Citizens in Minnesota use lessons from migrant crackdown to protect elections from presidential threats
Earlier this year, when thousands of immigration agents arrived in Minnesota, a loose network of neighbors mobilized rapidly. They supported each other by sharing food, ensuring children’s safe passage to and from school, and monitoring the influx that disrupted their communities.
Having organized block by block to oversee Donald Trump’s unprecedented immigration crackdown in their state, these neighbors are now redirecting their efforts toward a new concern: the possibility that the US president might attempt to interfere with the election.
Defending democracy can often seem abstract or theoretical until circumstances demand action. Similarly, the aggressive and controversial deployment of federal agents once appeared a remote threat on Minnesota’s streets until President Trump initiated Operation Metro Surge.
With the midterm elections approaching in November, one group that previously trained Minnesotans to document immigration enforcement has launched democracy defense trainings. These sessions encourage residents to visit every neighbor’s door to assist with voting and prepare to respond to potential election interference.
“There is a general, very visceral concern that this administration is planning to ensure that the elections go their way by any means necessary,”
said Jess, who trained approximately 2,500 individuals on constitutional observation across numerous sessions during the immigration crackdown.
Jess, a former federal employee dismissed during Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” initiative last year, requested to use only her first name due to fears of retaliation.
‘Basic stuff’
On a humid Tuesday evening in June, dozens of neighbors gathered in a cramped Minnesota church basement, taking seats at tables labeled with their respective geographic areas.
They had endured a federal operation in their state that resulted in the deaths of two local residents and the deportation of hundreds more.
They understood the seriousness of Trump’s threats and sought to learn how to safeguard elections.
“We’ve got to make sure that everybody who wants to vote can vote, and everybody’s vote is counted, and those votes and the will of the majority is respected,”
said David Brauer, who helped lead the training for Monarca, a project of the social justice organization Unidos MN.
“Basic stuff, but so crucial right now. But that’s just the first step. Once they’re cast, we know we’ll have to defend them.”
The training aims to prompt citizens to consider potential tactics Trump and his allies might employ to undermine voting processes and election outcomes. While the exercises remain theoretical, they are grounded in reality: the president has already questioned the legitimacy of mail-in ballots and indicated investigations will follow, signaling further challenges in the midterms.
Defending democracy beyond voting is often viewed as the responsibility of election officials who tally and verify votes or nonprofits that litigate against restrictive voting laws. Some state officials have enacted laws to resist federal overreach, enhanced election security, and improved public education on election procedures to counter misinformation, as seen in California’s recent primaries.
However, in an era marked by explicit partisan gerrymandering that diminishes Black voting power and a president who frequently rejects unfavorable election results, defending democracy demands collective effort.
Advocates of the block-by-block approach emphasize its effectiveness in monitoring election processes since voting occurs by precincts, which correspond to neighborhoods.
In 2020, when Trump and his allies attempted to overturn the presidential election results, institutional safeguards prevailed: then Vice President Mike Pence did not obstruct congressional certification, and state officials largely resisted pressure to alter outcomes.
Nevertheless, circumstances have evolved. Trump has appointed loyalists throughout the government, raising concerns that institutional protections may falter.
In Minnesota, the president’s threats are taken seriously. Community organizing can be daunting due to activist fatigue after months of continuous engagement. Additionally, there is apprehension about potential criminalization of their activities. The Department of Justice has charged nearly 40 individuals, including 15 Minnesotans, with broad conspiracy charges related to their responses to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alongside the detention and deportation of hundreds from the state.
Protect Democracy, a nonprofit opposing authoritarianism, identified these charges as indicative of how the administration might attempt to undermine voting this year. The group described it as part of a “disrupt” strategy deploying federal power against opponents.
“The Department of Justice is attempting to intimidate critics and punish those who organize to expose the administration’s abuses,”
said Jess Marsden, Protect Democracy’s counsel and director of impact programs.
“They know how much easier it is to tilt the electoral playing field if people stay home and stay quiet, which is why it’s important to name these abuses now, push back against attacks, and prepare for additional action ahead of November.”
‘What do you do?’
The democracy defense trainings commenced in Minnesota in late April. Hundreds have already registered, according to Luis Argueta Jr, communications director of Unidos MN, who is unaware of similar grassroots trainings elsewhere in the country. However, groups from other states have expressed interest in learning about the sessions.
On the evening of the training at the suburban church, simultaneous sessions occurred at four other Twin Cities locations, Argueta noted. Word of mouth has spread among community organizations, mirroring the dissemination of previous constitutional observing trainings.
Concerns about attacks on democracy are ongoing, with frequent worries about immigration agents appearing at polling sites, Argueta said. Newly naturalized citizens, in particular, express fears that voting might expose their non-naturalized family members to risk.
Although most immigration agents have left the state, some residents remain fearful of harassment or detention if they travel. A plan to deploy agents again heightened anxiety, as did other enforcement actions statewide.
“So, what do you do?”
Argueta asked.
“Do you sit around and wait and hope that nothing happens, or do you start building something, do you start organizing and making sure that people are able to actually step up and defend?”
In the church basement, Brauer acknowledged that some attendees might be “checklist people” who prefer to complete a set of tasks and then consider democracy secured. He emphasized that the training’s purpose is not to solve democracy’s fundamental challenges but to organize and prepare for whatever challenges the Trump administration might present.
The audience shared reflections on what made them proud of Minnesota during the federal operation and what defending democracy meant to them. One participant described the experience as motivating and empowering, noting that despite nervousness or fear, stepping outside comfort zones is necessary to defend democracy.
‘As many people as possible’
Threats to elections are already manifesting. Louisiana discarded tens of thousands of votes to redraw districts that dilute Black voting power. Republican leaders have expressed desires to station immigration agents or troops at polling places. The federal government has seized ballots in Georgia amid ongoing efforts to prove fraud in the 2020 election.
However, the practical aspects of defending democracy on the ground remain unclear. It may involve get-out-the-vote initiatives ensuring neighbors have transportation to polls, volunteering as election judges, monitoring polling sites for immigration agents, protesting or lobbying local officials against vote suppression, or preparing for larger electoral threats.
These discussions may arise during neighbor-to-neighbor conversations about willingness to act if the vote is attacked.
The group engaged in a scenario exercise to determine responses to a hypothetical threat. In the exercise, the Department of Justice announced in August 2026 that voters must appear on newly issued federal voter rolls for their votes to count, causing confusion just before early voting.
A trainer asked the audience how an organized network could effectively respond.
One participant doubted the federal government’s capacity to implement such a rapid change, a natural reaction as people tend to dismiss threats. Another vowed to raise their voice and ensure Minnesota’s elected officials did the same.
Emilia González Avalos, executive director of Unidos MN, recognized that these neighborly conversations can be challenging, especially when political differences are apparent, but stressed their value in breaking down dehumanization and building power.
“The strength built block by block will be reflected to defend access to the polls,”
she said,
“and ensure results are ratified.”
“We don’t need perfect leaders,”
she added.
“We just need a regular person that can take responsibility of something, anything, whether it’s a smaller block or a small floor in a building, that’s fine, but take responsibility of something. We need as many people as possible right now.”
