Mastodawn

Paul Cantrell 2d ago

This is what they did to my city, my community. The national press has moved on. We have not. Minnesota remembers.

https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/06/15/how-one-minnesota-family-is-managing-life-after-deportation/

How one Minnesota family is managing life after deportation • Minnesota Reformer

These days, Blanca Lara feels like crying most of the time. She struggles to sleep without her husband beside her. Her sons, 4 and 2, spend most of the day in front of the TV in their Burnsville apartment, glued to YouTube videos of men constructing houses in the jungle. In the kitchen, 42-year-old Lara […]

Minnesota Reformer

Paul Cantrell 2d ago

Yup. And Trump’s FBI has started a harassment campaign against ICE observers, visiting their homes and threatening them.

Like…•this week•. In June.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

UPDATE: The Trump Feds arrested 15 people in Minneapolis / St. Paul this morning for exercising their constitutionally protect right to observe and document ICE operations.

It’s a blatant act of political intimidation and repression. And it’s a major escalation from them.

The press isn’t covering it yet, but they will be.

MSP folks: If you are free to show up and show support, the NLG is encouraging people to show up for the first court appearances of those arrested. Observers let the courts and the feds know that people are watching.

Appearances scheduled 1:30 and after, at the US Federal Courthouse: 316 N. Robert Street, St. Paul, MN.

#msp #minneapolis #minnesota

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

Meanwhile, the person who murdered Renee Good in cold blood hasn’t been charged with anything, and is walking the streets.

The people who murdered Alex Pretti in cold blood haven’t been charged with anything, and are walking the streets.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

Early press coverage here, minimal info so far:

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/06/16/federal-prosecutors-minnesota-announce-charges-against-immigration-enforcement-opponents

MPR has been good about getting info out fast on this beat, and presumably will update that story.

Apparently there was some good pushback from the local press at the press conference that just happened.

Federal prosecutors in Minnesota to announce charges against immigration enforcement opponents

The Justice Department has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday morning in Minneapolis to announce charges stemming from opposition to federal immigration enforcement.

MPR News

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

A bit more from the Reformer:

https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/06/16/feds-charge-anti-ice-activists/

And Sahan has a placeholder article up now too (ht @Unlikelylass):

https://sahanjournal.com/

Feds charge anti-ICE activists • Minnesota Reformer

During Operation Metro Surge, residents opposed to the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda mobilized to disrupt immigration enforcement actions by following federal vehicles, blowing whistles, honking horns and filming.

Minnesota Reformer

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

My messages, good heavens.

If the Trump admin had been hoping that Minnesota was going to eventually be lulled into a complacent inaction, well, they just killed that today.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

They were all released without bail. Over the Trump admin’s objections.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

The Trump admin wants us to believe that these Minneapolis neighbors are horrible criminal terrorists something something. They presented shocking, •shocking• evidence in support of this claim at the protest, which consisted of video of some of the charged people:

⁃ saying people should “become ungovernable”
⁃ discussing carrying guns to a protest
⁃ saying they’re anti-fascist

That’s it. That’s apparently the meat in this embarrassing nothingburger.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/16/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-conspiracy-charges

Fifteen people charged over alleged interference in Minnesota immigration crackdown

Prosecutors claim defendants were part of Minneapolis-based ‘antifa’ groups that ‘violent oppose’ law enforcement

The Guardian

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

Remember: after WWII, a government doesn’t announce that they’ve become fascist. They announce that anti-fascists are enemies of the state.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

Folks outside of Minneapolis / St. Paul, you can help by talking about this, making noise about this, letting your circles know that you’re angry about this. Don’t let this slide away quietly.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

If you are a member of the NRA, or know someone who is, I’d particularly encourage you to demand to know why they aren’t leaping to decry the fact that the Trump admin today charged people with a crime for merely •discussing• legal carrying to a protest.

Not because the NRA will have some kind of rational “OMG” moment about it — they’re fashy through and through — but rather because this is one of the many fault lines on the right, and it’s our job to pry those fault lines open.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

Sahan now has a full article up, with much more detail about the specific accusations:

https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minnesota-ice-observers-face-federal-charges/

I guess the horrifying crime I failed to mention upthread is that they allegedly blocked ICE for half an hour with a trailer? So that changes everything, obvs

Breaking: U.S. Attorney to announce charges against Minnesota protesters of ICE enforcement

The U.S Attorney’s Office said it would announce charges today against multiple individuals and groups who opposed immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.

Sahan Journal

Paul Cantrell 10h ago

Good news! There is now a legal defense fund for the Minnesota 15! This is for all the people Trump's feds arrested on Tuesday for their anti-ICE activism in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area. They have a rough road ahead. Let's show them some support.

I can vouch for this specific fund. It's legit.

⚠️ Keep an eye out for the Chuffed site automatically adding a “tip” that is perhaps larger than the amount you want. You can set it to a smaller amount or zero. ⚠️

#Minneapolis #StPaul #Minnesota #iceout

https://chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund

Legal Defense Fund for MN Anti-ICE Organizers

On the morning of June 16th 2026 fifteen anti-ICE organizers were indicted on federal conspiracy charges in Minnesota, 12 of whom were arrested in aggressive raids across the Twin Cities. This fundraiser is organized by the friends and family of the defendants, all funds raised will go directly to support the defendants through their trial.

Chuffed

Keith Dawson 9h ago

Hadn't heard of Chuffed before. First attempt at donating was refused by Apple card as "suspicious." Used a different card, all fine. FWIW.

Paul Cantrell 8h ago

@kdawson
They’re a pretty common platform for grassroots fundraiser stuff like this.

