The Trump administration has flooded Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota with federal agents as part of its immigration crackdown, Operation Metro Surge — detaining children , intimidating protestors and community organizers, and killing multiple people .
Minnesotans have responded with mass community-level resistance, including mutual aid and tracking ICE operations, despite threats and surveillance — including through systems built by tech companies like Clearview AI and Palantir. Backlash to the crackdown spread online after the January 24th killing of Alex Pretti, including among hobbyist communities and typically apolitical influencers.