Kathleen McQuillan

For decades, after pouring my first cup of coffee, my morning ritual has included tuning the radio to 92.5 FM at the top of the hour to catch news headlines from National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. I’ve known that’s not always the most uplifting way to start my day, but I’ve always felt compelled to hear what’s happened overnight. In recent weeks however, the headlines have become close to intolerable with a never-ending stream of depressing updates on the ICE raids on Minneapolis.
As we all probably know by now, ICE is the acronym for the 3,000 federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement assigned to detain and deport undocumented immigrants in Minnesota. Between ICE and the CPB (short for Customs and Border Protection) the Twin Cities are literally under siege. Constant reporting of civil rights violations and incidents involving excessive use of force by federal agents have shaded my vision of the world. An ever-present anxiety has become my new normal. Mix that up with anger, fear, and deep sorrow and you get such strong waves of grief that they’ll sometimes threaten to capsize my boat. And no one knows what will stop these rogue enforcers from inflicting their terroristic illegal search and seizures, brutal beatings, and lethal shootings. Helplessness and despair, combined with a ton of traumatic grief is a recipe for psychological breakdown. Amazingly, residents of the Twin Cities have instead reacted with courageous solidarity and chosen to peacefully resist.
Most people develop adequate coping skills to weather the everyday strains of daily existence, and at times much higher levels of distress — but nothing like that of Operation Metro Surge. We’ve been able to watch from a distance and imagine some of the intense emotion sweeping across the metropolitan area, but since the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, we’ve been engulfed with overwhelming amounts of horror, anger, and grief. These emotions are not totally foreign. Through life, we inevitably encounter them and develop understanding and skills that help us cope effectively. But when we are constantly exposed to trauma, either directly or as secondary victims, our coping mechanisms can be overwhelmed and rendered ineffective. I believe many of us are experiencing just that without realizing what is happening. Nearly everyone I meet complains of too many sleepless nights, greater inability to concentrate, or focus attention long enough to complete a task. And they’re not finding relief in activities that used to bring us pleasure and diversion from our busy lives.
Operation Metro Surge has created a tsunami of psychological distress all across our state. Surrounded by an environment of terror, the people of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding communities are experiencing wave upon wave of loss. The loss of their sense of safety, the security of their daily routines, and for some, their livelihoods. Random assaults on people while standing at bus stops, driving their cars, leaving stores and restaurants, going to work or school, to clinics or church, or even court houses where immigrants and others are required to report, are designed to inflict terror and strip away any sense of normalcy. And now, with so many too fearful to leave their homes, their main concern may be how to protect their families from being separated.
Our country is in chaos. Opposing forces are battling for our attention and our collective conscience. The Fed’s strategy is explicit. “Flood the zone.” Bombard us with sounds and images of unrelenting mayhem, and our truth will be drowned out. We’ll have no safe place to regroup, rally our defenses, or protect our internal and communal resources. By perpetuating turbulence, these interlopers seek to weaken our resolve and our ability to know when and how to resist. When we aren’t sleeping well at night and are consumed with anger, fear, and distress by day, it becomes harder for us to keep up standing up to their pressure. The struggle between peaceful protest and ICE enforcement becomes a chicken fight, a test of who can sustain the longest.
Here’s where we must give ourselves permission to briefly pause, take a few deep breaths, and remember we’re not alone. Minnesotans have been subjected to shock and awe before. We’ve had practice and proven that we can survive. We just have to hold together, believe in ourselves, and recognize the amazing network we continue to create.
One cold night in January, over 70 people gathered in the tiny town of Soudan to share their feelings and express their commitment to protect our northern Minnesota communities from a possible invasion of ICE agents. If the analogy works, that life is like a river, then the water’s running high right now, threatening at times to drown us. But people are mobilized and determined. With extraordinary leaders at our state and local levels, we’re getting good guidance and ample inspiration. Dozens of people in our local communities are already volunteering to foster mutual aid to each other whenever needs arise. We’re showing how much we care.
If you aren’t involved yet, look for where you can be, and don’t delay. The third No King’s Rally is scheduled for March 28. Check out the Northern Progressives Newsletter (on Facebook) for details. It’ll be an opportunity to demand an end to the ICE occupation of our state and stand together to defend our democracy, our freedoms and justice for all.
Volunteering is positive action and good for our mental health. Find an organization where you can give some of your time. Your local food shelf and mutual aid networks are great places to start. And check out the newly formed Cook Area Neighbors Network (CANN) on Facebook.
Despite our anger and grief, we remain committed to peace. Let’s keep speaking out with confidence and courage, rallying to keep our communities safe.