Underground Resistance
- Rex Ballard
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
The Anti-ICE Networks in Minnesota and California Amid Escalating Federal Crackdowns
In the shadow of President Donald Trump's renewed push for mass deportations, a web of grassroots networks has emerged in states like Minnesota and California to counter U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. These groups, often comprising volunteers, nonprofits, and community advocates, utilize rapid-response systems, encrypted communications, and on-the-ground patrols to monitor and resist federal agents. Drawing from local investigations, federal reports, and firsthand accounts, this article examines the structure and impact of these networks, supported by evidence from journalistic sources, testimonials from participants and affected individuals, and whistleblower testimonies revealing internal tensions within ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As clashes intensify—including a fatal shooting in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026—these efforts have drawn scrutiny from the DOJ and FBI, raising questions about potential invocations of the Insurrection Act to quell what the administration views as organized obstruction. This expanded report delves deeper into sources of funding, leadership structures, and allegations of collusion with Democratic officials.
The Minnesota Model: From Mutual Aid to Mobilized Defense
Minnesota's anti-ICE infrastructure has roots in the 2020 George Floyd protests, evolving into a sophisticated system of surveillance and rapid mobilization. Local reporting describes volunteer "ICE patrols" in areas like south Minneapolis, where participants use dashboard-mounted phones to log sightings of federal vehicles or agents, sharing alerts via Signal and WhatsApp groups that can swell to hundreds of members. A December 2025 Star Tribune investigation detailed this "organized resistance," noting how mutual aid networks from the pandemic era adapted to immigration enforcement, with volunteers positioning near schools, mosques, and high-risk housing to film, warn, or intervene.
Central to this is the Immigrant Defense Network (IDN), coordinated by groups like COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina), which has trained over 10,000 individuals in rapid-response tactics by late 2025. COPAL's leadership includes a board of directors and executive team focused on organizing Latine power, with key figures like Executive Director Carolina Ortiz and Vice President Edwin Torres DeSantiago, a DACA recipient with deep ties to Democratic campaigns (including those of Gov. Tim Walz and Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar). Torres DeSantiago also serves on committees for environmental justice, healthcare, and regional organizing, highlighting COPAL's multifaceted approach.
Evidence of escalation came with the January 2026 deployment of 2,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities under "Operation Metro Surge," targeting Somali communities amid a welfare fraud scandal. This surge led to 19 initial arrests and sparked protests, culminating in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who allegedly attempted to run over agents.
Sources of Funding and Political Collusion in Minnesota
COPAL's operations are bolstered by diverse funding streams, including a $3.4 million grant from the Minneapolis Foundation in July 2025 to advance economic mobility and equity. Additional support comes from state resources like the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), which funded an outdoor specialist for bilingual youth programming on wetland restoration. Federal earmarks, secured by Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, have directed funds to COPAL's Primero de Mayo Workers' Center and the Latino Center for Community Engagement on Lake Street, explicitly for worker organizing and community power-building.
Ilhan Omar and Amy Klobuchar - official phots from their respective House and Senate sites.
These ties raise questions of collusion, as COPAL leaders like Torres DeSantiago have worked on campaigns for Walz, Flanagan, Smith, and Klobuchar, integrating movement politics with elite institutions (e.g., his trusteeship at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University). A 2023 MinnPost report detailed a Puerto Rico trip involving COPAL advocates and elected officials to apply climate lessons to Minnesota, illustrating collaborative efforts. Amid recent ICE operations, Democratic rhetoric—such as from Rep. Ilhan Omar—has been criticized by DHS for portraying enforcement as "terror," potentially fueling resistance networks.
Testimonials from Minnesota
Immigrant advocates and community members have shared harrowing accounts. In a Sahan Journal piece, a Somali immigrant described the fear: "ICE operations are now even more prevalent in our neighborhoods... It's terror for families." A volunteer with IDN told MPR News: "We've seen arrests of Hmong and Latino folks without warning. Our patrols are about protection—warning neighbors so they can hide or seek help." Another testimonial from a Minneapolis resident in a CBS News report: "The whistles we blow aren't just noise; they're lifelines. I saw agents at a grocery store, blew my whistle, and people scattered—saving families from separation."
