‘I’m Witnessing a Lot of Emptiness’: How ICE Uprooted Normal Life in Minneapolis

WIRED talks to a postal worker, a teacher, two US citizens detained by federal agents, and six more Minnesota residents about life in an occupied American city.

After an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good two weeks ago, the rules and rhythms of daily life in Minneapolis definitively changed. More than 2,000 federal officers have been let loose on the city purportedly in search of undocumented immigrants. Schools, churches, and daycares have all been in the crosshairs—there is no safe haven from ICE enforcement in the Twin Cities—and in response, the city’s residents have come together to create rapid response networks to protect their neighbors.