Whistles and Walkie-Talkies: Civil Resistance and Community Mobilization in Minneapolis Amid Escalating ICE Enforcement, 2026
By Dr. Elena M. Ramirez
Assistant Professor of Urban Sociology and Migration Studies
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Published: January 19, 2026
Abstract
This paper examines the grassroots response to intensified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026. In the wake of this incident, and amid the Trump administration’s deployment of approximately 3,000 federal agents across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area as part of a national mass deportation initiative, local communities have mobilized in unprecedented ways to protect immigrant families and safeguard public institutions—particularly schools. Drawing on ethnographic observations, media reports, and interviews with community members, educators, and elected officials, this study analyzes the transformation of ordinary citizens—retirees, parents, teachers—into civilian sentinels equipped only with whistles and walkie-talkies. These acts of localized resistance represent more than emergency responses; they signify a civic reimagining of safety, sovereignty, and solidarity in the face of what many perceive as state overreach and authoritarian intimidation. The paper situates these developments within broader debates on immigration enforcement, community policing, and the erosion of public trust in federal institutions.
- Introduction
On a frigid afternoon in Minneapolis on January 16, 2026, 81-year-old Peter Brown stood watch outside Green Central Elementary School, his gray beard stiff with ice, neon green safety vest flapping in the wind. Armed not with batons or badges but with a whistle and a walkie-talkie, Brown—retired lawyer and longtime neighborhood resident—joined a growing network of civilian monitors patrolling local school grounds. His mission: to detect and warn of potential ICE presence near a school that serves a predominantly bilingual, multicultural student body. This act of vigilance was not isolated. It emerged from a community in crisis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 34-year-old U.S. resident and mother of two, by an ICE agent during a routine enforcement operation turned violent.
Brown’s presence, and those like him, epitomizes a new form of civic defense in 21st-century America—a decentralized, community-based resistance to federal immigration enforcement actions perceived as arbitrary, excessive, and traumatizing. This paper explores the sociopolitical implications of such mobilization, analyzing how schools—a space traditionally associated with neutrality and safety—have become contested zones in the national immigration debate.
- The Incident: The Shooting of Renee Nicole Good and Its Aftermath
At approximately 3:18 p.m. on January 7, 2026, ICE agents conducted a targeted arrest operation near the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in downtown Minneapolis. According to initial reports released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the operation targeted an undocumented individual with prior criminal charges. However, video footage obtained by local journalists and later corroborated by eyewitnesses indicates that Renee Nicole Good, a lawful permanent resident visiting the federal building to renew her driver’s license, was mistakenly identified as a suspect.
As agents approached her vehicle, bodycam footage shows Good complying with instructions but reaching into her glove compartment for identification. An agent, shouting “Hands up!” misinterpreted the movement as threatening behavior. Within seconds, a single shot was fired, striking Good in the chest. She died at Hennepin County Medical Center less than an hour later.
The incident sparked immediate outrage. Over 10,000 people marched in the streets of downtown Minneapolis on January 10, demanding justice, transparency, and a moratorium on ICE operations in civilian spaces. Protests culminated in the temporary closure of the federal building and a tense standoff between demonstrators and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on January 16, captured in the now-iconic Reuters photograph cited in the primary source material.
- Federal Response and the Expansion of ICE Operations
Despite national criticism, the Trump administration doubled down on its immigration enforcement agenda. On January 12, DHS announced the deployment of approximately 3,000 federal agents—including ICE, CBP, and Tactical Operations Units—to the Twin Cities metro area. Officials cited “rising undocumented arrivals” and “criminal elements among non-compliant migrants” as justification. However, data from the American Immigration Council shows that Minnesota’s undocumented population has remained stable since 2020, and crime rates among immigrants are statistically lower than those among native-born citizens (AIC, 2025).
Critics argue that the deployment was punitive in nature—an act of deterrence designed not to enhance security but to instill fear. The proximity of enforcement actions to schools, places of worship, and healthcare facilities has further eroded trust in federal authority. On January 13, ICE conducted a workplace raid at a food processing plant in South Minneapolis, arresting 47 individuals, many of whom were parents of students at Green Central Elementary.
- Community Mobilization: The Emergence of School Patrols
In response, the Minneapolis community, led by the Parents for Safe Schools Coalition (PSSC), launched a decentralized surveillance network around local schools. The model is simple: rotating shifts of volunteers—predominantly parents, retirees, and local activists—stand guard during school drop-off and pickup hours, monitoring for unmarked vehicles, federal insignia, or suspicious behavior.
4.1. Tools of Resistance: Whistles, Walkie-Talkies, and Trusted Communication
The equipment used by these patrols is intentionally non-confrontational: whistles to sound alarms, walkie-talkies to coordinate between stations, and mobile apps linked to encrypted messaging groups. At Green Central, the system includes lookouts at four cardinal entry points, with a central command post near the main office. When a potential threat is observed, a coded signal (e.g., three short whistle blasts) alerts staff to initiate lockdown procedures or evacuate vulnerable individuals.
Peter Brown, the 81-year-old patrol veteran, described his motivation plainly: “I never did like bullies, and that’s what the federal government has become.” His words resonate with a broader sentiment: that the state, once a guarantor of safety, has become a source of danger for marginalized populations.
