On Thurs., Jan. 22, and Fri., Jan. 23, 2026, Conference Minister Franz Rigert, along with 600 other interfaith clergy, attended “A Call to Minneapolis: Faith Leaders Answering History in a time of Peril and Possibility,” organized by MARCH Minnesota. The following is his account of his trip.
Friday morning hundreds of demonstrators marched at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, protesting the presence of ICE agents who, among other cruelties, shot and killed Renee Good, removed grandfather ChongLy Thao by breaking into his home and walking him out in handcuffs wearing only underwear in 12 degree weather, and detained 5-year old Liam Conejo Ramos while his father was taken into custody. On Friday afternoon tens of thousands rallied at the Target Center pleading for the removal of ICE agents.
To the disbelief and outrage of millions around the world, the very next day federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, following a scuffle that began when he tried to help a woman who had fallen.
While the demonstrations were peaceful, this resistance movement is powerful. Over one hundred clergy were arrested for trespassing and failure to comply after blocking a road at the airport. Dear God, forgive our trespasses but we were marching under the orders of Jesus, who taught us to welcome the stranger, love our neighbors, and stand in solidarity with the marginalized. Nearly a thousand small businesses, many of which are minority owned, shuttered their shops and restaurants on Friday as a statement of resistance to the presence of federal agents.
On Thursday evening, I ate with Minneapolis friends at an Argentinian restaurant. The front door was locked for fear of a raid, but they recognized Jim and Melissa as frequent guests and gladly welcomed us in. Around that table I heard story after story about the neighborly love extended to those too terrified to go to the grocery store. Food deliveries. Gift cards. Transportation of children to daycare. Whistle alerts when ICE is present. Phone calls of reassurance.
One young boy was asked why he quit soccer and he replied, “My cleats no longer fit, and my parents can’t risk driving to the store.” Within an hour new cleats were dropped off. A Somali family who owns a restaurant lost so much business that they couldn’t pay two months of rent. In minutes thousands of dollars were raised. And on and on.
The protests on Friday were a beautiful display of multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and multi-lingual solidarity. It was a singing love fest in a fragile and tense time, surrounded by local police presence whose aim was to keep things peaceful and calm. This was an incredible demonstration of human care and compassion, and a bold demand that all God’s people be treated with dignity and kindness. Unnerving as it was for many, this “call to justice” was an epiphany embodiment of Jesus’ command to neighborly love.