On Dec. 1, 2025, Trump’s Operation Metro Surge began in the Twin Cities, my hometown.
The Trump administration bused ICE agents in by the thousands in their black SUVs with charcoal face masks, reflective sunglasses, boomeranging reflections and 40-inch machine guns slung across their chests. They paraded our streets in something akin to an “invasion,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.
The project, meant to take immigrants with criminal records off the streets, followed quickly after a scandal in which conservatives accused the prominent Twin Cities Somali community of allegedly stealing an estimated $9 billion worth of taxpayer dollars intended for food and other health care services, a disputed number by fact-checkers.
But rather than indicating protection and restoration, the influx of agents feels more like round two of lockdown; Twin Cities public schools canceled classes and countless immigrant-owned businesses and restaurants shut down.
Meanwhile, agents perched outside immigrant-owned establishments, apartment buildings, homes and even schools like watchdogs.
As the violence unfolds across the state with the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Minnesotans yearn to take action. We are a community of people with Sunday morning markets, National Night Out enthusiasts and coffee shops that will never close with the support of “Saint Small” regulars. We want to help our neighbors, but the question is how?
I’ve witnessed different demographics respond in different ways.
As working adults, Gen X has been a financial powerhouse. Many small businesses have donated a percentage of their profits and host fundraisers and donation drives to nonprofits supporting communities in need. Similarly, larger companies have funded $3.5 million in grants to struggling businesses. My parents have been driving members of the Latino community to and from appointments and providing groceries.
High schoolers, on the other hand, have taken an active stance. Across the metro area, high schoolers organize walk-outs leading to the Capitol steps. They hold signs with “ICE OUT NOW,” “I drink my Ice-coffee warm because screw ICE” and “ICE always melts.”
College students, in comparison, have gained a more forceful reputation. On numerous occasions, students from the University of Minnesota protested outside of hotels where ICE agents allegedly stay. In the past week, two gatherings have escalated into complaints of smashing hotel doors and damaging vehicles in the street, resulting in 67 arrests.
But beyond the realm of demonstration, college and high school students alike lean into their digital native roots. Instagram and TikTok have become a pool of commentary and reposts. Some of the content, such as boosting news articles from legitimate publications, is reliable. Other content, such as one example in which an ICE agent’s face mask was removed and filled with AI-generated material, is dangerous.
At the same time, video protests of the violence have been interpreted and analyzed in vastly different ways. Many Republicans see Good chasing after the agent, justifying the killing. Conversely, some Democrats see Good driving away as an act of self-defense, charging the agent as guilty.
Social media has become another avenue of activism, but its effectiveness is unclear.
In my Defending Democracy political science course earlier this year, my professors, Srda Popovic and Slobodan Djinovic, stressed that today’s political activism is marked by horizontal movements. Horizontal movements are leaderless, unhierarchical and practice consensus-based decision-making. Multiple groups join forces towards an ambiguous goal. Communication travels group to group rather than from a centralized source. Different groups organize in different ways, sometimes through a strike, a boycott or with a certain motto. Social media is the catalyst for horizontal movements.
Horizontal movements can be good; they are unrestricted by a hierarchical leader, which can bring in a broader range of voices and act quickly. But their nature can also be taxing and ineffective. Without a leader to coordinate, communicate and plan tactically, they can lose momentum.
I appreciate individual and organized dissent for their ability to call out the government when it acts contrary to the promises the people elected them for. But calling them out does not necessarily mean holding them accountable.
Social media, when promoting reputable information, is a good first step for activists. However, a long-term strategy is crucial to making a lasting impact — suing the Department of Homeland Security, releasing detainees and dismantling ICE’s presence in the Twin Cities.
The Twin Cities and the United States are pressed time and again to make a move. This time, let’s make our numbers count.