Former Cook County residents describe life in Minneapolis amid federal ICE presence

Before leaving her home near Portland Avenue and 38th St. in south Minneapolis, Breanna Kealy checks social media and neighborhood group chats to map out where large concentrations of federal agents and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity are in the city.

She then crafts a route to run errands, visit Costco, or pick up her kids from school activities that avoid those areas and any potential confrontation.

“I think on a day-to-day basis, it is kind of us planning, where should we go today?” said Kealy.

Kealy, a former Cook County resident who has lived in Minneapolis for many years, is among many navigating the increased presence of federal officers in the metro area. Federal officers and ICE agents have been active across the Twin Cities since December, part of what the Department of Homeland Security says is Operation Metro Surge, a major immigration enforcement operation in the region. More than 2,000 federal officers are in the Twin Cities area.

“There are many, many, many agents here, and many of us in Minneapolis feel unsafe due to that,” Kealy said.

She said the federal presence extends well beyond a single neighborhood, reaching across the city and into surrounding suburbs. “So it’s important to know the scale of the operation that’s happening.”

Nearly two weeks ago, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good. The shooting was approximately three blocks from Kealy’s home.

Since the shooting and other federal officer interactions, Kealy said, there has been a significant increase in “community response” within her immediate neighborhood and the surrounding area. Neighbors are showing up at schools for arrivals and dismissals to observe or to escort teachers or children. “That’s been a big thing,” she said.

Many parents like Kealy are having safety talks with their children about what to do if they are in an area where immigration enforcement is taking place. “And also what she needs to do if any of her friends are harmed,” she said.

Several Minneapolis school systems are offering remote learning for children and families that might feel unsafe to travel to school.

DHS, which oversees ICE and the Border Patrol, have said their agents are not targeting schools, according to Reuters.

Kealy said neighborhood group chats have become a key way for residents to alert each other to ICE activity and share real-time information about where federal agents have been spotted.

The increased presence of federal officers across the Twin Cities has left many Minneapolis residents fearful of leaving their homes.

“I think the biggest thing is that people are very fearful to leave their homes for multiple reasons,” Kealy said. “It’s not just somebody who’s an immigrant who’s fearful to leave their homes; there are many people who are fearful.”

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Breanna Kealy, a former Cook County resident who has lived in Minneapolis for many years, about her observations and experiences living in the city amid the increased presence of federal officers. Kealy also works for a Minneapolis-based resource center and shares insight into how her professional work has been impacted. The audio from the interview is below.

Breanna Kealy

Not far from Kealy’s neighborhood, former Cook County resident Kelly McKenzie said she has had similar experiences and observations.

McKenzie describes the situation in the Minneapolis area right now as “worrisome” and “concerning.”

She has seen multiple ICE interactions in her neighborhood, and recently said a friend, who is a U.S. citizen, was detained after filming agents from approximately 30 feet away without provoking them.

Similar to Kealy, McKenzie said she participates in group chats and scrolls social media to assess ICE activity in a certain area. When taking her son to an occupational therapy appointment, it is not uncommon to see ICE agents conducting investigations or apprehensions. She said she tries her best to distract the kids if they see ICE activity and is intentional about avoiding areas where checkpoints or stops are set up.

“It’s like being on red alert all the time,” McKenzie said.

To deal with the increased anxiety, McKenzie said she focuses on mental health coping skills, deep breaths, and remembering that nothing lasts forever, and that “I can show up as my best self in the moment and that needs to be good enough.”

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Kelly McKenzie, a former Cook County resident who has lived in Minneapolis for many years, about her observations and experiences living in the city amid the increased presence of federal officers. McKenzie shares insight into the conversations she has with her children, her family, and friends. The audio from the interview is below.

Kelly McKenzie

Kalli Hawkins January 20, 2026