Welcome to this Special Edition of the Action Center. As ICE escalates its presence across American cities with military-style operations, we stand in solidarity with communities facing state violence and terror. More than 3,000 federal agents are deployed in Minneapolis, with 1,500 active-duty soldiers on standby. Similar operations have targeted Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, and countless other cities.
But Minneapolis, LA, Memphis, Chicago, and so many more cities will not be defined by the cruelty of this administration. They will be defined by the abundant love that has ignited community, by neighbors who show up for each other, by strangers who become family, by the fierce commitment to dignity and justice that refuses to be extinguished.
Nothing is inevitable. Justice movements are built by ordinary people who come together to defeat oppression and nurture a loving world. In this moment, we are called to share in both the painful and the beautiful- to grieve together, to rage together, to organize together, and to celebrate every victory together. You are not alone. We have power. Together, we can create a just and thriving future.
Minneapolis Under Siege
Core Principle: Every person's dignity is sacred and not granted by the state. Criminalization and dehumanization deny the worth of our communities. Safety cannot come at the expense of others. As people of faith, we proclaim a future of care, abundance, and mutuality—not domination.
The Update: More than 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol officers are now deployed in Minneapolis and across the Twin Cities region following the killing of Renee Good by ICE agents. Renee was a beloved community member, a Unitarian Universalist, and an organizer who dedicated her life to mutual aid and supporting her neighbors. Her murder is not an isolated incident, but the result of policies that criminalize immigration and enforce borders through fear, surveillance, and force rather than care.
This massive escalation represents an alarming intensification of state violence. The Pentagon has ordered 1,500 active-duty soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska to prepare for possible deployment to Minnesota, and Governor Tim Walz has mobilized the Minnesota National Guard. President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act—a 1807 law that would allow deployment of federal troops—though he has not yet done so. ICE is using military-style tactics to terrorize immigrant communities, separating families, and creating a climate of fear designed to suppress resistance.
On Wednesday, January 15, a federal agent shot a Venezuelan man in the leg. On the same day, a six-month-old baby and another child were hospitalized after being exposed to tear gas deployed by ICE agents. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Friday prohibiting ICE agents from arresting, detaining, retaliating against, or using force and chemical irritants against peaceful protesters and observers. The Justice Department immediately appealed this ruling.
As people of faith and conscience, we are called by love to tell the truth about this violence, to accompany those most impacted, and to keep organizing toward communities where safety, belonging, and freedom are real for all.
Meanwhile, we also witnessed a historic victory: Avelo Airlines announced they will halt all deportation flights at the end of this month. Let's be clear: Avelo didn't wake up one morning and decide to pivot their business strategy. This is a direct victory for the movement. From the tarmac to the ticket counter, our organizing created sustained pressure that Avelo could no longer ignore. We proved that when communities unite, we can dismantle the logistics of deportation. Avelo's exit is proof that corporate complicity in human rights abuses is not a sustainable business model.
Minneapolis has a strong legacy of organizing that enables community defense in this moment, but that is not true everywhere. What is happening in the Twin Cities could happen anywhere. ICE activity is expanding to new communities nationwide, and even areas not currently experiencing large-scale enforcement must prepare. We have a responsibility to be better prepared, better connected, and more courageous together.
Take Action:
Side With Love's Minnesota Resource Kit: Side With Love has created a comprehensive toolkit with Minnesota immigrant justice organizations, trusted reporting, UU statements and resources, calls to action, and guidance on messaging.
Donate to Minnesota organizations supporting those impacted by ICE enforcement (See our Resource Kit for suggested organizations)
Strengthen organizing in your own community: Develop ICE Watch networks, oppose detention centers, build relationships with immigrant neighbors
Get quick dos and don'ts for rapid response organizing with our Grounded, Resilient, and Responsible (GRR) toolkit
Read:
Side With Love's Statement on the Killing of Renee Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
UU World: Renee Nicole Good, Minneapolis Mutual Aid, and Unitarian Universalism
UUA Joins Multifaith Lawsuit Asserting That ICE Policy Violates the First Amendment
Learn:
Join:
The UU Solidarity Initiative—Solidarity Sessions launching February 5 at 4:30 pm ET / 1:30 pm PT
Together, we practice the world we long for. Together, we win.