The Current How violent ICE crackdowns changed life in Minnesota
Jan 28, 2026
Wes Burdine, queer soccer bar owner who helps run community patrols. Mandy Jung, seventh-grade Spanish immersion science teacher tracking student absences. Timothy Paulson, assistant pastor organizing neighborhood observation efforts. Ruben Joannam, university lecturer supporting asylum families. They discuss ICE operations reshaping daily life, neighborhood patrols, school attendance drops, sheltering displaced families, and grassroots mutual aid.
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Family Shelters After ICE Surge
- A Haitian asylum family sheltered with Ruben Joannam and stopped normal life because they feared ICE raids.
- They relied on friends, prayer and community support while kids missed school and parents couldn't work.
Community Patrols Watch For ICE Vehicles
- Timothy Paulson patrols his Minneapolis neighborhood in a volunteer group watching for suspected ICE vehicles.
- They share license plates on messaging apps and check databases to spot prior ICE activity.
School Attendance Drops From Fear
- Mandy Jung reports many students are missing school because families fear ICE detentions.
- Children return withdrawn, anxious, and unsure if their parents will come home.