A Jewish Dem Voice from Minneapolis

It has been another difficult week, with a reign of chaos emanating from the White House, and – in this particular moment – it’s critical to hear from those on the ground in Minnesota. Within JDCA, there’s no one with a better perspective than JDCA Board Member and Minneapolis native Beth Kieffer Leonard, who has written today’s email and Substack to share her firsthand experience – the despair and fear, but more importantly, the strength of community. At JDCA, we stand with Beth and the people of Minnesota, and we know that any of our states, cities, or communities could be next. With that, I am honored to turn today’s email over to Beth…

The events of the past few months in Minnesota have tested us in ways we never could have imagined. While we are accustomed to frigid temperatures, we are not accustomed to attacks on members of our community. We have always been a state known for being ‘Minnesota Nice’ and definitely not a place where fear, violence, or volatility is the norm. When an administration focused on petty grievances and political retribution turned its sights on the people of Minnesota and masked agents invaded our streets, we only knew how to do one thing. Stand together.

Across our great state, our neighbors, friends, children, employees, and colleagues are genuinely afraid to leave their homes to go to school, work, or the grocery store. This is not an abstract concern happening in a distant time or location. It is a lived reality that has spread to every corner of Minnesota. From staging areas for ICE in local parks to shopping centers and playgrounds, no place is immune to or safe from ICE.

And yet, even as fear has spread, something remarkable has taken hold: the power of Minnesotans to stand together.

Minnesotans are doing what Minnesotans do best – showing up for one another. Parents are patrolling schools and providing escorts to make sure students and families feel safe. People are organizing protests and risking their safety outside of hotels where ICE agents are believed to be staying, using whistles and drums to remind the agents terrorizing our state that they do not get to rest peacefully at night while Minnesotans are gripped with fear.

In countless neighborhoods, people are doing what they can, even in subzero weather, to protect each other. People are tracking ICE’s movements to warn others. Volunteers are organizing neighborhood watch groups, and others are delivering food, diapers, and other essentials to those afraid to leave their homes to shop. The bravery of the people of Minnesota is a testament to who we are when the stakes are high and when our collective safety is under threat, as it has been in recent weeks.

For some, this fight has become intensely personal. My friend, a local business owner, has driven fearful employees to work at 4:00 a.m. and taken them home to ensure their safety late at night. Others are sleeping in storage rooms and makeshift safe spaces rather than returning to their homes, where they are no longer safe. Every business and every family seems to be touched by what is happening, and no corner of our community is immune to the negative impact – social and economic – of this takeover by ICE.

And make no mistake – this crisis is far from over. Each day brings more uncertainty: more raids, more protests, more families wondering what comes next.

I don’t know where it ends. I don’t know which communities and cities will be targeted next. I do know that we, the people, are the only thing standing in the way of this unhinged administration. Our state flag is adorned with the North Star – hopefully, we can be that for the country. I am hopeful our strength and determination to stand together will help other communities who may be next.

As a Jewish American at this moment, I can’t help but think of Hillel’s questions: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

If we do not act on our Jewish values of welcoming the stranger and defending the vulnerable now, then when will we? Last week, hundreds of clergy from across the nation stood in subzero temperatures to protest, and around 100 were arrested for acting on conscience and faith, including a local Rabbi. It was a stark reminder that our collective resolve and unity are our greatest strengths, and that communities can and must stand together to defend human dignity, safety, and justice.

At JDCA, we are committed to providing Jewish Americans with ways to create political change that will hold ICE accountable and to fight back against Trump’s authoritarian agenda. Thousands of Jewish Americans have already sent nearly 10,000 letters to members of Congress, calling on them to hold Trump accountable, support the impeachment of Kristi Noem, and oppose increased funding for ICE in the absence of safeguards and credible investigations. We hope you’ll join us, especially as Congress is determining the path forward on ICE funding as we speak.

This fight is not just for Minnesotans – it’s for all of us. Every one of us who believes that dignity is universal, that fear of our government should never be normalized, and that our Jewish values demand we protect the vulnerable and stand with those on the front lines defending our democracy.

We are fighting for all of us, and your support means everything. I encourage you to stand with Minnesota by donating to organizations, activists, and families on the ground who need our support.

Beth Kieffer Leonard
JDCA Board Member, Minneapolis, MN