ICE enforcement operation motivates Minnesotans to vote

Operation Metro Surge Inspires Minnesota Voters

I had this sense of hope that I haven’t had for a long time, said Lori Anne Baumgartner, a Minneapolis resident who spent the day after the election visiting the Renee Good memorial in the city’s south side. As the dust settles on a blue wave election, the presence of I Voted stickers at the memorials for Alex Pretti and Renee Good stands as a reminder of the events that have shaken Minnesota communities and helped motivate voters to take action. According to her, Operation Metro Surge and the consequences it had for Minnesota neighborhoods instilled a fresh feeling of necessity regarding national affairs. For many Minnesotans, the federal immigration enforcement operation was more than just a wake up call. It was a catalyst for civic engagement.

I think Metro Surge really got people thinking about what’s going on in the country, Brad Peterson said after placing his I Voted sticker at the Alex Pretti Memorial. It just hit us really hard, and we all still feel it every day, Minneapolis resident Leo added.

The Shift from Anxiety to Civic Action

Hope is an action, and it’s not something that you feel all the time, Baumgartner said. I didn’t feel particularly hopeful when I went to the polls yesterday, but voting was the hopeful thing to do. You decide to act in accordance with hope.

Defining Community Identity in a Polarized Climate

Returning to the Renee Good memorial, Baumgartner insisted that Minnesotans must not permit federal immigration enforcement or political leadership to dictate the character of their neighborhoods. ICE doesn’t get to decide who we are. And Donald Trump doesn’t get to decide who we are. We get to decide who we are, she said.

We are trying to spread love and show love, and this is how we do it. At the polls, Minneapolis resident Hannah Robles said. We are Minneapolis. We are Minnesota. And this is our community, and this is how we show up for everybody here. Not just in Minnesota, but the United States as a whole. This is our America, Robles said.