On June 3, 2025, community members gathered outside a local Latinx-owned business in South Minneapolis to protest the militarized police presence, including ICE agents who were terrorizing immigrant and Indigenous neighborhoods. Among those standing in solidarity was Isavela “Isa” López, a respected community member, artist, and poet known for her creative organizing, cultural work, and advocacy for justice. There Isa was slammed and choked on top of a trashcan by federal officers.

On June 9, 2025, while leaving a media interview related to those events, federal agents in unmarked vehicles ambushed and arrested Isa. She was detained at Sherburne County Jail for three days — without a criminal record and despite being a peaceful and creative presence in the community.

On June 10, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Isa on four fabricated counts, including “Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Officers” and “Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder.” These are political charges — rooted in the federal government’s attempt to criminalize dissent and intimidate organizers and concerned community members from exercising their right to protest.

The Attorney's Office then unsealed a complaint against López– alleging that she, not the armed agents, had been the one who committed the assault on June 3. The complaint and federal press release attempted to conflate Isa’s arrest with an unrelated alleged drug bust during the June 3 raid in what community members describe as a racist smear campaign meant to discredit Isa and intimidate her supporters.

In early October, Isa’s evidentiary hearing was suddenly canceled without notice — a transparent attempt to silence both her and the community that continues to show up in support. Her trial is now set for November 24, 2025, though her supporters and legal team anticipate the federal prosecutors will again attempt to delay the trial to further exhaust and intimidate her defense efforts.

Isa has no prior criminal history. She is a beloved poet, artist, and community leader — known for her courage, creativity, and healing presence. The charges against her are politically motivated and racially charged, meant to make an example out of her and deter others from resisting state violence.

Despite attempts to silence her story and isolate her, Isa’s local and broader community has continued to show up, and we remain steadfast in our support and resistance to repression.