Since the beginning of the year, two U.S. citizens have been killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minneapolis. These killings and increased ICE presence have sparked protests in Minneapolis and across the nation.
As of 2026, Drake University currently enrolls 295 students from Minnesota, according to Vice President and Dean of Students Jerry Parker. President Marty Martin sent a campus-wide email on Jan. 26 to offer his and the University’s support for the students from the Minneapolis area after winter break.
“I want to offer particular care and consideration to our students returning from the Twin Cities. To you and to every student who has family or friends there, please know that you are part of a community that is here for you. If there is something you need to deal with what is happening in your home city, rely on this campus community for support,” Martin said in his email.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that he does not want ICE in Minneapolis after the death of Renée Good on Jan. 7. In this speech, Frey said the presence of ICE has brought concerns of public safety and concern for residents.
Minneapolis resident and sophomore Anna Greenwaldt was studying abroad in Malaysia while the ICE killings took place.
“I felt very helpless,” Greenwaldt said. “Watching it happen away from Minneapolis and when I was traveling abroad was just terrible. I just kept seeing the same headlines because I subscribed to the Star Tribune, NPR and New York Times, and they kept doing similar articles.”
Witnessing Minneapolis in national spotlight over the past weeks had made junior Eleanor Carlin feel uneasy for the city she grew up in.
“It never feels good to have the place you love be on the news,” Carlin said. “It doesn’t feel good to look at images and have your thoughts be, ‘My city looks like a war zone.’”
Rep. Nolan West, a Republican who represents part of Minneapolis, urged that the surge of ICE raids should be toned down in a recent interview with Steve Inskeep of NPR. Along with West, many Minnesota Republicans support compromises between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and President Donald Trump.
Walz mobilized the National Guard to show an attempt to maintain ICE situations. First-year Brendan Frost believes this is a step in the right direction.
“This is the first move that could potentially prevent this from happening again,” Frost said. “In terms of their role, they have the opportunity to save a lot of lives, but also have the opportunity to spark the first military conflict between the government and its states since the Civil War.”
Through these tragedies, Carlin believes Minnesotans’ response to violence has brought out a sense of passion and community resilience.
“Right now, I feel a lot of shame with being an American, but I’m extremely proud to be from Minnesota and Minneapolis because the community response has been so positive and strong,” Carlin said.
