MSP Update 1/20/2026

Friends,

We are living side by side, breathing the same breath of life the Creator has provided, depending on the same sacred waters. We join our life energy with our siblings in Minneapolis during this time of siege.

Here is a story of an elder Hmong man, an American citizen, who was illegally arrested without a judicial warrant by ICE agents in his own home over the weekend.  He was taken from his home and marched outside in sub-zero temperatures in only his underwear and a towel. This action demonstrates how clearly ICE actions are motivated by race and racial profiling rather than any discernable policy. The Doctrine of Discovery, adopted by the US supreme court in 1823, is manifest in these raids, demonstrating the current tactics of settler colonialism.   

Meanwhile, corporations like Target and Home Depot are allowing ICE to use their parking lots as staging areas.  Clergy from many faith traditions and communities across Minneapolis held a sit in at Target corporate headquarters last week, demanding to meet with Target’s CEO.  They are set to meet with him at corporate headquarters on Thursday, January 22. They will present him with four demands, which were explained during their press conference.

We are told by activists on the ground that ICE raids seem to be moving to the suburbs, where there are fewer coordinated response teams. This demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated responses in Minneapolis, and also the importance of building community networks of safety and well-being. Over the weekend, we witnessed coordinated peaceful demonstrations showing ordinary people taking responsibility for each other.

Such actions remind us again and again that our safety and security lie in our relationships with each other, NOT with individual-level wealth accumulation. We must acknowledge that our shared flourishing depends on each other, including the precious lands and waters upon which we all depend.