ICE agents actions drove many Minnesotans to the polls

The day after a blue wave election, "I Voted" stickers continued appearing at the memorials for Alex Pretti and Renee Good, a reminder of the events that have shaken Minnesota communities and helped motivate voters to take action.

"I had this sense of hope that I haven't had for a long time," Minneapolis resident Lori Anne Baumgartner said as she walked around the Renee Good memorial in south Minneapolis.

She said Operation Metro Surge and its impact on Minnesota communities gave many people a renewed sense of urgency about what was happening in the country.

"Hope is an action, and it's not something that you feel all the time," Baumgartner said. "I didn't feel particularly hopeful when I went to the polls yesterday, but voting was the hopeful thing to do. You decide to act in accordance with hope."

For many Minnesotans, the federal immigration enforcement operation was more than just a wake up call. It was a catalyst for civic engagment.

"I think Metro Surge really got people thinking about what's going on in the country," Brad Peterson said after placing his "I Voted" sticker at the Alex Pretti Memorial.

"It just hit us really hard, and we all still feel it every day," Minneapolis resident Leo added.

Back at the Renee Good memorial, Baumgartner said Minnesotans should not allow federal immigration enforcement or political leadership to define their communities.

"ICE doesn't get to decide who we are. And Donald Trump doesn't get to decide who we are. We get to decide who we are," she said.

For others, that meant showing up at the polls and standing together.

"We are trying to spread love and show love, and this is how we do it. At the polls," Minneapolis resident Hannah Robles said.

"We are Minneapolis. We are Minnesota. And this is our community, and this is how we show up for everybody here. Not just in Minnesota, but the United States as a whole. This is our America," Robles said.