ምድብ:ማስታወቂያ
In late 2025 and early 2026, federal immigration enforcement descended on Minnesota in what became the largest operation of its kind in United States history. Operation Metro Surge upended daily life, with immigrants and refugees bearing the most direct and devastating consequences. Detention, family separation, lost income, and displacement were not abstractions. They were the conditions under which thousands of community members organized, protected one another, and captured global attention with their resolve.
The community response was not spontaneous. Immigrant- and refugee-led networks carried core leadership, both during the crisis and through years of preparation before it. Mutual aid scaled overnight. Legal observation, rapid information sharing, cross-network coordination, and broad community participation made collective action possible. Faith leaders, small businesses, neighbors, foundation leaders, and elected officials worked alongside community-rooted organizations. What unfolded in Minnesota offers a window into what civic infrastructure looks like when it is built before crisis hits, and what it takes to sustain it.
This article series for Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) brings together foundation leaders from Minnesota, Chicago, and Los Angeles, community partners on the frontlines, and a mutual aid organizer to reflect on what happened and what the field can learn. Contributors share lessons about civic infrastructure, mutual aid, democracy, and the role of philanthropy in moments when fundamental rights and community well-being are under threat. The series is grounded in the experiences of those most impacted while drawing broader lessons for communities and funders nationwide.
All illustrations in the series are by Mike Hoyt, manager of the McKnight Community-Engaged Artist Fellowship at Pillsbury House + Theatre and a 2014 McKnight Visual Artist. Read an interview with Mike on his experience during Operation Metro Surge and the role of artists in spurring social and cultural change.
The Gyms on the Corners
By Neeraj Mehta
Recognition, distortion, and the organizing infrastructure behind Minnesota’s response to Operation Metro Surge.
Resilience Is Built Before the Crisis
By Francisco Segovia & Carolina Ortiz
How immigrant-led networks create community defense.
Giving Can Be Simple (And During a Crisis, It Must Be)
By Ashley Fairbanks
When the village cannot wait, philanthropy must learn from community.
Protecting Our Neighbors
By JaNaé Bates Imari & Lilly Sasse
Building power in communities now will protect them from the next threat to democracy.
No City Stands Alone
By Tonya Allen, John Palfrey & Miguel Santana
Lessons from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis on defending our neighbors and democracy.
Minnesotans Are Showing Up With Heart
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