“ICE OUT.”

A CONVERSATION ON HUMANITY, HISTORY, AND USING YOUR VOICE.

Liam Conejo Ramos. He is a five year-old boy with one older brother and another sibling on the way. A young boy learning the english alphabet and how to write his letters correctly. The day they took him, he was dressed proudly in his Spider-Man backpack and a blue bunny hat; we even learned that the ears on the bunny hat fly up when you pull the strings that hang down. Imagine how excited he was to pick out that backpack and wear that bunny hat on a cold day to school. He could’ve worn any bland beanie, but he chose the blue bunny hat, the one that lit up his eyes, and his heart. Liam was in his family’s driveway when he was Detained by ICE agents. he was just steps away from his cozy home, a mother’s hug, and an after school snack. He wasn’t the first from his school district to be taken away from his home by strangers, but in fact the fourth. Liam now sits in the same detention center as his father in Dilley, Texas. he is 1,300 miles away from his home, his favorite toys, and his own bed, with no idea why his life has changed so much in a few days, or when he might ever get to see his classmates again. Liam has become the face representing the hundreds of children who are sitting in detention centers at this moment.

Alex Pretti. He is a thirty seven year-old, US citizen, an Eighties-baby. Alex is a nurse at his local Veterans Association Hospital in Minneapolis. he works in the intensive care unit, working long shifts, trying to help heal those who’ve bravely served our country. He is a beloved son to his proud parents, Michael and Susan. Alex is also a classic millenial dog dad, he often shared photos of his precious pup to friends, and even had a photo of her posted onto his fridge. The two loved to adventure together. A true compassionate being, Alex spent his last moments, before he was shot and killed at least 6 times by federal agents, shielding a woman from pepper spray and rough-handling next to the front bumper of a car. His folks released a statement to the world, in hopes that it may clear up the misinformation being spread about him, by our government, the one that he himself supported in his career. In their letter, i found most powerful the following lines, “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be around to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly, however his last thought and act was to protect a woman… please get the truth out about our son. he was a good man.” He did not have his hands anywhere near his legal firearm at the time of his death. An officer can be seen applauding as he watches Alex die on the cold concrete streets of Minneapolis on a -30° day. 

Renee Good. A citizen. a woman who found solace in writing poetry and singing. A wife. A daughter. A mother. An incredible friend. Renee’s three children are aged fifteen, twelve, and six. Not even her oldest child has yet been able to anxiously sit in the drivers seat for the first time while his mother teaches him how to drive. Renee is described as amazing, kind, and “sparkly” by those close to her. She drove a cute, red Honda Pilot SUV, a car big enough to hold all of her loved ones, the same car her life ended in at the hands of masked men. At the time that she was shot and killed by ICE agents, her dog resided in her back seat, so innocent, so unsure. Renee’s wife, Becca, retrieved their dog and sat nearby as her love slowly died in the drivers seat. She had a heartbeat for eight minutes before her body laid completely lifeless. ICE agents are required to know CPR. CPR was not conducted on Renee Good in those eight minutes. a bystander who claimed to be a physician asked to help, they were told they could not.

Just 3 of the human beings who’s stories have made the news. Thousands of others, unfortunately, have not. But despite not having a name for each face, we stand in solidarity with those wrongfully detained and brutalized. We know you’re there, and we will not forget about you.

Teenage US citizens are being detained and beaten. Mothers and Fathers are being dragged across pavement. Children are being torn away from their classrooms and friends. ICE agents are being caught on camera claiming they “Don’t care who you are,” when human beings claim their legal status.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, though certainly not the only city recently affected, has been the headlining epicenter of ICE interactions over these past few weeks. Minnesotans have experienced the impact of this violence even in places supposed to be regarded as safe. Hospitals in the area are described to be quiet and ghostly as citizens avoid treatment out of fear of detainment. This hesitation comes with precedent, as ICE agents have unlawfully entered Hospitals and attempted to detain patients while they receive care. Select local school districts even temporarily closed their doors and switched to remote-learning out of Caution for their students safety.

This is a sliver of What real, feeling, loving people have experienced to start their new year in the United States of America… “United.”

This piece is not intended to be a debate on immigration, but rather a plea for humanity to no longer turn a blind eye, to choose to try to make a difference. This also hopefully is going to serve as an example of how many ways there are to use our voices.

It seems as though the lack of humanization of people is running rampant through american cities and towns. Why is that we remove the term “human” and replace it with “alien” when referring to mothers, fathers, children, friends? Why is it that there be a need to re-label them in a way the strips away their humanity? Why, when government officials are given these people’s names, do they refuse to use them, only to replace with this emotionless and redundant term? does it make it easier to drag them across streets without care? does it make it easier to watch them sob in the back of the government vehicle? does it take away the guilt that these agents would usually go home to their own families still carrying? does it dull the psychological impact of emptying rounds of ammunition into innocent human bodies? why is it? where is the humanity? where is the love so many of these same people claim to have within them? and the big question, if it is there, Can we dig it out?