California's Expansive Web: Hotlines and State-Supported Resistance
California's networks are more decentralized but equally robust, bolstered by sanctuary laws and state funding. Groups like the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) and the Immigrant Defenders Law Center operate hotlines (e.g., 213-833-8283 for Southern California) for real-time ICE sightings, dispatching observers to document raids. In Boyle Heights, the Immigrant Rights Network runs patrols similar to Minnesota's, with volunteers verifying alerts and mobilizing crowds.
Evidence includes CalMatters reports on Central Valley raids, where rumors of ICE sweeps led to school absences and church attendance drops. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) received $34-35 million in government grants in 2025, funding rapid-response teams amid Trump's crackdown. Protests have escalated, with June 2025 Los Angeles demonstrations prompting Trump to federalize the National Guard under the Insurrection Act.
Sources of Funding and Political Collusion in California
CCIJ, a 501(c)(3) organization, reported $200,000 in government grants in 2022 (10.5% of revenue), including $80,000 from California ChangeLawyers for leadership pathways. State funding supports immigrant legal defense, with Alameda County allocating resources for additional attorneys in 2025. Broader coalitions like the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) and Northern California Grantmakers' Collective Action for Immigrant Justice strengthen ecosystems through statewide advocacy.
Allegations of collusion surface in a June 2025 House Judiciary probe into taxpayer-funded groups with Democratic ties, potentially aiding resistance. A DOJ fact-check corrected a California Democrat on ICE mask policies, while reports highlight harms from local-federal collusion—though advocates push bills like AB 937 to prohibit transfers to ICE. DHS has slammed Democratic portrayals of ICE as inflammatory, amid calls to tone down rhetoric from figures like Omar.
Testimonials from California
At a November 2025 congressional hearing in Los Angeles, residents testified to raid trauma: "My children hide when they hear sirens now," said one mother, per The Guardian. A U.S. citizen detained mistakenly shared with the LA Times: "They treated me like a criminal because of my last name. These networks saved me by alerting lawyers." An NPR report quoted a Sacramento resident: "Social media alerts from these groups kept us indoors during checkpoints—it's community survival."
DHS Countermeasures: Surge and Standoffs
DHS, under Secretary Kristi Noem, has ramped up enforcement, defending the Minneapolis shooting as "self-defense" and labeling resistance "domestic terrorism."
Agents have used pepper spray and detained protesters, while penalizing non-cooperative businesses, like a Minnesota hotel blacklisted for refusing ICE lodging. In California, over 100 agents were deployed to Bay Area bases in October 2025.
DOJ and FBI Probes: Targeting "Terroristic Interference"
The FBI opened domestic terrorism investigations into anti-ICE activities in 23 regions by December 2025, per a Guardian report, focusing on groups obstructing deportations. In Minnesota, the FBI assumed control of the Good shooting probe, blocking state access to evidence. Similar scrutiny extends to California networks, with Trump vowing RICO probes into alleged funders.
The Insurrection Threshold: Could Trump Invoke the Act?
Trump has signaled readiness to use the 1792 Insurrection Act for deportations, as in the LA protests where he deployed Guard troops. Legal experts note it applies to "unlawful combinations" obstructing laws, but peaceful resistance may not qualify, risking court challenges. With Minnesota tensions rising—protests planned and schools closed—escalation could provide pretext, though critics warn of overreach. The coordinated use of the term "legal observer" in left-leaning media and activist narratives regarding Renee Nicole Good's death appears strategic, framing her actions as protected monitoring under the First Amendment rather than obstruction. This terminology, echoed across outlets like NBC News, The Independent, and progressive X accounts (e.g., from the American Communist Party and Immigrant Legal Resource Center), is critiqued as a "leftist linguistic incantation" without legal standing, potentially designed to invoke protections against suppression of assembly and complicate Act deployment by portraying incidents as rights violations rather than unlawful interference. Ironically, many of those same sites will acknowledge that the individual was using her vehicle to block ICE agents, which is not part of being a "legal observer".
Conclusion: A Nation Divided
These networks represent community resilience against perceived overreach, yet they fuel federal backlash, with evidence pointing to funded coordination, political leadership ties, and potential collusion amid Democratic support. As DHS pushes forward and investigations deepen, the line between protection and insurrection blurs, testing America's immigration divide.
