Each city receiving the surge of federal enforcement officers has responded uniquely, with its own distinctive character.
In L.A., bike riders bought out street vendors’ entire inventory so they could safely close up early and get off the streets. Residents also showed up at detention centers to monitor and bear witness, setting a precedent for other cities. Was it dangerous? Yes. Was it important resistance? Yes.
Washington, D.C. rallied around its own unlikely icon: a submarine sandwich. The act of defiance by the original sandwich-thrower became street art, elevating it into the city’s collective spirit. This spirit had built for months, as Free DC formed networks that transformed into organized resistance when federal agents arrived. The city made its position clear through marches and walkouts, weaving calls for statehood throughout.
South Carolina embraced the “Bless Your Heart” campaign—because just as DHS names each surge operation, the resistance names itself, too. From early warning systems to protective measures for the vulnerable, a palpable sense of relief spread when the surge departed sooner than anticipated.
Portland embraced street theater, expressing its character through inflatable frogs and whimsical costumes. Will we ever see these props the same way again? Portlanders elevated nonviolent resistance, diffusing tension through music, dance, and disarming characters who starkly contrasted the violence displayed by uniformed, masked agents.
It seemed impossible for Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul to be more creative, yet they were. Their resistance was sustained and deliberate, using whistle brigades, mutual aid, grocery deliveries, faith-based activism, and bystander intervention trainings. Minneapolis showed the power of intensified community organizing after George Floyd’s murder. News footage shows noise brigades targeting hotels with DHS personnel. Schools shifted to online learning to protect students. There has also been a surge of support for Somali community members.
Across these cities, residents have shown resolve and exposed the gap between official claims and reality. The harsh enforcement is not about immigration control or deportation. It is about feeding the detention infrastructure built during recent decades. For example, operations focus on Minnesota, which has a relatively small immigrant population, while bypassing Texas and Florida—states with higher migrant populations that are governed by members of the administration’s party. Rather than emptying existing detention centers, where presumably many of the “worst of the worst” are held after conviction, authorities add facilities and fill them, enriching private operators.
Immigrant leaders emphasize two critical priorities: shutting down detention centers—sites of documented abuse with blocked Congressional oversight—and letting immigrant communities define their needs instead of having solutions imposed on them. A Baltimore immigrant rights organization, for instance, noted that the cacophony of whistle brigades could trigger traumatic memories of the violence their community members fled. Genuine solidarity means providing support in the forms most needed, not necessarily in the ways allies assume would be helpful.
While news coverage captures the anger and defiance of marches and rallies—such as “ICE Out for Good” (honoring Renee Good, a woman shot and killed in her car in Minneapolis)—many affected communities are struggling to survive. They face the challenges of paying for rent, utilities, and childcare, meeting other basic needs, and working without fear of detention. The emotional and social experiences are fundamentally different. This gap isn’t insurmountable, but bridging it requires compassion, attentiveness, and dedicated effort.
Some of the most vital work now is witnessing, documenting, and preserving information for future accountability. As experienced advocates pushing for demilitarized policing, we see the truth: reform is not enough. We must dismantle oppressive systems and build new ones that humanize everyone.
