Following three months of Minneapolis’s profound resistance to ICE, “Border Czar” Tom Homan announced on February 12 that Operation Metro surge was coming to an end. Of course, he tried to spin it as a mark of success for the Trump administration’s brutal offensive against immigrants. The truth is that the far-right administration found its brute force outmatched by Twin Cities workers, students, and community members determined to defend their immigrant neighbors.
Nearly from the start of the offensive in Minneapolis, thousands upon thousands of Minnesotans formed networks to patrol and alert their neighbors of ICE activity, escort immigrants in public, deliver groceries, raise funds for struggling families, and engage in countless other activities to resist ICE terror. This widespread organization was most acutely expressed in the historic economic shutdown on January 23, followed by another massive day of action on January 30. Even after ICE murdered Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, Minnesotans continued to bravely resist ICE, putting their lives on the line to protect their neighbors.
To put it simply, Minneapolis showed the entire country the power that workers and community members have to organize our cities against even some of the most extreme attacks by the Far Right. That is why Homan had to make the announcement that operations are ending. In his announcement, Homan bragged that 4,000 people have been arrested in Minnesota since December, slandering these community members as criminals. The movement for immigrant rights must continue to fight for the release of all who were taken
In response to the news, some Twin Cities residents expressed skepticism, telling Left Voice that they don’t trust the announcement and see it as misdirection. Certainly this should not be seen as a sign that Trump’s war on immigrants is coming to an end. A recent investigation by Wired revealed that ICE is rapidly expanding its operations across the country.
Most likely, the Trump administration is attempting to quell the growing national outrage against ICE. This announcement comes as the Senate is voting on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The Democrats — themselves finally starting to notice the outrage against ICE from their base — are now posturing as opposition by threatening to vote against DHS funding unless Republicans agree to several minor reforms. Additionally, recent special elections in Texas, Louisiana, and New Jersey signal that voters are growing sick of Trump’s extreme anti-immigrant policies.
Both the Trump administration and the Democratic Party are starting to understand just how much ICE’s actions risk awakening outrage from below, and they both fear an immigrant rights movement that organizes itself around combative demands. We all saw the seeds of this in Minneapolis, and now the regime is maneuvering to try to limit further radicalization.
All who have been fighting for immigrant rights, and especially those who organized in the Twin Cities, should be moralized by Homan’s announcement and see it as a sign to go even further. This is an opportunity to double down and fight until ICE is out of everywhere, continuing to champion the demand “Abolish ICE” against attempts to defang or contain our movement with talk of “compromise,” “reform,” and “practical” demands. Additionally we must demand full rights and status for all immigrants.
The retreat in Minnesota is a victory, but we can’t stop until the anti-immigrant offensive is defeated nationally.
The post Homan Announced the End of Operation Metro Surge — Let’s Keep Fighting Like Minneapolis to Get ICE Out of Everywhere! appeared first on Left Voice.
From Left Voice via This RSS Feed.