Minneapolis protests the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility

Minneapolis, MN – Protesters rallied on Saturday, July 26 in south Minneapolis to protest the creation of the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention facility. The protest, called by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), was part of the Legalization 4 All’s National Week of Action: 10 Days of Resistance.

In response to Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” appropriating $150 billion for his deportation agenda, communities are protesting across the country including in Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Oakland, Orange County, and San José.

The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) co-hosted Saturday’s protest with MIRAC. Other groups endorsing the event included the Minnesota Immigrant Movement (MIM), Asamblea de los Derechos Civiles, the Council of Islamic Relations MN (CAIR-MN), and the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC).

The “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility in Florida was thrown together in eight short days. Immigrants being held there report being denied access to food, drinking water, medical care and basic sanitation. They describe lights being left on 24/7, insect infestations, and temperatures above 80 degrees in the tents. They have been denied access to legal counsel and to communication with their families.

Speaker and MIRAC member Manny Pascual said, “The facility’s nickname reflects both its prison-like atmosphere and the surrounding swamp which adds another layer of physical and psychological isolation. This isn’t responsible immigration policy; it’s a strategy to build fear and to discourage migration through suffering. We can’t turn a blind eye!”

After the speeches, protesters blocked the intersection of Lake Street and Chicago Avenue to chant, hold up signs, and smash a Trump-shaped piñata. They chanted, “When immigrants are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

The United States has a history of mass detentions of people with no due process based on their nationality – such as the violent history of removing indigenous people to reservations and boarding schools, Japanese American internment camps during World War II, and decades of arbitrary detentions at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.

At the protest, speaker and MIRAC member Beto Villanueva pointed out, “This isn’t about law or control, this is about human beings, especially making immigrants the scapegoat. A political horror show.”

Activists are demanding that “Alligator Alcatraz” be closed immediately.

Follow MIRAC MN on all social media and the Legalization for All Network for more events.

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