There is an insightful and chilling new piece in the Minnesota Reformer, an independent nonprofit news organization, about the brave and dangerous work of the growing number of Minneapolis residents who are volunteering to be part of a rapid response network to disrupt ICE operations in the city. The network has grown rapidly since the murder or Renee Good.
In group chats, neighbors using anonymous nicknames (to) volunteer to assist with various aspects of the operation. No one assigns shifts or jobs; group members take on a needed role when they’re available, alert the group to their activities and let everyone know when they’re done.
The system is both highly organized and decentralized, with no clear leaders — just longer-time members of the network helping newcomers learn the communication style and security practices of the group.
A Minnesota Reformer reporter drove in a car with two community patrollers — Elle and Patty — who drive through neighborhoods with larger immigrant populations, or where they hear reports of ICE activity, and follow them as a way to distract ICE agents from detaining people. They follow ICE agent cars, make noise and film ICE operations — which is all legal activity. (Note: the article uses their full names but I’m just using their first names because, well, it just feels safer to me.)
The goal is to “distract them, to occupy their time,” (Patty) said. “The more time they’re trying to get away from us, the less time they’re spending searching for people to abduct.” …
“If they know that somebody is watching, they’re significantly less likely to stop somebody,” (Elle) said. “Often when they pull over and people hop on a whistle or on their horn, they’ll just leave.”
The pair drove to the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, where they heard there had been ICE activity the previous day. They quickly located and started following a white Ford Explorer they suspected belonged to ICE. They’ve learned the telltale signs of ICE vehicles: out-of-state license plates, tinted windows, at least two people in the car — usually male, almost always masked.
The driver began weaving through suburban parking lots with (Elle) close behind, seemingly trying to confirm he was being followed. They’ve also learned that this is a common ICE tactic once they suspect they’re being followed.
“They do and will say anything to try to intimidate and scare people,” (Elle) said that morning. “One of their favorite lines recently is, ‘This is your one and only warning.’”
The Explorer came to a stop in a hotel parking lot, and (Elle) parked nearby. The driver of the Explorer then pulled his vehicle behind (Elle)’s car, blocking the exit.
A man with a black face covering and a tactical vest peeking through his flannel shirt exited his car and approached the passenger door, gesturing for (Patty) to roll down the window.
“No, thank you,” (Elle) said, smiling and waving at the man.
“Stop following us,” he said, his voice muffled through the closed car window and the gaiter. “This is your first warning.”
…
After the man finished talking to the patrollers and got back in the white Explorer, a second vehicle — a black GMC Yukon SUV— pulled in behind him, blocking in (Elle)’s car while the Explorer drove away.
(Elle) and (Patty) followed the black SUV out of the parking lot.
“I wonder how many first warnings we can get today,” (Patty) said, half-jokingly.
She evidently ran out of warnings two days later, when federal agents smashed in her car window, dragged her and her co-pilot out of the car, and held them for eight hours in the belly of the Whipple Federal Building.
The article notes that a tactic that ICE agents are increasingly using to intimidate and threaten ICE patrollers is to use a license plate database to locate a patroller’s home address, and then have the patrollers follow the ICE agents to the patrollers’ own home — a clear warning that ICE knows where the observers live. ICE intimidation tactics went even further with Elle.
As (Elle) and her co-pilot followed the truck, agents returned to (Elle)’s house and banged on the front door. Her wife, who asked the Reformer not to publish her name out of fear of ICE, pretended she wasn’t home. The agents left after several neighbors stepped out of their houses and started blowing whistles.
When (Elle) realized what had happened, she called off the patrol and headed home.
“I feel changed, and afraid,” (Elle)’s wife said, looking at (Elle). “I was very fearful — not for me, but for what could have happened to you.”
They set out on another patrol that afternoon, together.
These people are so brave. They give me hope.
I encourage you to read the entire piece. But here are a few more things that stood out to me:
- On another patrol that Patty did with another observer, ICE agents smashed both front windows of their car and dragged them out of the car. The ICE agents ridiculed her while she was in the backseat of the car. “You guys gotta stop obstructing us,” (Patty) recalls one agent saying. Then, referring to Renee Good: “That’s why that lesbian b*tch is dead.”
- When patrolling Elle said it was important to managing one’s own emotions and stay calm because ICE agents are “emotional and not well-trained.”
I also found it interesting that although immigrant rights activists and elected officials have referred to Renee Good as an “observer,” several aspects of her murder suggested to Elle that Good may not have been trained, or experienced, in interacting with ICE: Her window was rolled down, and she was speaking to the agents — against the advice of many immigrant rights activists.
“The shooting on Wednesday was 1000% not Renee’s fault. It was an ICE officer panicking and shooting into her car,” (Elle) said. “If we can manage the emotions of ICE officers so they’re not panicking … they’re less likely to f*ck up and make a mistake and hurt someone.”
Several leaders of immigrant rights groups and members of Good’s local neighborhood rapid response network told the Reformer they did not know Good.
Even if Good were in the group chat, the people interviewed by the Reformer may not have known, because they use code names and generally do not know each other’s real identities.
Friday morning, one patroller spoke up in the group call to say their car had been boxed in and ICE agents were approaching.
Another group member repeated the collective mantra: Lock your doors, roll up the windows, do not engage.
I am so grateful to all of these brave people who are fighting back against ICE. I pray that they all stay safe. And I wish that our elected officials — especially in Congress — would have one-tenth of the courage of these folks.
ABOLISH ICE!!!
IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM!!!
