We Show Up: Minnesota Draws the Line
From Minneapolis and St. Paul to Chaska and Waconia, Minnesotans are resisting fear, defending democracy, and refusing to look away.
A Note From Judith:
Saturday was a balmy 19 degrees and sunny.
In Waconia, 90 people showed up in that very red town. In Chaska, 1,250 people—families, kids with handmade signs—came to stand up for democracy. The line stretched past Home Depot.
I hope you felt what was in the air:
Hope,
Anger,
Strength, and
Commitment.
An ICE helicopter flew by. ICE was also present in the Home Depot parking lot. Make no mistake, they are in Chaska almost every day terrorizing our friends and neighbors. Over the last few days, they have been stationed all day in vulnerable neighborhoods, sometimes even following school buses.
We have families barricaded in their homes with curtains drawn 24/7 because of drones used at night. They can’t go to school, go to work, or get medical care.
At the same time, we are seeing constitutional observers detained by ICE. Their “crime”? Filming agents.
Nurses and doctors are reporting injuries that are wildly inconsistent with what ICE claims caused them. People who are arrested are also being denied medical care.
None of this is normal.
Minnesota is being used as a testing ground to see how far people will let the government trample our rights, and Minnesotans are responding. We are showing the world that we may be Minnesota Nice, but we draw a line in the snow.
Precinct Caucuses
This Tuesday is caucus night. Even though I’ve never been to one before, I am going this time and I hope you will, too.
David has created a guide to precinct caucuses for those of you who are unfamiliar with the process.
Trump is trying to make it so our votes won’t count. We cannot let that happen.
Show up.
More Epstein Files Revelations
We also cannot allow anyone to ignore what the Epstein Files are showing us: years of corruption and abuse, powerful people raping children as young as 12.
When someone tries to deflect with “Biden was bad” or similar arguments, my response is simple: I will not support a pedophile.
Do not let anyone forget what these files reveal.
Growing Resistance
The resistance is growing. Protests across Minnesota are growing in size, and we need to keep this momentum going. You are standing up not just for Minnesota, but for the rest of the country—and showing the world that this state, which many people only know for tater tot hotdish and Fargo accents, has something else: grit.
40-below wind chills? We show up.
Snow? We show up.
ICE threatening us? We show up.
We show up for our neighbors by volunteering, donating, and doing the work.
They thought we would roll over and accept this. They were wrong. Let’s keep proving it.
We also have joy and care in the middle of all this.
Next Saturday, we have a wonderful surprise: llamas are coming to visit us at 1:30! Brenda from the Llama Squad is bringing her incredible therapy llamas for us to enjoy.
This week, an amazing family also showed up with free warm chili and hot cocoa. They’re raising money for the Immigrant Defense Fund and said they’ll be back more often.
See you Tuesday at the caucuses.
Reminder: No SW protectors on Tuesday. We will be at caucus.
We need volunteers! Please give Kim at the coffee table your name, phone number, and email.
Chaska Protests
Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]
Waconia
Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]
SW Protectors
Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.
Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.
I wanted to make sure you saw this and didn’t know where else to copy it.
This was written by Hunter Panning, a Chaska Police Officer, mailed and posted online on January 25, 2026
Dear Mr. President,
I’m writing to you as a Minnesota police officer, not as a politician or a talking head. I work where trust is the currency, where relationships are the foundation of our legitimacy. On some days, it is what keeps us alive. Once it is spent, it can take years to earn back. Sometimes, it never is - we call those scars. We already have a few in Minnesota.
Right now, that trust is gone. Across the country, federal law enforcement actions have landed harmfully in our communities, and local officers are left absorbing the destruction. We face the confusion, the anger, and the fear that follows. We are expected to answer for decisions we didn’t make and authority we don’t have.
Local policing works because it is personal. We know the people we serve because they are our neighbors. Our legitimacy comes from judgment and human connection, rarely from an overwhelming show of force. When this type of enforcement feels distant, rushed, or indifferent to local impact, there is nothing left standing.
We value our relationships with federal partners, and local officers are always willing to help carry out federal criminal law enforcement missions. Many of us are honored to do so. But those missions must be rooted in justice and maintain a clear and unifying purpose. Without that foundation, we cannot afford to move forward.
There is a deeper problem here. Law enforcement cannot become an arm of politics. Blind obedience, from anyone with a badge, is dangerous. A democratic society depends on officers who think, question, and exercise restraint, especially when conspicuous pressure comes from above.
This is not a call to stop enforcing the law. It is an imminent warning about how you are enforcing it. Federal and local law enforcement should not be working against each other. When federal actions strain community trust, local officers are the ones left standing, holding what’s left together. We live here. We answer to these people long after the cameras leave.
If public safety is truly the goal, trust must be treated as essential. It is not optional. Enforcement without legitimacy does not create order. It creates resentment and instability.
You need to take a calculated pause. Pausing is not weakness; it is a sign of noble judgement and care.
Local officers are not your foot soldiers. We are guardians of our communities. Decisions made at the national level echo directly into our streets, our schools, our businesses, and the relationships we rely on to keep our communities and ourselves safe.
This reality deserves your attention. Now.
Respectfully,
Hunter Panning, a police officer who relies on trust to stay alive
Judith, thank you for the great information!