When Minnesota’s Civic Gyms Stayed Open

In late 2025 and early 2026, federal immigration enforcement descended on Minnesota in what became the largest operation of its kind in United States history. Operation Metro Surge upended daily life, with immigrants and refugees bearing the most direct and devastating consequences. Detention, family separation, lost income, and displacement were not abstractions. They were the conditions under which thousands of community members organized, protected one another, and captured global attention with their resolve.

The community response was not spontaneous. Immigrant- and refugee-led networks carried core leadership, both during the crisis and through years of preparation before it. Mutual aid scaled overnight. Legal observation, rapid information sharing, cross-network coordination, and broad community participation made collective action possible. Faith leaders, small businesses, neighbors, foundation leaders, and elected officials worked alongside community-rooted organizations. What unfolded in Minnesota offers a window into what civic infrastructure looks like when it is built before crisis hits, and what it takes to sustain it.

This article series, produced in partnership with and sponsored by the McKnight Foundation, brings together foundation leaders from Minnesota, Chicago, and Los Angeles, community partners on the frontlines, and a mutual aid organizer to reflect on what happened and what the field can learn. Contributors share lessons about civic infrastructure, mutual aid, democracy, and the role of philanthropy in moments when fundamental rights and community well-being are under threat. The series is grounded in the experiences of those most impacted while drawing broader lessons for communities and funders nationwide.