As ICE activity increases in Northfield, neighbors step up to support each other
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations aren't only happening in the Twin Cities.
Federal agents are also working in smaller towns, and in some, seeing similar resistance from the community.
In Northfield, Minnesota, the mayor says ICE activity isn't slowing down.
Northfield — self-described city of "cows, colleges, and contentment" — with its downtown of coffee shops and mom and pops, seems like a place where the best of times endure. But in the last few weeks, anxiety has been rising.
"Originally it was a car or two a day, now it's multiple car loads, the number of ICE agents in the car is increasing," Erica Zweifel, the mayor of Northfield, said.
But just as fear spreads quickly in a small town, so does the call for help.
"Northfield Supporting Neighbors," founded by moms during the first Trump administration, is leading efforts to track and verify where and when ICE is in town.
"I don't think there is many words to describe how heavy it feels," community advocate Daniela Kohen said.
"It feels like being under siege," Adriana Estill, another community advocate, said.
The Healthy Community Initiative supports students and families. They're busy helping immigrant parents delegate parental authority if they're detained.
"Taking a minute to think about the fear many parents are living with right now that if they leave their home, they might get snatched and taken," Tom Steinmetz with the initiative said.
And at the local bookstore, a focus on protecting hearts and minds. They've had thousands in donations to send books and toys to teens and children in hiding.
A local teacher asked for enough for 16.
"So we pulled that together and then she came to pick up those things on Monday," Jessica Peterson White said. "Over the weekend we raised some more money and I was like, so, you know, 'What do you think the need is now?' and she said, 'Now it's 60 families.'"
As enforcement has spread to Northfield, make no mistake — so has the resistance.
"A lot of people just look at their neighbors, not whether they're documented or undocumented," city administrator Ben Martig said.
It's not clear how many Northfield residents have been detained. The mayor says of the 20,000 people who live there, about 12% are Latino.