In one south Minneapolis neighborhood, tragedy repeats but connection endures

"At a Mexican restaurant in south Minneapolis, a line forms as people wait to order. It feels relatively normal, except for one thing: the front door is locked. Customers lock and unlock it every time they come and go to keep the federal immigration enforcement agents who have been prevalent in the area from entering. "It's completely stressful and scary for everybody. It's terrible," says Marco, an immigrant who has been here for more than two decades and the owner of the restaurant."

"This restaurant was here back in 2020, when the neighborhood and particularly this thoroughfare filled with businesses was embroiled in protests and riots after the murder of George Floyd by a local police officer. Several buildings were burned to the ground. Marcos says that back then, neighbors helped patrol around his restaurant to keep it safe. "Now, with this situation with ICE, it's feeling kind of similar, or maybe worse," he says."

"South Minneapolis has found itself at the center of multiple tragedies over the years, from the murder of Floyd to the killing of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE officer earlier this month. Both incidents happened within blocks of each other. And while both have been hard on the people living here, neighbors say the events brought them closer together and helped them organize to respond."

South Minneapolis residents and businesses are responding to an increased federal immigration enforcement presence by locking doors and coordinating protection. A Mexican restaurant owner who has lived in the neighborhood for over twenty years keeps the entrance locked and asks for anonymity out of fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The neighborhood experienced major unrest in 2020 after George Floyd's murder, including burned buildings, and neighbors previously patrolled to protect businesses. A recent killing of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE officer occurred nearby. Neighbors report that repeated tragedies have strengthened community bonds and spurred organizing and mutual protection.

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