Consider This from NPR: "What's Really Happening in Minnesota?"

Air Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Scott Detrow
Guests/Reporters: Jasmine Garsd and Kat Lonsdorf

Episode Overview

This episode examines the escalating federal immigration enforcement campaign in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its sweeping impacts on the city’s residents and communities. Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR reporters Jasmine Garsd and Kat Lonsdorf, who have been on the ground, documenting personal stories, local resistance, and growing tension as ICE operations become increasingly aggressive. The episode explores both the human costs of the crackdown and the widespread, grassroots responses emerging throughout Minneapolis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Scope and Intensity of ICE Operations

• Increased Federal Presence: The federal government's campaign to arrest undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis has grown "bigger, more aggressive, more intense," with at least 2,500 agents currently on the ground—an unprecedented scale for a city the size of Minneapolis.
  • Jasmine Garsd (02:38):

    "I think I was surprised by the scope of the campaign In Minneapolis... there are at least 2,500 agents on the ground here. So the scope is really something like we haven't seen."

• Actions and Consequences: Individuals such as Renee Macklin Goode have been killed, and children have been detained. Family members and children live in fear and isolation.
  • Host (00:00):

    "Renee Macklin Goode has been shot and killed. Children have been detained. And the federal government's campaign... has only grown bigger."

Widespread Community Resistance and Solidarity

• Massive Protests and Closures: Thousands took to the streets, and over 600 local businesses closed in solidarity with immigrants (00:15–00:36).
  • Mary Vavres, Resident (00:36):

    "Everybody is all in on this project because, you know, it's them today, but it could be anybody next. And so we should... be as strong a front as we can possibly be."

• Underground Networks: A significant portion of the resistance is taking place through underground channels—especially due to the harsh winter. Residents organize rides, deliver groceries, and support one another via encrypted communication apps and informal networks.
  • Kat Lonsdorf (03:29):

    "They're really connected in this kind of underground way through these signal chats, these huge networks. You know, people are getting up early to drive teachers to school... delivering groceries, reworking all their schedules just to... help their neighbors."

Hostility to the ICE Operation

• Virtual Consensus of Opposition: Neither reporter encountered significant local support for ICE's actions; even those who previously backed Trump are now opposed due to the impact on their city and communities.
  • Jasmine Garsd (04:25):

    "It's hard to overstate how widespread the animosity towards this operation is. People in Minnesota, Minneapolis, are not happy about this."

  • Kat Lonsdorf, on immigrant Uber driver (04:35):

    "He said, no, absolutely not. He hates what's happening in the city right now."

Profound Anxiety and Changes to Daily Life

• Family Isolation: Many families, including U.S. citizens, are effectively trapped in their homes. Children are pulled out of school; even citizens are living in fear of ICE raids.
  • Kat Lonsdorf (05:13):

    "Her 8 year old son was going to school, but recently they pulled him out... she told me that her 4 year old daughter... has not left the house since late November or early December. That's almost two weeks."

• Human Cost: The psychological toll on children, families, and the broader community is pronounced; people are afraid to do even the most basic things, like letting their children play outdoors.

The Growing Volunteer Response

• Volunteer Networks: Community members of all ages, including elderly residents, are volunteering to protect their neighbors, even under adverse weather conditions.
  • Jasmine Garsd (06:13):

    "I stood with these volunteers who were standing in the blustering wind to protect their neighbors who wanted to pray. And their age ranges were 69 to 81. And I think the story of Minneapolis is the story of neighbors organizing to protect neighbors."

  • Volunteer, via Jasmine (06:45):

    "I don't feel like I have a choice. I feel like this is my only choice."

Escalating Tactics and Legal Concerns

• More Aggressive Policing: ICE operations are becoming "heavier handed," with apparent disregard for judicial oversight.
  • Jasmine Garsd (07:29):

    "We're now seeing... a memo that was leaked that agents can go into people's homes without a judicial warrant... There is now talk of the Insurrection Act."

• Alarming Precedents: The situation is distinctly not static; the tactics are intensifying, contributing to a heightened atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Community Solidarity:
  Mary Vavres (00:36):

  "Everybody is all in on this project because, you know, it's them today, but it could be anybody next."

• No Local Support for ICE:
  Jasmine Garsd (04:25):

  "It's hard to overstate how widespread the animosity towards this operation is."

• Impact on Children:
  Kat Lonsdorf (05:59):

  "Has not left the house. Not playing in the backyard, not walking the family dog. She has not left the house."

• Desperation and Agency:
  Volunteer, via Jasmine Garsd (06:45):

  "I don't feel like I have a choice. I feel like this is my only choice."

• Escalation Warning:
  Jasmine Garsd (07:29):

  "This isn't a static situation. This is a situation which, as a reporter who's been covering this for the last year, feels like it is devolving."

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–00:36: Overview of ICE operation, community response, and local impacts
• 02:18–03:27: Reporters’ initial observations and surprise at the scope of the federal campaign
• 03:29–04:25: How resistance is organized in Minneapolis, both public and underground
• 04:25–05:13: Lack of local support for ICE measures; shifting opinions among immigrants
• 05:13–06:06: Personal stories illustrating daily fear and psychological impact
• 06:13–07:10: The nature, scale, and moral drive of grassroots volunteer efforts
• 07:29–08:28: The escalating, aggressive tactics of ICE and warnings for the future

Tone and Language

The episode is matter-of-fact yet charged with emotion, reflecting the urgency of the crisis and the deep community commitment being displayed in Minneapolis. There is a clear sense of alarm regarding the direction of federal enforcement tactics and empathy for the individuals and families experiencing life-altering fear.

Conclusion

This installment of Consider This offers a vivid, on-the-ground portrait of a city under strain from unprecedented federal immigration enforcement. It underscores the deep community ties and cross-demographic resistance that have emerged in response, as well as the increasingly aggressive approach of federal authorities. Through firsthand interviews and reflection, the episode highlights both the lived experiences of affected families and the moral resolve of ordinary Minnesotans standing in solidarity with their neighbors.