We Stand with Minneapolis

Vanessa Hall
5 hours ago
5 min read

Interlocked hands with American flag pattern, forming a unity symbol. Background shows the flag with stars. Represents solidarity.

4 Public Education Public Statement on ICE Activity

4 Public Education is committed to the safety, support, and physical and mental health of students, school staff and families. As such, we cannot sit by and ignore the federal overreach, bloodshed, and authoritarian chaos in Minneapolis (and other cities) and the impact it has on students and community.

In that city 3,000 ICE agents (five times larger than the local police department) are killing, arresting, gassing, terrifying, and assaulting protesting American citizens. All indications are that these heavy handed tactics are planned to come to other “blue” cities around the nation.

We grieve the loss of eight lives in 2026 due to ICE interactions, including Renee Good, mom of three, and Alex Pretti, Veteran’s Affairs Nurse and protector, while the federal government slanders their good names.

We offer sympathy to the families affected by unlawful and violent ICE tactics used against citizens and undocumented immigrants.

We send strength to those who are in the streets, courtrooms, and newsrooms both documenting and protesting these flagrant violations of constitutional rights.

It is unacceptable to hear that Minneapolis was targeted by the federal government for reasons unrelated to regulating “dangerous illegal” immigrants. Overwhelmingly, it has been shown that the Trump administration sent ICE troops to Minneapolis to retaliate against Governor Tim Walz, to address false allegations of daycare fraud by a far right influencer, to scare Americans into submission ahead of the mid-terms, as part of efforts to target democratic communities, and even to force Minnesota to hand over welfare and voting rolls to the federal government.

Our nation was founded on resistance to tyranny, and as we see the devastating consequences of the national descent into authoritarian rule, our nation is returning to its roots. U.S. history has been pockmarked with rebellion and resistance against a King, enslavement, Jim Crow laws, disenfranchisement of women, unjust wars, and more.

Protesters march with signs demanding equal rights, integrated schools, and decent housing. The mood is determined and peaceful.

Peaceful protest is how we can succeed; nevertheless, sometimes civil disobedience has turned violent. Historically, this violence mostly came from those opposed trying to enforce a status quo, no matter how un-American that status quo was:

Brave Americans who broke Fugitive Slave Laws to form the Underground Railroad to bring enslaved people to freedom.
Suffragettes were imprisoned and tortured at the Occoquan Workhouse for daring to protest in front of the White House for women' s voting rights in 1917.
Mississippi Freedom riders faced violent white mobs who tried to prevent the civil rights activists from desegregating public transport in 1961.
In 1965, Jimmie Lee Johnson was shot by a state trooper as he protected his mother–he died a week later–and the KKK killed James Reeb, a Unitarian Universalist minister, who was called to join his friend MLK Jr. for the march in Selma to demand voting rights for African Americans. These deaths galvanized the nation in support of their cause.
Unarmed college students were killed and wounded by the Ohio National Guard in 1970 for daring to protest expansion of the Vietnam War.

None of this should happen in the United States! Frankly, Minneapolis was not the beginning of this ICE violence and federal overreach, and it will not be the end.

Be a Helper

Also, you can empower yourself and help children at the same time by doing what you do naturally or what you do best. Some of us are protestors, some are video documenters, while others have social media reach and can share videos and calls to action. Some have money to donate to legal funds or food for immigrant neighbors sheltering from the ICE storm. Some carry signs while others write to their local officials, asking them to regulate ICE and end the madness.

Pick something you can and want to do, and join in the American pastime of rebellion and resistance. Please do it safely, but do it for yourself, your children, your neighbors, and your country.

As Mr. Rogers said, “Look for the helpers.” Never has that been more truthful than in Minnesota where teachers, school staff, union members, and neighbors have stepped up to take vital roles in the community to activate safety patrols in the streets, raise funds, and coordinate donation drives for families trapped by ICE actions. As one St. Paul union educator stated:

“This isn’t the work that we went to school for, but these students are like our kids. We love them and want to take care of them in any way we can…. If they need food, we’re going to feed them. If they need clean laundry, we’ll find a way to get it to them. This is the work in our hearts.”

Most of these resistance activities described above are adult activities, but include your children when safe. They can make signs, write letters, pack food and diapers, and fundraise with hot chocolate stands, if they want. Sometimes an activity can help them feel less afraid and more empowered, which is something we all need right now.

It is easy to feel helpless in this never-ending cycle of Trump-induced violence and trauma, but imagine being a child in the middle of the nonstop news of Minneapolis violence. Here is some brief advice available on how to offer emotional support to your children about the current chaos and violence:

Ask Questions: What they have already heard? What questions do they have?
Validate Feelings: Acknowledge that they may have feelings of fear, sadness, or confusion, and that these feelings are normal. Phrases like "don't be afraid" may feel like you are dismissing their fears.
Listen Actively: Make yourself fully available (i.e., put your phone away) to listen to their concerns without interruptions or lectures.
Be Honest but Simple: Give direct, age-appropriate information. Don’t overshare or give too many details, especially with young children.

4 Public Education has additional resources to share with your children about big feelings associated with current events, including a simple graphic, below. Please also view Ten Ways to Help Teens with Heavy Fears.