The stories and images coming out of Minneapolis during the ICE occupation of the city have been overwhelming. But in the face of the horrors residents have had to endure, there is inspiration, as communities have come together to stand against oppression. Jennifer Bendery is a senior political reporter with HuffPost and joined Susan J. Demas to outline the fear and hope she’s been reporting on coming from the Twin Cities.
While it’s a relief that Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old boy who ICE used as bait to catch his father, have both been released from the Dilley detention center in Texas, Bendery notes his neighborhood remains on edge. “The thing that I would say about Liam and his school district is that this school district is operating at DEFCON 5 all the time. They have, as of today, they have four other children still in that facility.”
However, in the face of threats and harassment, Bendery notes this is a community that won’t quit to help each other. “This is a daily involved, very coordinated effort that the folks in this community have really [set up] ... they are on it.”
She also paints a terrifying picture about what she witnessed in the immediate aftermath of Alex Pretti’s murder at the hands of border agents.
“There’s people coughing with runny eyes, running away. Flashbangs are going off and you just put it all together. Yes, it felt like a war zone. And then you look at the people running away and you’re like, except these are like people’s grandparents and moms out here. There’s young like college age kids out there who are just some of the folks I talked to were just kept saying the same thing. They’re like, ‘I’m just in shock. I can’t believe this is happening.’”
Despite these horrors, there are glimmers of optimism from the people in Minneapolis. “There’s this very clear emphasis on remembering to find joy. They’re not going, people there are like, we are, we’re not going to let them steal our joy,” notes Bendery.
Catch more of this conversation between Jennifer Bendery and Susan J. Demas, including her thoughts on the state of journalism and the what’s happening on Capitol Hill, right here on Lincoln Square.