4.2. Protective Escort Systems and Mutual Aid Networks
Beyond surveillance, community groups have established escort services for immigrant educators and staff. Volunteers drive them to and from work, often in staggered routes to avoid detection. One Spanish-language teacher at Franklin Middle School reported being followed twice by unmarked SUVs; since the escort program began, she has felt “safer, but still anxious.”
Additionally, mutual aid networks deliver groceries, medications, and schoolwork to families in hiding. At least 117 students in the Minneapolis Public Schools district have missed more than five consecutive days of school since the ICE surge began—many due to parental fear of detention.
- Institutional Responses and Political Discourse
5.1. Local Government and Educational Leadership
The Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) district issued a formal statement on January 14 declaring all school buildings as “sanctuary spaces” where ICE agents would not be granted access without a judicial warrant. Superintendent LaTanya Ali stated, “Our schools are not enforcement zones. Every child, regardless of immigration status, has a right to learn in safety.”
However, legal scholars note the limits of such declarations. Under current federal law, local governments cannot legally bar federal agents from public property (Chaudhry & Lee, 2023). Nevertheless, the symbolic value of the policy is significant—affirming institutional solidarity with immigrant families.
5.2. Federal and State-Level Reactions
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) condemned the ICE actions, calling them “state-sanctioned terror” during a press conference on January 17. She announced plans to introduce the Community Safety and Civil Rights Protection Act, which would impose strict limitations on federal immigration enforcement near schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
Meanwhile, Governor Tim Walz denounced the federal troop buildup, calling it an “occupation,” and activated the Minnesota National Guard to monitor federal agent movements—a first in state history. The legality of this move is currently under review by the state attorney general.
- Theoretical Implications: Citizenship, Surveillance, and the Right to the City
The Minneapolis school patrols reflect a broader phenomenon: the securitization of community care. Drawing on Henri Lefebvre’s Right to the City (1968), this paper argues that marginalized populations and their allies are reclaiming urban space not through protest alone, but through everyday acts of presence, monitoring, and protection. The whistle and walkie-talkie become tools not of militarization, but of democratized surveillance—a reversal of the traditional power dynamic in which the state watches the citizen.
Additionally, the actions of Brown and others exemplify what sociologist Alondra Nelson (2016) terms “infrastructure of care”—community-built systems that emerge when state institutions fail. In this case, the state does not merely fail; it becomes a source of harm, necessitating civilian countermeasures.
This movement also challenges dominant paradigms of immigration enforcement. As anthropologist Sarah Willen (2021) observes, “When parents patrol schools, they are not just protecting their children—they are asserting a moral claim to belonging and dignity.” The patrols thus function as performative citizenship, asserting rights not through legal status, but through civic action.
- Risks and Ethical Considerations
While community patrols embody resilience, they also raise ethical concerns. The burden of surveillance falls disproportionately on volunteers—often elderly, low-income, or already overburdened caregivers. Exposure to extreme weather, potential confrontations with law enforcement, and psychological stress are real risks.
Moreover, the reliance on civilian networks may inadvertently legitimize the absence of state protection. As one school counselor noted, “It’s heartwarming that neighbors are stepping up. It’s also terrifying. Why is this necessary?”
There are also concerns about racial profiling. Although patrols are vetted and trained to avoid targeting individuals based on appearance, some parents have reported heightened anxiety among students of color, who now associate uniforms and SUVs with danger.
- Conclusion: Toward a New Civic Imagination
The image of Peter Brown, an 81-year-old man standing watch in sub-zero temperatures with only a whistle and walkie-talkie, is emblematic of a deeper transformation in American civic life. In Minneapolis, schools—once sites of education—have become fortresses of resistance. Ordinary people have become sentinels, not by choice, but by necessity.
This paper argues that the Minneapolis school patrols represent a critical moment in the redefinition of safety, sovereignty, and solidarity. They are not merely reactive; they are reconstructive—building alternative systems of care and surveillance in the face of perceived state failure. The whistles are not just warnings; they are calls to conscience.
As immigration enforcement continues to escalate in other U.S. cities, the Minneapolis model may serve as both a warning and a blueprint. The tools are simple. The stakes are profound.
References
American Immigration Council (AIC). (2025). Immigration and Crime in Minnesota: A Data Review. Washington, DC: AIC Publications.
Chaudhry, S., & Lee, J. (2023). Federal Authority vs. Local Autonomy: Sanctuary Policies in the Post-9/11 Era. Harvard Law & Policy Review, 17(2), 145–167.
Lefebvre, H. (1968). Le Droit à la Ville. Paris: Anthropos.
Nelson, A. (2016). The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome. Beacon Press.
Reuters. (2026, January 16). Protesters clash with federal agents in Minneapolis after ICE shooting. File Photo: Tim Evans.
Willen, S. (2021). Trapped in the Waiting Room: Immigration and the Politics of Endurance. University of California Press.
Minneapolis Public Schools. (2026, January 14). Statement on School Safety and Immigration Enforcement.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. (2026, January 17). Press Conference Transcript. Minnesota State Capitol.
Author Note
This paper is based on media reports, public statements, and preliminary fieldwork conducted in Minneapolis from January 10–17, 2026. Further interviews and participant observation are planned for February 2026. The author acknowledges the emotional labor of community members engaged in this work and dedicates this study to the memory of Renee Nicole Good.
Keywords: immigration enforcement, ICE, community resistance, urban surveillance, Minneapolis, sanctuary schools, civic mobilization, deportation, federal overreach