Dear John,

This week, our hearts are with our neighbors on Lake Street. On Tuesday, we witnessed a terrifying show of force as local and federal law enforcement—including ICE—stormed one of Minneapolis’ largest immigrant neighborhoods. This wasn't about safety. It was about power, fear, and sending a message to our communities: you are not safe here.

It’s a betrayal by city leaders who say one thing and do another. But our community knows the truth, and we know what real leadership looks like. While the mayor was absent, every day people showed up. Neighbors, organizers, and candidates stood shoulder to shoulder with our immigrant communities to say: we will not be intimidated. We will not be silent.
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That same evening, after a day marked by fear and anger, TakeAction Minnesota came together with community members at the Solidarity In Stereo benefit concert—a catharsis of music, dance, and shared visions for what our community can be. It was a reminder that even in the hardest moments, hope, joy, and resilience rise up from the people who live and love here. Moments like this show how our fights for immigrant justice, healthcare access, safe schools, and fair workplaces are all connected—a single movement for dignity, safety, and belonging.

Here’s what we’re reading, watching, and listening to this week.

1. Protesters confront federal officers during enforcement action on Lake Street in Minneapolis
This week, dozens of federal and local law enforcement officers, including ICE, descended on Lake Street, flooding one of Minneapolis’ largest immigrant neighborhoods with fear. Despite Mayor Frey’s promises not to cooperate with ICE, his police chief stood alongside federal agents. This wasn't about safety—it was about control. As trust erodes, the need for leadership rooted in care and community has never been clearer. While Frey was missing, every mayoral challenger showed up for our immigrant neighbors. Minneapolis deserves leaders who will truly stand with us.
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2. Minnesota Legislature heads to Special Session while Immigrants Fear for their Healthcare Access
As we wait for the Minnesota Legislature to enter a special session to finalize the state budget, the healthcare access of thousands of immigrants remains uncertain. Programs like MinnesotaCare, which have been lifelines for many, hang in the balance. Minnesotans deserve dignity and care, no matter immigration status. We also deserve lawmakers who will deliver on our needs. [link removed]
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3. Trump banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S. Here’s what to know
Trump’s latest travel ban—targeting mostly Black and Muslim-majority countries—is a recycled playbook of fear and xenophobia dressed up as policy. It’s not about safety; it’s about sending a message: that certain people, certain families, don’t belong here. We must reject it, because for Minnesotans with ties to these countries, it means more separation, more uncertainty, and more cruelty from a system already built to exclude. Our communities deserve policies rooted in humanity, not hate.
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4. Pattern of defiance: Israel expands settlements in face of Western pressure
Israel’s latest move to authorize 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank is not just a policy decision; it’s a blatant act of apartheid and land theft. This expansion, condemned by the UN as a war crime, aims to erase Palestinian communities and extinguish hopes for a just society. While international leaders issue statements, Palestinians endure daily violence, displacement, and the loss of their homes. In moments like these, our values call us to listen, learn, and stand with those demanding justice, safety, and liberation.
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5. 45,000 Minnesotans are at risk of losing SNAP benefits
Access to food is a right, not a privilege. But right now, 45,000 Minnesotans are facing the threat of losing access to the programs they need to survive. This move by MAGA republicans will make way for tax cuts for their rich buddies, but could leave families, seniors, and people with disabilities without the resources to put food on the table. If we want to build a Minnesota where everyone has enough to eat, we must make sure that everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.
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6. Duluth tenants want faster repairs. City officials instead call for more tenants’ rights education.
The Duluth City Council is considering an ordinance to require landlords to inform tenants of their legal rights, but for many renters, especially those organizing with Duluth Tenants, it’s not enough. Duluth Tenants are taking what renters need seriously – and so are the thousands of Duluthians, renters and homeowners alike, who have signed on to support Duluth Right to Repair. That’s why Duluthians are campaigning together to pass this commonsense policy that makes it easier for renters to get simple repairs addressed quickly and efficiently.
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7. Pickets at 13 Minnesota hospitals as contracts expire for thousands of Twin Cities nurses
Thousands of nurses at 11 Minnesota hospitals are standing together, demanding what every worker—and every patient—deserves: safe staffing levels, fair pay, and respect for the essential care they provide. As contracts expire, these healthcare heroes are pushing back against hospital systems putting profits over people, risking the well-being of our communities. This isn’t just a labor fight—it’s a fight for the future of healthcare in Minnesota, for workers’ rights to fair conditions, and for quality care that centers people, not corporations.
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8. How open enrollment is reshaping Twin Cities school districts
Open enrollment was intended to expand opportunities, but decades later, it’s reinforcing the very inequities it promised to address. As tens of thousands of mostly white students leave diverse urban districts for suburban ones, funding and support drain from the schools that serve the most marginalized. This isn’t just about “choice”—it’s about who gets access, who gets investment, and who gets left to navigate a system designed to move resources out of working-class communities of color. If we believe every child deserves a great education, we need a system built on equity and care, not competition.
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9. Back to Back Winners: Minnesota Frost celebrate second Walter Cup
Minnesota’s newest dynasty, the Minnesota Frost, brought home their second straight Walter Cup. While it was no easy win, the Frost is skating right into the legacy women’s sports teams hold in Minnesota: carrying the wins.
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10. 2025 Pride Across Minnesota
From Loring Park to Lake Minnetonka, Pride is alive across Minnesota with festivals that center joy, community, and resistance. While some corporations bow to Trump-era politics and quietly step back, Minnesotans are stepping up because Pride was never about branding; it was about belonging. These celebrations remind us that Pride started in the streets and still belongs to the people who live it every day.
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And that’s a wrap!

Send us what you’re reading, watching, and listening to.

Until next time,

Amanda Otero
Co-Executive Director



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