@inthehands this is basically what the entire 2a crowd stands for. Are you loyal to your party or to your own values?

Absolutely a fracture

@inthehands the va nurse fellow in minnesota that ice murdered was legally carrying, and even though he was on the ground with 3 guys on top and not resisting, ice shot him to death when they found the gun.

There were brief expressions of displeasure by gun orgs, but that disappeared in a few days.

You only get gun rights if you are right wing.

not ch1c 20h ago

@MatthewChat @inthehands it’s a twin cities tradition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Philando_Castile

Killing of Philando Castile - Wikipedia

David Nash 16h ago

@MatthewChat @inthehands

The situation w. Mr Pretti exposed a lot of the bullshit from the NRA and similar organizations in a way these organizations couldn’t (and still can’t) ignore anymore.

Gun owner was 100% legally carrying in the location he was in? Check.
Gun owner was handling his gun in a broadly culturally acceptable manner (weapon was concealed, no macho bullshit posturing, not even touching it during the protest) in said location? Check.
Gun owner was doing precisely nothing suspicious under the law or by prevailing social customs? Check.
Hell, gun owner was *white*? Check. So even the racism trigger that is so often lurking in these organizations was suppressed.

And it didn’t do anything to “deter against tyranny” in this case. Tyranny just went ahead and murdered him as soon as it was aware of the gun.

This outcome is by design. ICE and friends *know perfectly well* a lot of Americans carry concealed firearms, so they make it hard for concealed weapons to be useful as a defensive measure: there are usually multiple ICE officers per target, waiting for a time when they can act extremely quickly and before their target really has a chance to react.

The gun-advocacy organizations literally have no clue how to respond to the actual reality of the situation, as opposed to their wish-fulfillment fantasies of what should happen.

Paul Cantrell 16h ago

@dpnash @MatthewChat

You’re spot on, and we need people complaining loudly about all this •in gun culture circles•.

f00df4ce 6h ago

@MatthewChat @inthehands
Not trying to be pedantic but video shows an agent in a grey jacket removing Pretti's gun before shots are fired. He crosses the street as the shooting happens, and afterward you can hear agents asking "where's the gun".
So, you know, even worse.

@inthehands I’m not an NRA member-most gun owners hate them or just left. I am a gun owner and if you put the document here showing an indictment for discussing carrying a firearm to a protest I’ll share it. If you have a concealed carry permit and carry at a protest like Alex Preti did, it’s legal under Federal law and in most states but he’s still dead. The NRA and MAGA rightly see Dems as the gun grabbers, not the regime. If they arrest liberal protesters, MAGA is happy & there is no wedge

Jonathan 23h ago

They also don't declare that they are pedophiles. They just refuse to release the Epstein files.

samiamsam 1d ago

that seems to be the republican weaponization of government the republican warned us about

@inthehands It is really something quite normal, and which people have a perfect right to engage in - CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. I suspect that the actions of those charge were actually far less violent than alleged, because the people of Minnesota have learned that non-violent resistance is the best way to make ICE go away.

Daniel Fisher 1d ago

@inthehands Blood boiling! We will resist harder!

Julie Hughes 1d ago

@inthehands If you come across a list of ways folks can support the community beyond Financials, please share

Puppethead 1d ago

@inthehands This sounds ominous, like we're headed for another Federal siege. They sound determined to punish the Twin Cities for resisting.

UnlikelyLass 1d ago

@inthehands Sahan Journal also has an article up:

https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minnesota-ice-observers-face-federal-charges/

Breaking: U.S. Attorney to announce charges against Minnesota protesters of ICE enforcement

The U.S Attorney’s Office said it would announce charges today against multiple individuals and groups who opposed immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.

Sahan Journal

UnlikelyLass 1d ago

@inthehands And the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/16/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-conspiracy-charges

Fifteen people charged over alleged interference in Minnesota immigration crackdown

Prosecutors claim defendants were part of Minneapolis-based ‘antifa’ groups that ‘violent oppose’ law enforcement

The Guardian

Michael Wyman 1d ago

@inthehands I’m guessing there will be a big push to see the grand jury transcripts, given no judges should be trusting the administration on that front

Misuse Case 1d ago

@inthehands Maybe the timing is coincidental but they only did this after the GOP gave ICE their additional $70 billion.

RiaResists❌ 👑1d ago

@inthehands Investigations into real crimes being ignored to focus on bogus crap like Comey & Newsom.
#FDJ

draNgNon 1d ago

@inthehands these persons are known. do not the families who are affected have the right to press charges?

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

@draNgNon
I don’t pretend to understand how these things work, but my understanding is that for this type of crime, a fed prosecutor has to be the one to bring fed charges.

Doreen32128 ready to rumble!1d ago

@inthehands But we should give millions to the 1/6 insurrectionists?

Jeffandthekid 1d ago

@inthehands The streets of the United States of America eh!

@inthehands julia roberts cares abot this. i have no clue what it is.

AI6YR Ben 1d ago

@inthehands This has been happening out here in California, too.

https://lataco.com/vc-defensa-legal-coalition-restraining-order

Legal Coalition Prepares Restraining Orders Against Feds Who Targeted VC Defensa ~ L.A. TACO

Between 50 - 60 members, volunteers, and activists of the group have been targeted by federal agencies through a combination of tactics like raids, searches, and seizures, including agents allegedly following people home and flashing their lights.

Paul Cantrell 1d ago

Yeah that stuff had been going on since December here. Today’s mass arrest is a major escalation.

AI6YR Ben 1d ago

@inthehands 😬

Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud 1d ago

@inthehands NLG is bad ass.