Minneapolis united when federal immigration operations surged – reflecting a long tradition of mutual aid

Several thousand people took part in an anti-ICE demonstration in Minneapolis on Feb. 16, 2026. Jerome Gilles/NurPhoto via Getty Images

I’ve been living in Minneapolis and working on my doctoral dissertation about local religious communities since 2019.

It’s given me a chance to personally witness how the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd by police officers, and the surge in federal law enforcement presence have fostered grassroots networks of what’s known broadly as “mutual aid.”