JFK Profile in Courage Award honors Twin Cities ICE protestors
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation will give its 2026 Profile in Courage Award to the people of the Twin Cities for how they responded to Operation Metro Surge, calling out residents’ peaceful resistance to what it describes as federal overreach and threats to immigrant families. In a press‑release quoted by FOX 9, the foundation says tens of thousands in Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding suburbs marched, documented enforcement activity, warned neighbors about federal agents, and built rapid‑response networks despite violent confrontations and personal risk. Faith leaders, labor and small‑business owners, and volunteers are explicitly cited as part of a broad coalition that defended immigrant rights and constitutional protections during the largest immigration enforcement action in U.S. history, with more than 3,000 agents deployed here. The same award cycle will also honor Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for resisting political pressure and maintaining the Fed’s independence, but the local headline is that a major national civic award is now formally framing Twin Cities surge resistance as an example in the national fight over democracy and federal power. The award will be presented May 31 at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston, putting the metro’s confrontation with ICE on a national stage rather than leaving it buried in court dockets and agency spin.
📌 Key Facts
- The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award will honor “the people of the Twin Cities” for their response to the ICE surge that began in late 2025.
- The JFK Library Foundation cites tens of thousands of residents who peacefully protested, documented raids, and built rapid‑response networks despite violent confrontations and personal risk.
- The award will be presented May 31 at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum in Boston; Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is a separate honoree for protecting the Fed’s independence.
📊 Relevant Data
From 2020 to 2024, over 81,000 new Americans moved to Minnesota, making immigration the primary driver of population change and contributing to economic growth.
Immigration became the leading component of population growth in Minnesota this decade — Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
In 2020, about 8% of Minnesotans were foreign-born, with the majority arriving from Mexico, Somalia, India, and Laos.
By immigrant group - Minnesota Compass — Minnesota Compass
Minnesota's population grew by 33,000 people in 2025, a 0.6% increase, bringing the total to 5.83 million, with positive net domestic migration for the first time since 2018.
Minnesota gained more people from other states in 2025, a first this decade — Star Tribune
During Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota starting late 2025, federal agents arrested more than 4,000 illegal aliens, including violent criminals such as murderers, sex offenders, and gang members.
DHS Reaches More than 4,000 Arrests of Illegal Aliens Including Murderers, Sex Offenders, and Gang Members — U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal immigration officials inflated the number of dangerous criminals arrested during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, with many arrests being for non-violent offenses.
ICE surged in Minnesota to arrest criminals. Many of them were not — Minnesota Government
Young men born in Somalia have roughly twice the incarceration rate of those born in the United States in Minnesota.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
Illegal immigrants have an incarceration rate of 613 per 100,000, which is higher than legal immigrants but lower than native-born Americans.
Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2023 — Cato Institute
Undocumented immigrants were 37.1% less likely to be convicted of a crime compared to U.S.-born citizens.
Immigrants less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born — NPR
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old unarmed U.S. citizen, was fatally shot three times by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge.
Renee Good was shot three times, autopsy into Minneapolis ICE shooting reveals — The Guardian
The majority of Minnesota's immigrants arrive from Mexico, Somalia, India, and Laos, driven by resettlement policies and family reunification.
Immigrants in Minnesota - Minnesota Issues Resources Guides — Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time