What Minnesotans are saying about Trump’s immigration crackdown

For days, the people of Minneapolis have been expressing outrage over the shooting death of Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents conducting an immigration crackdown in the city.

Some of them have spoken to CBC News correspondent Katie Simpson and producer Yasmine Hassan about their reaction to the shooting, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to send more than 2,000 Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officers to Minnesota.

Here is what a few of them have had to say.

Ashley Watson

Ashley Watson, a former member of the U.S. military, says she is proud of her country but that the Trump administration does not reflect the American people.

“I’ve seen ICE in our streets on a regular basis for months now. Our community has been terrorized by them,” said Watson.

She brought a U.S. flag to the vigil outside the Veterans Affairs hospital where Pretti had worked as an ICU nurse.

Watson says she hung the flag to appear backwards, in keeping with Army regulations that require the flag patch on a uniform’s right shoulder to give the effect of flying in the breeze as the soldier moves forward into battle.

“It’s my protest to ICE and it’s my encouragement to our community,” Watson said.

“So the stars and stripes are going forward because we’re going to be pressing on and we’re going to win this,” she said. “We’re going to get through this; I know we are.”

Joel Lueders

Joel Lueders was also standing outside the hospital where Pretti had worked.

“I just had to come out here because I have so much anger and sadness inside me,” Lueders said. “I know other people feel the same way.”

He held a sign bearing one word: “Hope.”

“I hope cooler heads prevail,” Lueders said. “Set immigration aside; this is all about enforcement that’s just been done completely wrong.”

Lueders was asked for his message to people outside of the U.S.

“I want you to know that some of us out here are really trying,” he said. “Don’t give up on all of us.”

JP Pritchett

JP Pritchett owns Smitten Kitten, an adult store that has become a hub for distributing food and household essentials to families who fear shopping in public amid the raids.

“I think ‘white hot rage’ is a very apt description,” said Pritchett when asked how they are feeling in this moment.

“What do you even say about this?” Pritchett said in an interview at the shop.

“We have the United States government — behind badges and little vests that say ‘Police’ — murdering people in the streets and then lying about it,” they said.

“That offends every sensibility; that offends humanity at the most basic level. There aren’t words for it. I don’t have words for it.”

Tony Lott

Tony Lott, a 56-year-old who teaches international relations at a liberal arts college, was among those demonstrating outside the Whipple Building, the federal facility where ICE takes many of its detainees.

“What we’re seeing right now on the streets of Minneapolis and around the state of Minnesota just makes me cry,” Lott said.

“I just can’t believe we’re in a situation where the federal government is trying to occupy one of our happy, Midwestern cities,” he said.

Lott says he sees something positive in how the community has reacted to the ICE enforcement push.

“I’m so happy to be a Minnesotan. It’s just fun to watch Minnesotans peacefully resist this occupation,” he said.

Jennifer Arnold

Jennifer Arnold is executive director of United Renters for Justice, a non-profit tenants’ rights group.

Arnold told CBC News Network’s Hillary Johnstone on Tuesday that her home in Minneapolis is near where Pretti was killed.

“My entire family went outside with candles at 7 p.m. and sang songs on the street corner with many, many of our neighbours,” Arnold said.

“We sang about our peacefulness and our resolve and our pain and sadness about all that we have lost.”

Arnold says the loss is not just about Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, the mother of three shot to death by an ICE agent earlier in January.

“It’s also all the community members who have been disappeared that we still haven’t gotten back.”