Over 34,000 Minnesotans sign up to be ‘ICE Watchers’ amid protests over two fatal shootings

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis has seen a surge of local volunteer observers and community activists in response to continuing operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

More than 34,000 Minnesotans have signed up to be trained as ICE observers with various activist groups in recent weeks.

The deaths of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, both US citizens, have spurred sustained public opposition to federal immigration enforcement tactics and intensified national debate over ICE practices.

Thousands of volunteers to look out for community

The volunteers use neighborhood patrols and community alerts to report the presence of ICE agents and raise awareness among residents, according to local organizers.

“What we have built in Minnesota is why Bovino is no longer here. It is the reason why the tone has changed nationally,” said Edwin Torres DeSantiago, a manager for the Immigrant Defense Network, which is training more than 2,000 people a week to become “constitutional observers.”

The influx of new volunteers is a “blessing,” he told the Washington Post, because it means more citizens to gather video footage of immigrant removals that could be used in ongoing state and local lawsuits and in the future.

These ICE observers vowed to continue their work despite signs of a political thaw on the national stage, after Trump removed controversial border patrol head Greg Bovino from Minneapolis and renewed talks with Minnesota Gov Tim Walz (D), a frequent critic.

Training sessions emphasize nonviolent observation and basic safety, with instructors advising volunteers to keep distance from agents and to focus on documenting actions rather than intervening directly.

Organizers say the effort reflects broader frustration with federal enforcement patterns and concern over civil liberties and community safety.

Anti-ICE protests go beyond Minneapolis

The unrest that started in Minneapolis didn’t stay in Minnesota.

It sparked protests in cities across the country, including Los Angeles.

In downtown LA, crowds showed up outside a federal detention center, joining a national day of action against ICE. 

Protesters and police faced off, leading to arrests and some heated moments. Officers used crowd-control tactics, and things got chaotic more than once.

Mayor Karen Bass urged people to peacefully protest and not vandalize property.

"That just hurts the city. That does not impact the administration in any kind of way that is going to bring about any type of change," Bass said.

In total, eight people were arrested during the chaos, according to LAPD.

Tensions between community activists and ICE agents remain high, and the protests have shown no sign of abating.

Organizers say they plan further demonstrations and continued observation efforts, even as federal guidance seeks to reduce confrontations between law enforcement and civilian monitors.