The hypervigilant filming of ICE has amazed me over the past couple months. I spoke with independent reporters (national and local) about livestreaming Operation Metro Surge -- why it's important, and why it attracts freaks like Jake Lang.

Minnesota prosecutors demand evidence from federal government in Alex Pretti killing minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/18/m...

what's been interesting about having a baby in daycare is experiencing all the different types of colds there are. i used to think a cold was a cold, but now i really appreciate the unique contours of every virus

ProPublica published children's letters and drawings documenting their sadness and suffering at Dilley. And Dilley staff are now retaliating by confiscating kids' letters and drawings. www.sacurrent.com/news/san-ant...

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce says it will advocate for federal immigration reform minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/18/m...

Minnesota Legislature gavels in, honors Melissa Hortman, absent for first time in 20 years.

“Since I got to this Center all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression.” Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility www.propublica.org/article/ice-...

Journalist Georgia Fort pleads not guilty to felony charges stemming from church protest minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/17/j...

‼️ www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Minnesota House Republican leaders don’t want to talk about immigration enforcement.

FBI won’t provide Minnesota investigators with evidence in Alex Pretti killing, state says minnesotareformer.com/briefs/fbi-w...

Partisan politics will likely impede significant legislation minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/16/w...

Victims of shoddy care providers said they are now suffering from state’s crackdown on Integrated Community Supports, with some losing their access to housing as payments are withheld. minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/16/m...

Ian Davis Austin was first arrested after protesting at the Federal Whipple Building (spokesman-recorder.com/2026/02/04/i...). He was released hours later without his phone. Agents got him in for a second interview and that's when they got him to unlock his phone, Austin said last Thursday:

On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast. The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me. But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.

Greater Minnesota, too: ‘Not the same town anymore:’ ICE surge hit businesses in Worthington, where 1 in 3 are immigrants minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/13/n...

US senators denounce immigration agents’ use of force in deadly Minneapolis shootings www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-s...

Rand Paul: "I see not even a hint here of anything aggressive on [Pretti's] part. I don't think this should take months and months. There needs to be a conclusion ... the public needs to know, if I go to a protest and shout something at people, could I be killed?"

An interesting bit in Border Czar Homan's news conference today is he touted more than 200 arrests under USC 111 (assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers). That figure would include this 76-year-old who was pepper sprayed in the face for yelling at an agent

Why is ICE seizing people’s phones and documents? minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/12/w...

Mission Accomplished: Border Czar Tom Homan announces end to Operation Metro Surge, claiming success minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/12/b...

Border Czar Tom Homan announces end to Operation Metro Surge, claiming success minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/12/b...

These posts right next to one another, by @atrupar.com and @maxnesterak.bsky.social (with a special appearance by @froomkin.bsky.social).

In the Twin Cities, churches have become lifelines for their immigrant congregants. As immigrant families hide at home, their pastors and fellow church-goers bring them groceries and gather money to pay their rent. I wrote about it:

A 76-year-old veteran and nurse was tackled and detained at the site of Alex Pretti's killing. Agents told him his phone was evidence in an investigation into him assaulting an officer. “I didn’t assault an officer. I got assaulted by three officers." minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/12/w...

An agent told the teen to call her family and ask them to pick her up. But the agent said that if they came, ICE would send the entire family to Texas. The girl writes “My family decided not to come and pick me up as a result of this threat. ICE decided to take me to a hotel.” tinyurl.com/3nkf9sbd

The Ford worker who heckled Trump during a visit to the company's plant still has his job and "has no discipline on his record," a union official said

Minnesota state employee union opens investigation into recently departed president minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/09/m...

It's always interesting to see which Super Bowl team Jesus punishes.

Vice President JD Vance gets roundly booed at the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics. "Those are a lot of boos for him, whistling jeering," says the presenter. US athletes receive a warm welcome from fans, though.

such a pleasure to be on my favorite local podcast!! thanks for having us @jayboller.bsky.social and @racketmn.com

Two children from Liam Ramos' school who were detained by ICE have been released and are back in MN with their mother. Their Columbia Heights principal, who had to deliver the kids to Whipple last week (as described below), picked them up from the airport. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

Incredible dispatch from the GOP caucus in Clay County www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

Instead, it was about targeting immigrants who were (allegedly) squatting in the building. The building's property owner/manager gave consent for them to search the property. Nowhere in the arrest records is Tda mentioned. Here's our story: www.propublica.org/article/chic...

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell spent more than half the money he raised in his campaign for Minnesota governor last year buying copies of his autobiography.

How ICE is watching you minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/03/h...

Temporary legal status allowed for now for 350,000 Haitians as judge blasts Kristi Noem www.newsfromthestates.com/article/temp...

The Minnesota Department of Human Services is recruiting 168 people from the state government’s 40,000 employees to help the agency conduct unannounced site checks of Medicaid providers in order to combat fraud.

Planned Parenthood ends suit against Trump administration over serving Medicaid patients. Story by @jennifershutt.bsky.social www.newsfromthestates.com/article/plan...

No beds. No nurse. No answer on how many people in custody. U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison details what she saw at Whipple over the weekend:

"When you get on the wrong side of an executive branch that controls military, paramilitary and other armed law enforcement agents, the Department of Justice that could and should be safeguarding rights can be turned into persecutors — not protectors. " minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/02/t...

Just experienced the most intense tear gassing of my life by federal officers outside the ICE facility in Portland where marchers gathered. There was no fast exit as they indiscriminately threw loads of gas and flash bangs. Children were in the crowd screaming. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com

In an interview with MPR News, Liam's mother gave an update on her son and her own safety. She said Liam asks again and again, “Mommy, why don’t you pick us up?” Or “Mommy, we don’t want to be here anymore. This place is ugly.”

UPDATED AS SENATE VOTES TO APPROVE THE DEAL: US Senate OKs spending deal, but partial shutdown still set to begin at midnight @jennifershutt.bsky.social @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-s...

They Asked for Donations to Buy $10 Burritos. They Raised More Than $10K. - racketmn.com/they-asked-f...

"Newly released files from DoJ show the pair making plans in 2012 and 2013 for the Tesla CEO to visit Epstein’s island " www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the killing of Minneapolis resident and ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.

Let’s all raise a glass of Herb Ertlinger’s fruit wine.

Department of Justice opens civil rights investigation into killing of Alex Pretti minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/30/d...