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Posted by Joshua Scheer
As Minnesota reels from an unprecedented surge of armed federal agents, Saint Paul City Council Vice President Hwa Jeong Kim delivers one of the clearest on‑the‑ground accounts of what communities are facing. In this conversation, she describes a Twin Cities transformed: thousands of masked DHS officers flooding neighborhoods, residents being seized off the streets, and local governments scrambling to defend constitutional protections that are being shredded in real time.
Kim, who works closely with the Immigrant Defense Network, lays out how the raids, the shooting of Renee Good, and the revocation of protections for Somali residents have pushed Minnesota toward a breaking point — and why labor, faith, and community groups are now organizing for a January 23 shutdown.
This is the story of a state fighting back against what local officials are calling a “federal invasion.”
Here are highlights from the video Massive influx of federal agents: Minnesota officials say DHS has deployed a force larger than the 10 biggest Twin Cities police departments combined.
Escalating violence in the streets: Protesters describe armed, masked agents attacking crowds outside the Whipple Federal Building.
Local officials call it an invasion: Attorney General Keith Ellison says the deployment has caused “serious harm” and must stop.
Residents seized without warning: Kim recounts neighbors being taken off sidewalks and pulled from cars, fueling widespread fear.
Somali community under threat: TPS revocation and talk of denaturalization create panic in one of Minnesota’s largest immigrant communities.
Local leaders carrying ID out of fear: Even elected officials of color say they worry about being detained.
Federal prosecutors resigning in protest: Multiple DOJ attorneys quit over the refusal to investigate the shooting of Renee Good.
Momentum toward a general strike: Labor unions, teachers, and community groups are organizing a January 23 shutdown.
Mutual aid networks mobilizing: Communities are coordinating childcare, safety patrols, and rapid response as daily life becomes dangerous.