SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
The Department of Homeland Security says there are about 2,500 ICE agents on the ground in Minneapolis. The city is the latest target in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Last week, an agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Macklin Good, and ever since, there have been protests and heated confrontations across the city. NPR's Jasmine Garsd covers immigration, and she's on the ground in Minneapolis. Hi, Jasmine.
JASMINE GARSD, BYLINE: Hi, Sarah.
MCCAMMON: Just if you could, give us a picture. What does Minneapolis look like right now?
GARSD: So what's been really striking to me is how, today, the streets of Minneapolis are quiet and very empty, especially in immigrant neighborhoods. But on a lot of street corners, you'll see one or two people - civilians - patrolling the neighborhoods. They are watching for ICE agents. Now, I spent some time with some of those folks yesterday morning. They were standing watch outside a mosque that was having prayer. One woman I spoke to asked that we use her initials only, J.B., because she was really scared ICE might retaliate against her. J.B. is 69 years old. She was standing in the freezing temperatures. It was snowing. As you'll hear now, it was quite windy. And I asked why she chose to be out there.
JB: We don't have a choice. When I was a young person, I used to say to myself, why did the Germans sit there while the Nazis stepped in and took all the Jews away? Why did they do that? There comes a point where you don't have a choice but to be a voice for the right things and to counteract that darkness and evil with light.
MCCAMMON: So that's one protester there in Minneapolis. There have been protests every day. In fact, there was one you went to this afternoon. What did you see?
GARSD: A far-right anti-immigration activist planned an event in downtown Minneapolis. It was very small. There were maybe a few hundred people out there letting this activist know he was not welcome, but overall, small turnout, partly because days before this event, community chats and neighbors groups were telling each other, do not show up to this. Don't take the bait. And that really speaks to how organized Minnesotans are. It also speaks to a sense out here that this could really escalate, especially since President Trump has been threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act.
MCCAMMON: Right, we've been hearing a lot about the Insurrection Act, which would allow a president to invoke the military and the National Guard in order to perform law enforcement activities. President Trump has threatened to invoke it to quell the unrest in Minneapolis. Where does that stand, Jasmine?
GARSD: Over the years, President Trump has often talked about invoking the Insurrection Act, and yes, he's brought it up recently when talking about Minneapolis. But in recent days, he seems to have backed down from that. Here he is speaking to reporters yesterday.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If I needed it, I'd use it. I don't think there's any reason right now to use it. But if I needed it, I'd use it. It's very powerful.
GARSD: Sarah, I should also mention that last night a federal judge in Minnesota issued an injunction. The judge ordered ICE agents not to retaliate or use pepper spray or other crowd dispersal tools against people who are protesting peacefully. But in a statement to NPR, a DHS spokesperson said that while, indeed, the First Amendment does protect peaceful protesting, quote, "rioters and terrorists have assaulted law enforcement."
MCCAMMON: Now, on another note, Jasmine, before I let you go, it was also announced that the Department of Justice is investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. What do we know about the status of that investigation?
GARSD: Sources have told NPR that the Justice Department is investigating several Minnesota officials, including Walz and Frey, over an alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents. In response, Governor Walz issued a statement that said, quote, "weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic." He added, "the only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her."
MCCAMMON: Jasmine Garsd covers immigration for NPR, joining us on line from Minnesota. Thank you, Jasmine.
GARSD: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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