"Cory never expected he'd spend hours each day driving around after immigration agents, videotaping their moves. The south Minneapolis resident is not the type of person to do this, he said. The dangers of what he's doing, even after the killings of two observers, largely stay out of his mind when he's watching Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents even when he's gotten hit with pepper spray."
"In quieter moments, it occurs to him that agents likely know where he lives. Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old whom agents killed while he was filming them, 100% could have been me, Cory said. Still, he felt no choice but to step up. He had taken legal bystander training in November when other cities were experiencing ICE's crackdowns. And in early January, as more and more stories surfaced about people being taken by federal agents from their families, at bus stops, from their jobs,"
An organized grassroots movement in Minnesota mobilized tens of thousands to counter aggressive ICE deportation tactics. Volunteers patrol in cars, videotape agents, and provide safe rides to scared community members. Observers have faced pepper spray and lethal violence, as in Alex Pretti's killing while filming, prompting legal bystander training and increased vigilance. Participants monitor school drop-offs, deliver supplies to families avoiding detention, and fundraise for legal aid and rent. The resistance draws on civic engagement, labor unions, and a wide network of community-led groups to coordinate protection and mutual aid for immigrant neighbors.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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