Labor Council
OPEIU Local 1
OutFront Minnesota
Pride At Work
Racial and Economic Justice Committee of the Minnesota AFL-CIO
Remember 1934 Collective
Reviving Sisterhood
Saint Paul Federation of Educators
SEIU: SEIU 284, SEIU HCMNIA, SEIU Local 26
TakeAction Minnesota
Twin Cities DSA
UFCW 663
UFCW Local 1189
UMN Twin Cities AAUP
Unidos MN
UNITE HERE 17
West ALC Minnesota AFL CIO
Women's March MN Action Fund