During Operation Metro Surge (December 2025–February 2026), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions targeting and terrorizing Latinx and Somali immigrants and refugees produced widespread fear, anxiety, and instability across Minnesota. Reports of racial profiling, surveillance, aggressive tactics, and economic hardship created an environment where many residents felt unsafe participating in daily public life.
In this context, Minnesota’s long-standing interfaith relationships—built through years of dialogue, trust-building, and shared civic engagement—served as vital social infrastructure. Faith leaders from diverse traditions mobilized to provide pastoral care, public witness, and coordinated moral leadership, helping communities facing fear and uncertainty respond collectively rather than in isolation.
This proposal examines how interfaith networks function as civic infrastructure during crises, focusing on the Minnesota Multifaith Network and collaborating organizations during Operation Metro Surge. It argues sustained interfaith relationships strengthen resilience, support leadership, and transform strain into solidarity.