But alas, In the true fashion of American Irony, at the same time that we are witnessing such hatred, violence, and injustice, we are also witnessing the push back of americans everywhere. People are outraged, and they are using their voices. In Minneapolis, On Friday, January 23rd, Thousands of people gathered to Peacefully protest ICE presence in their neighborhoods. Cars were unable to drive because of the crowd sizes. Chants of freedom and justice roared through city blocks. Hundreds of Businesses closed to make an economic statement. True, beautiful humanity showed up to say no, and powerful it was. Even in a rural town of just 5,000 people in the middle of nowhere, Colorado, you will find yourself driving past one brave protester, standing alone on a street corner holding their poster board sign in freezing temperatures. This is the way forward. This is what we do have the power to do. Because, even when news is seemingly being censored, and social media feeling heavily filtered, the power of thousands of voices wailing across the country cannot, and will not, be silenced. We can and we will carry this same energy into the midterm elections. Right?

The peaceful protesting must not end here. the outrage must not cease. the action must not slowly fade back into thoughts and prayers. not until change is made. it might take a very long time, in fact it probably will, but persistence Must exist.

I find it abundantly neccesary to tell the truth that we, as a society, sit in a unique chair in this moment. In the past, when egregious acts of injustice occurred, protesters still showed up to use their voices loud and proud, but they were not necessarily heard or noticed on the level that there is potential for today, due to increasing coverage from social media platforms. this is a good thing for our current society. a small town protest meets the eye of a cellphone camera, and suddenly the next town over is organizing one of their own. An instagram story posted from the streets of minneapolis invokes powerful conversation in the living rooms of the poster’s high school classmates. A simple post of solidarity and outrage from a well-known influencer creates a comment section of awareness and education. This is where excessive attention to our phone screens can make a positive difference. the same place where you post your vacation photo dump, will be the place that you also call upon your friends and family to Say Something.

It doesn’t only have to be physical protest that makes a difference, though they are strikingly powerful and emotional. it is vital that these acts of empowerment also take place on a smaller scale in homes around dinner tables, in local coffee shops, and at shopping malls. it is imperative that voices are used even when only a few people are listening, because of something called the ripple effect; a name for the concept regarding the Far spreading impacts of one single action. You may not be able or comfortable with taking to the streets of your town with a sign and a dream. but you are, in fact, Capable of educating yourself, and starting open conversation to others around you. If you join a friend for a coffee break and make the choice to start a conversation, it isn’t just you two who will have a fire of change lit beneath you, the people waiting in line who overhear you will too, and so will the couple sitting next to you, both of whom are pretending not to eavesdrop. These few minds that heard Your voice will start to think about what’s happening, and they’ll likely go forward with the decision to use their Own. This is how We the people function.

The direction this all seems to be headed is terrifying, I say as a privileged white women sitting in a cozy, safe home surrounded by resources and love, but it is also, i believe, still preventable. Growing up in the 2000s, attending a public school, Students were religiously taught about the tragedies that have occurred among other people, in other countries, in the past: The Holocaust, The Rwandan Genocide, The Armenian Genocide, Slavery, Segregation and Jim Crow, the list of Targeted Violence, Discrimination, and Unjust treatment unfortunately continues. We were told to write it on flashcards- that the reason we learned about these eras in history, was so that we could help in similar acts not being repeated. Well, fellow students of the world, we have stumbled upon a moment that feels and appears very similar to how these other tragedies began. Screams heard blocks away, children separated from their parents, humans being what some could define as abused by law enforcement, an administration that seems to continue to downplay these atrocities. I do not add this paragraph to incite feelings of hopelessness, but rather appropriate awareness, rage, and empowerment to be on the right side of history.

It is up to us as americans, now, to use our voices to defend our people, and our neighbors. it is up to us to peacefully protest. it is up to us to call our Senators. it is up to us to use our privilege for good. it is up to us. It is not the time to ask “why us,” it is simply the time to accept that it is.

Your Senators are voting TOMORROW about funding for ICE. Head to 5calls.org to be instructed exactly on how to use your voice to make a difference with just a phone call.

food for thought, thanks for hearing this.

With love,

Madeleine

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SOURCE(s):

Brook, Jack. Karnowski, Steve. Santana, Rebbeca. January 24th, 2026. ‘Alex Pretti, man killed by u.s. border patrol officer in minneapolis, was an iCU nurse, family says.’ Retrieved from https://post-gazette.com

Dhenin, Marianne. January 24th, 2026. ‘Minneapolis Health Care Workers are Organizing to defend their patients from Ice.‘ Retrieved from https://truthout.org

Gray, Callan. Reeve, Richard. January 8th, 2026. ‘Several School Districts Switch To Remote Learning amid ICE Activity.’ Retrieved from https://kstp.com

Lavietes, Matt. Acevedo, Nicole. January 23rd, 2026. ‘Thousands Rally Against ICE in Minneapolis in below-zero temperatures.‘ Retrieved from https://nbcnews.com

Spencer, Cari. MPR News Staff. January 9th, 2026. ‘Renee Macklin Good’s wife says she nurtured kindness.’ Retrieved from https://mprnews.org

Zoom In To You. letters to better ourselves and to help us travel inward.