On Saturday evening, East Side residents are set to ring the frozen edge of Lake Phalen with small lights, arranging them on the snow to spell out “MN > ICE” with a Hmong heart symbol glowing at the center. Organizers describe the gathering as a peaceful neighborhood memorial and protest after weeks of federal immigration enforcement that have rattled communities across the Twin Cities. The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and is expected to draw neighbors from Payne-Phalen and surrounding areas.
Why are neighbors gathering
As reported by the Pioneer Press, organizer Nelsie Yang is coordinating East Side residents to “shine lights” across Lake Phalen as a symbolic response to federal immigration operations. The action focuses on what local officials have dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” which city and state leaders say has brought thousands of Department of Homeland Security agents to the region since December. The State of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt the operation, according to the City of Minneapolis.
Deaths and detentions that sparked the action
The demonstration comes in the wake of two fatal encounters between federal immigration officers and local residents that intensified protests across the Twin Cities: the shooting death of Renée Good on January 7 and the killing of Alex Pretti on January 24. The January 7 incident in Minneapolis was reported by CBS News, while The Washington Post detailed the January 24 shooting of Pretti and the protests that followed.
Organizers and the neighborhood
Yang describes Payne-Phalen as “one of the most culturally diverse communities in the state” and says the lights are meant to signal local solidarity with people affected by enforcement actions. The Pioneer Press notes neighborhood demographics of roughly 45% Asian, 14% Black and 9% Latino, and reports that volunteers intend to lay out the lights to spell “MN > ICE” with a Hmong heart symbol at the center.
Legal fallout and city response
The Lake Phalen event follows a federal lawsuit filed by Attorney General Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, who argue that the surge has caused widespread harm and civil-rights violations, according to the City of Minneapolis. Saint Paul officials have also moved to limit where federal agents can operate in the city. Mayor Kaohly Her signed an ordinance this week intended to protect city-owned spaces from being used for federal operational activity, per the City of Saint Paul.
What to expect on Saturday
Organizers are asking participants to bring small battery-powered lights and to keep the event peaceful, with a focus on the visual display rather than any confrontation. The plan is for a brief, neighbor-led gathering that starts at 5 p.m. and wraps up after the lights are arranged, giving residents a shared moment to show support for immigrant communities affected by recent enforcement actions…