Helping your neighbor is not a crime. Will you sign the petition to demand the DOJ drop charges against the Minnesota 15?
Dear MoveOn member,
Last week, federal prosecutors announced they are charging 15 people in Minnesota with criminal charges for organizing to protect and support their neighbors during Trump's violent and chaotic Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids earlier this year.
Make no mistake: These are everyday people who are now being punished by the government for supporting those most vulnerable in their communities by attempting to hold ICE accountable for their brutality and unlawfulness. This is not just an attack on 15 individuals—it’s an attack on our fundamental right to protest, organize, and protect each other when our government violates our fundamental rights.
Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) wants to bully and intimidate everyday people into complicity, but we refuse to be silenced. Add your name to the petition to demand they drop the charges NOW!
Trump’s aggressive and haphazard occupation of Minnesota earlier this year wreaked havoc across the state. ICE agents terrorized neighborhoods, drove recklessly through the streets, violated basic constitutional rights, abused and harmed people, and murdered two peaceful observers, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.1 More than 70 children were detained in ICE's cruel Minnesota raids.2
Tens of thousands of regular people courageously showed up to organize—marching in the street, tracking ICE agents to expose their violence and unlawfulness, protesting outside hotels and rental car agencies, peacefully observing vulnerable locations in their communities, and making sure people had access to basic necessities like food, water, toiletries, and rent funds.
"For the 15 people who were arrested this morning for standing up, we have to continue to stand up for them. They put their necks on the lines, they put their bodies on the lines, they put their jobs on the line to stand up for freedom, justice, and equality," said local activist and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong.3
Stand up for freedom, justice, and equality. Sign the petition to demand the DOJ drop the charges against the Minnesota 15 now!
This isn’t the first time the DOJ has attempted to punish those who organized to resist ICE's brutal and inhumane raids. Earlier this year, federal prosecutors brought charges against 36 people—the majority of which were dropped or settled with non-prosecution agreements.4
“They charge without sufficient evidence, they have brought cases on false testimony and they’ve been forced to drop cases already,” said National Lawyers Guild member Anna Hall.5
Already, the actions are having a chilling effect, with people left wondering if they could be arrested next. Peaceful actions—tracking ICE vehicles, distributing gear to protect against tear gas, monitoring schools—could land people under investigation by the government. And bold and creative tactics meant to disrupt business as usual and prevent ICE from terrorizing Minnesotans are now being criminalized.
The Minnesota 15 were arrested for defending their neighbors against ICE's lawless abuse. Now, we have to defend them. Will you add your name to the petition?
Minnesota has served as not only an example of resistance, but also a vibrant, loving, and principled example of what our country could be—a stark contrast to Trump's cruel, violent, and fear-based agenda. And it's that beacon of hope that the Trump administration is trying to snuff out.
Meanwhile, the violent insurrectionists who stormed the nation's Capitol in 2021—who threatened lawmakers and assaulted and killed police officers—have been pardoned by the Trump administration. And recently, Trump even tried to direct taxpayer dollars to a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay them off.6
These arrests are not about justice. This is about punishing the brave people who dare to resist the Trump administration.
The DOJ is trying to set an example and intimidate regular people from taking action and holding agents accountable. But we are stronger together, and we refuse to be divided. Sign the petition and demand the DOJ drop the charges now.
Thanks for all you do.
–Aliya, Esteban, Amandah B., Adrienne, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "'A Manufactured Crisis' Minnesota Communities Terrorized by the Federal Government," Human Rights Watch, June 18, 2026
https://www.hrw.org/report/2026/06/18/a-manufactured-crisis/minnesota-communities-terrorized-by-the-federal-government
2. "More than 70 Minnesota children detained in Operation Metro Surge, data show," Sahan Journal, April 23, 2026
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/ice-detention-data-minnesota-children-operation-metro-surge/
3. "Feds charge 15 Minnesotans with conspiracy for impeding ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge," Sahan Journal, June 16, 2026
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minnesota-ice-observers-face-federal-charges/
4. "Protests follow after 15 Minnesotans charged with anti-ICE conspiracy," MPR, June 16, 2026
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/06/16/federal-prosecutors-minnesota-announce-charges-against-immigration-enforcement-opponents
5. "Feds charge 15 Minnesotans with conspiracy for impeding ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge," Sahan Journal, June 16, 2026
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minnesota-ice-observers-face-federal-charges/
6. "Judge halts Trump 'anti-weaponization' fund after Jan. 6 prosecutor sues," NBC News, May 29, 2026
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/judge-halts-trump-anti-weaponization-fund-jan-6-prosecutor-files-suit-rcna347539
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