The Faces—and Middle Fingers—of the ICE Resistance in Minneapolis

Despite subzero temperatures, the people of Minneapolis have come out in force to protest ICE’s brutal tactics, which include the killing of Renee Nicole Good and detaining a 5-year-old boy to bait his parents. Photojournalist Ron Haviv has covered more than 25 overseas conflicts in the last three decades, from wars to revolutions to coups d’état. He documented the January 6 raid on the Capitol and the start of the war in Ukraine for The New Republic. For the past week, he has been on the streets of downtown Minneapolis, capturing the resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Here, he shares his perspective:

This needs to be documented, but at the same time the administration wants these images to be seen. They want people to see that they are doing what they said they would do. Second, they want it to create motivation for self-deportation. It is a very complicated formula.
This expansion of ICE, in terms of budget, personnel, and territory, is shocking for many people to witness, especially their masked presence and their weapons. Immigration policy isn’t black and white. In some areas, there’s agreement with what they are doing; in others, total opposition. But adding an element of cruelty, when things could be handled better, doesn’t make sense.
I’ve photographed under dictators, societies on the cusp of breakup, and outright invasion. One of the closest comparisons I see, in terms of class, economics, and values, is the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. People talked about being in a conflict over religion, but it was really about power and money, convincing people that those who were different were the enemy. That led to years of war. We are not there yet, but when rhetoric is backed by armed force, that’s how escalation begins. We’re starting to get used to the visualization of militarization on the streets. It feels like this is only going to increase. There’s no de-escalation. Minnesota is becoming a standard for activist reaction to ICE deployment.

A protester holds a poster that says "Meet: Greg Bovino. Lies under oath. Reports to Kristi Noem. All uses of force have been more than exemplary." — On January 20, outside the building where Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino held a press conference, a protester holds a homemade poster with a drawing of Bovino and an ICE officer giving a Nazi salute. It reads “Meet: Greg Bovino. Lies under oath. Reports to Kristi Noem. All uses of force have been more than exemplary.”

A protester stands next to the road holding a sign that reads HEY NAZI, COLD, SCARED? QUIT YOUR JOB while giving an unmarked vehicle the middle finger — A protester holds up a sign that reads, “Hey Nazi—Cold? Scared? Quit your job,” while giving an unmarked vehicle the middle finger.

A Minneapolis resident gives Greg Bovino and his entourage of ICE agents the middle finger after they stopped for gas and pepper-sprayed the crowd that surrounded them. January 21, 2026. — A Minneapolis resident gives Bovino and his entourage of ICE agents the middle finger after they stopped for gas and pepper-sprayed the crowd that surrounded them.

An ICE agent pepper-sprays protesters in their faces while one protester is giving him the finger at a gas station in Minneapolis January 21, 2026. — An ICE agent pepper-sprays people while one protester gives him the finger at a gas station.

A protester after being pepper-sprayed by ICE agents

A woman who is an anti ICE protestor screaming at a protest outside of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building — An anti-ICE protester screams during a protest outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building.

A man at an outdoor protest holds a sprial notebook with a page open that reads NO NAZIS in black marker — A protester holds a spiral notebook with a page open that reads, “No Nazis,” in black marker.

Jake Lang, left, organized an anti-Islam, anti-Somali, and pro-ICE demonstration in downtown Minneapolis Saturday January 17th and is shown being confronted by counterprotesters. — Jake Lang (left), who organized an anti-Islam, anti-Somali, and pro-ICE demonstration in downtown Minneapolis on January 17, is confronted by counterprotesters.

A protester holds a sign in front of a police vehicle that says ICE HAS BEEN VIOLATING MY NEIGHBORS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS — A protester holds up a sign next to a police vehicle that reads: “ICE has been violating my neighbors’ constitutional rights.”

The entrance sign for the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building that has been changed with spray paint grafitti to read PIGS ENTRY ONLY — The entrance sign for the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, altered with spray-paint graffiti to read, “Pigs entry only”

A large memorial for Renee Nicole Good with multiple homemade posters, signs, and flowers covered by snow. — A large memorial for Renee Nicole Good with multiple homemade posters, signs, and flowers covered by snow

A grid of four homemade signs in colored market that read JUSTICE FOR RENEE GOOD, ICE OUT FOR GOOD, RENEE YOU WON'T BE FORGOTTON and REST IN POWER RENEE GOOD

A pink poster taped on a pole that reads NO WORK NO SCHOOL NO SHOPPING ICE OUT STATEWIDE SHUTDOWN JANUARY 23rd MARCH IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS 2pm — A poster taped on a pole

ICE agents, faces masked, gather outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. — Masked ICE agents gather outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building.

A woman stands in a blizzard by the intersection of a street with her hands in her pockets wearing a sign that says NO ICE — A woman stands by a street intersection in a blizzard, wearing an anti-ICE sign.

A man at a protest inside a Minneapolis Target store holds a sign that says ABOLISH ICE — A man at a protest inside a Minneapolis Target store holds a sign that reads, “Abolish ICE.”

Graffiti on a concrete ledge next to a sidewalk reads "FUCK YOU FED, FUCK ICE" — Graffiti on a concrete ledge reads, “Fuck you Feds. Fuck ICE.”

Greg Bovino and his team leave an interview at a local TV station on January 20th — Bovino and his team leave an interview at a local Minneapolis TV station on January 20.

A homemade sign at Renee Good's memorial that reads UNTRUMP THE WORLD, LOVE INSTEAD! — A homemade sign at Renee Good’s memorial reads, “UnTrump the world. Love instead!”
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