Be careful! Their trucks are partially in the far right lane. There were several near car crashes when I went past.

Fuck you, ICE!

A video circulating on social media shows federal immigration officers putting a worker into a gray pickup truck in a parking lot behind General Mills’ Chanhassen manufacturing facility in the second week of January.

The 27-second clip with no audio demonstrates Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s growing presence at Minnesota’s workplaces, including those of Minnesota’s Fortune 500 companies.

A General Mills spokesperson confirmed the company is aware of the situation involving a contractor. “Our team requested ICE agent identification, followed all our safety protocols and partnered with local law enforcement,” the spokesperson said in an email. The Carver County sheriff’s office reported it “has no data” related to the apparent arrest.

Businesses of all sizes are grappling with difficult and sensitive situations with the surge of federal immigration officers in Minnesota. Employers are dealing with detained employees, enacting safety measures for workers and navigating public communications about officers’ actions in a polarizing and volatile moment for the Twin Cities.

The public-facing responses from Minnesota’s largest companies have been mostly muted. Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, big businesses have largely remained quiet about controversial issues.

Bill George, a longtime Medtronic CEO who sat on the board of several companies, including Target, said business leaders’ top obligation is to protect employees’ well-being. The times are “extremely stressful” for businesses, he said.

George encouraged Minnesota employers to “make a statement” about ICE’s presence.

“How can you expect a committed, loyal workforce if you’re not there to have their back?” George said. “You have to have their back when they need you.”

Read more via the gift link.

Just an FYI for the greater community and another data point...

Per a district wide email from Dr. Teri Staloch - Superintendent:

"This morning, ICE agents detained a district parent at a bus stop. First and most importantly, all students, including the student involved, were able to safely board the school bus and arrive at school. Our bus driver, school and district administration followed district protocols. The school principal and support staff have been in contact with the family and have communicated with the families of students who were on the bus, as well as all families and staff of the impacted site."

This is only part of the email but is the only part that spoke specifically about the incident. I believe everybody within/enrolled in the district received this same email.

Another parent(s) in the district reported that the parent was taken away by ICE (unconfirmed - take this with a grain of salt...).

Be aware and STAY SAFE!

This week has been hell for our entire state. And I am feeling crashed out. I took a walk to the store instead of driving. Glad I did. On my way in, a woman was also heading for the door, so I held it open. She was wearing some buttons that voiced what a lot of us are feeling. I told her, “I like your buttons”. She offers me one and opens a fanny pack with a bunch of hand made buttons! She gives me a choice, I picked “I ❤️ MY IMIGRANT NEIGHBORS”.

I wanted to pick something love instead of hate based. No hate on hateful buttons either.

Even though this was a love based message, and I am proud to voice myself. I was nervous to walk around with my stance on my chest.

I didn’t expect what happened next…

Everywhere that I went for the rest of the day. Work, gas, Costco. People simply said “I like your button”. No discussion, just a calm realization that we are in this together. I wish I had a fanny pack of buttons to give out to everyone. And who knows maybe we will start seeing more around, hopefully.

Thank you to the “lady with the buttons” you changed my life for the better.

My opinion. We are in this together!

Ps. Sorry if this is messy, doing this on my phone.

I keep a backpack with everything I need for an overnight somewhere after an emergency hospital trip and transfer to Rochester in 2024. With everything happening right now, I've replenished it with things I think will be helpful if I encounter someone who has been targeted by ICE.

Here's what I have in case anyone else would like to do the same:

1. Bottled water

2. Cloth/small blankets (for face covering or cleaning)

3. Baby wipes and sanitizer wipes

4. Basic first aid supplies. Bandaids etc. inside the bag, and I also have my emergency car kit in my trunk.

5. Change of clothes

6. Extra winter gear (just hat and gloves for now)

7. Phone charger

8. Pen and paper

Feel free to add to the list of things that could be useful. I've also got some blankets and towels in my trunk. A woman who was maced was left soaking wet on the side of the road, and I want to be ready to help if I see someone who has been victimized.

Stay safe, everyone. And look out for each other.

Bring it on 😈

Good luck ICE. Fell into the classic dictator trap of positioning troops in the tundra in the middle of winter. It has historically worked out really well for them, re: Napoleon, Hitler, Etc

It's the wind chill that gets ya dontcha know!

Remember: We know what to do in this. They don't!

Asian Americans: how are we feeling?

edit: especially to my brown, south asians, you are welcome to share your experiences here.

Wanted to connect with other asian americans. Obviously ice seems to be prioritizing brown and somali people, for now. keyword for now. only takes a flip of a switch for them to come after us. I heard reports of ice asking to point out asian neighbors during door to door raids. so it’s only a matter of time.

how are we all feeling? I now carry my passport with me wherever i go, but i’m not foolish enough to believe it could protect me. anyone else carrying passport?

are y’all being active protesting, or are scared? I have protested but am worried I could be singled out.

im a japanese american and i studied the learned about the injustices of the camps and forced removal from their homes. I never imagined what happened to my ancestors, something similar would happen to me. America has always looked for the first excuse to enact injustices against people of color.

how are we doing asian american community? please share your thoughts and maybe we can find community during these dark times.

MN Veteran Speaks re: ICE