Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer represents Ward 7 at the City of Minneapolis. She lives in Lowry Hill.
It is hard to believe that as I write this, it has been only three weeks since my inauguration as your Council Member. Less than 48 hours into my new role came the killing of Renee Good by a federal ICE agent.
Since then, I have seen things I never imagined I would see as an American — masked agents in our streets and entire families hiding in fear. Then just yesterday we witnessed the extrajudicial killing of Alex Pretti by a cadre of ICE thugs. We all feel fear and revulsion when confronted by such pointless violence.
Yet I have also been touched by the acts of bravery, kindness, generosity and creativity shown by Minneapolis residents from all walks of life, offering support for the most vulnerable among us. Thank you to everyone engaged in these on-the-ground efforts, through text chains,
community and school networks and countless other means. You are all heroes.
We love Minneapolis.
We love our immigrant neighbors, regardless of legal status. An attack on them is an attack on us all, and trust me – we’re all feeling attacked.
Like you, I am committed to doing everything in our power to support them in this moment. People being afraid to leave their homes, go to work, take their children to school or seek medical care is not what our country stands for.
When nonviolent protesters can be killed in broad daylight with no consequence, the Constitution becomes little more than a doormat.
The question on everyone’s mind is simple: What can be done? My aim is to help clarify that.
What government is doing
The short answer is that state and local governments are doing what they can, but it may not be suffi cient to immediately put an end to this.
At all levels, concrete and targeted steps are underway, though significant barriers remain.
From the city’s standpoint, the most significant action to date has been joining Attorney General Ellison and the City of St. Paul in filing suit in federal court to stop the surge, through a motion for a temporary restraining order.
If granted, such an order could potentially halt the surge and restore something resembling the pre-surge status quo.
At this point in time, we do not know how the city’s case will unfold. The killing of Alex Pretti certainly adds horrific weight to the initial hearing scheduled for January 26, and I hope the judge will permit the issuance of a restraining order.
Yet even if this outcome is realized, it will most likely not be the last word, as we have seen with the parallel ACLU case, where an injunction was issued and almost immediately paused.
These same uncertainties apply to the city’s lawsuit.
Let me be clear: The city’s lawsuit has the potential to be a walk-off home run, but we cannot pin our hopes on it alone. This moment is no longer solely about immigration, if it ever was. It is also about politics and the rule of law.
The city has taken other steps. As many residents know, the City Council voted unanimously to refer a potential eviction moratorium to Gov. Tim Walz.
While its prospects at the state level are uncertain due to funding constraints, I hope the vote sent a clear message that the Council stands united in opposition to this aggressive federal intervention.
Gov. Walz has stood firmly with Minneapolis, joining Mayor Jacob Frey in opposing what they have rightly described as a federal invasion.
The governor has also worked to keep the peace by deploying the State Patrol in support of the Minneapolis Police Department and placing the National Guard on standby.
I appreciate and support these efforts, though I remain uncertain whether they will be enough.
What residents can do
I am most optimistic about the actions being taken by local residents. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
At the hyper-local level we see this light and love in action through constitutional observing, video documentation, honking horns, blowing whistles, distributing food and emergency financial assistance.
Today Loring Park high-rise residents and I met to learn about initiatives to help families at local dual-immersion schools. I am constantly inspired by the bravery, ingenuity and commitment of our neighbors.
These may seem like small acts, but we know none are without risk. Yet collectively, I believe they can help bring an end to this federally imposed chaos.
Every time a fearful resident hears a honk or whistle and finds cover, that’s a win. Every time a family in fear receives help, whether food, schooling or rent assistance, that’s a win.
The thousands of videos documenting reckless and unconstitutional behavior by ICE are potential tools for fair process and justice, even as we reel from the violence and loss of life in our streets.
These videos are shaping the national conversation, and they’re key to how this ends. When patriotic Americans from all over the country can see with their own eyes what the witnesses to Alex Pretti’s murder saw, we can stand together and demand an end to these authoritarian tactics.
In the meantime, like all of you, I am unsure what tomorrow holds. Yet I am certain of one thing — the resilience and ingenuity of the people of Minneapolis.
We are in this together, and we will come through it together. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
“Thank you to everyone engaged in these on-the-ground efforts, through text chains, community and school networks and countless other means. You are all heroes.”
