Danny Powerstorm walks by the spot where ICE agents were idling for more than an hour Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
Apple Valley, a name that suggests plentitude and beauty, is among the south Twin Cities suburbs that in recent years has become home to a growing number of immigrant families seeking opportunity, space and relative quiet. Latino, Somali, Southeast Asian and other immigrant households make up the fabric of neighborhoods, filled with minivans and soccer nets and manicured lawns.
A recent Monday morning school dropoff at Cedar Park Elementary school well before sunrise seemed quiet and predictable enough, but the soft, low conversations among parents carried more weight than usual…