The Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge deployed thousands of masked, armed agents throughout the winter of 2025/2026 in the Twin Cities. People were taken from their homes, their workplaces, their cars. Facilities were overcrowded. Access to legal counsel was denied. Three people died. No federal charges have followed.

But Minnesotans showed up. Neighbors, clergy, elected officials, teachers and parents formed an impactful resistance that ultimately led to ICE’s retreat. Our documentary will chart the course of the Trump administration’s buildup of anti-immigrant rhetoric and tactics, the widening net of the crackdown, the resilience of Minneapolis’ immigrant population, and triumph of mutual aid.

Our goal is to leave our audience with an implicit call to action by showing the unanswered and unpunished injustices perpetrated on the American people in the Twin Cities and what can be learned from the example set forth by the citizens of Minnesota.

WHY NOW?

Minneapolis is not a story from the past. It’s a warning about what comes next.

Less than a year into Trump’s second term, federal agents descended on Minnesota communities, leaving behind fear, arrests, detention, injuries, and death. What unfolded was more than an immigration crackdown. It was a test of federal power — and of how a city responds when that power turns against its own people. Minneapolis has lived this before.

After the murder of George Floyd, the city became a global symbol of state-sanctioned violence, resistance, and accountability. When ICE arrived, that history shaped the response. But now, the story is at risk of being buried. As the country moves toward the midterm elections, the narrative around immigration, policing, protest, and federal authority is already being rewritten. Voters should not enter that election with only campaign slogans, official statements, and edited soundbites defining what happened.

OCCUPIED: MINNESOTA preserves the record before it disappears.

Told by the people who lived it, this documentary bears witness to what happened, what it cost, and what it reveals about America now — before the country decides what comes next.

For more information and other opportunities to be involved please visit our site - https://occupiedmn.com