Erik Peterson - ChangeMaker Chat - Minnesota vs ICE

Trump's abusive war against immigrants has been jailing children and extracting people's neighbours for years - but in Minnesota his abuses are being challenged directly, powerfully and with enormous bravery. For our first episode for 2026, we speak with Erik Peterson who is a 40 year resident and community organiser and also someone who has trained community organisers across Minnesota, the rest of the US and in Australia as well! Indeed he is a good friend of mine, and a friend of many big community groups and movements in Australia.

Erik shares a deeper context to help us understand the ICE battle that goes far beyond the news - such as Minnesota's long history of progressive politics and organising, and then reveals how that context and history is playing out in the streets of Minnesota's cities.

This story has radical lessons about how to mobilise against injustice, but also insights about how we make change in dark authoritarian times. Its a story about a horrible chapter in US history, and also about the hope that can emerge from taking action for what we believe in.

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