I’d like to see all these institutions get out ahead of this. ICE •will• provoke direct confrontations at schools. The question is not whether but who: who is confronting them? Who is on the line? How prepared are they? How have they prepared?
There •will• inevitably be some kind of active defense — and if that defense comes ad hoc, in a panic, in a moment of crisis, we will all be the worse for it.
/end
Part of the answer is that the district has given all students the option to stay home and do remote learning for the next month. Good. I mean, that really sucks for the families doing it, it sucks that any families are boxed into that corner — but good for the district coming up with that option.
That doesn’t mean that school is safe, however — not even for families who aren’t being targeted by ICE.
2/
Last Wednesday, ICE deployed tear gas at Roosevelt High School, scuffled with students, and handcuffed staff. It’s still not clear to me who they were targeting in that incident, or whether anyone was abducted. Regardless, •everyone• at the high school was in danger.
Based on local behavior since Wed, I have every reason to think that there will be more of these incidents, and that they may in fact begin directly targeting schools (either students, or parents transporting them).
3/
The remote option is great, but it’s not actually an answer to the school safety question. I would like to know:
What •action• are the schools, the city, and the state of MN taking to directly protect students? Who is defending our students and our educators? Is that part of this NG deployment — or is the community on their own?
4/
What sort of protection would students, parents, and educators •want•? What should we demand?
5/
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said a lot of the right things these last few weeks — and quite forcefully. I appreciate his tough stance!
He is, however, a person with a long history of inaction, foot-dragging, administrative bungling, and generally disappointing follow-through. He also does not appear to have Minneapolis Police under his thumb: despite being legally forbidden from assisting ICE, they’ve been clearing a wide path for them while giving them fist bumps (literally).
So: what •action• is Frey taking? What action can / should we demand of his government?
6/
Gov. Walz has talked about activating the Minnesota National Guard, under his command. I appreciate that: among other things, I suspect it throws a barrier to the Trump regime trying to federalize them.
Would we want the National Guard protecting our schools? I trust them •far• more than the Minneapolis Police, but I’m still uncomfortable with the idea. I don’t like the prospect of our students being greeted at the school by people with camo and assault weapons. That, however, seems preferable being greeted by kidnappings and tear gas.
7/
