At the Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the doors swung open and shut as locals sought refuge from the biting cold on Sunday. The 140-year-old building sits just blocks away from where Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was shot dead by federal immigration agents during a confrontation on Saturday morning.
In the wake of the shooting, which marked the second time in less than a month that a US citizen has been killed by agents in the city, the church has become what locals describe as a haven from the unrest and uncertainty outside. There was no service here on Sunday. Instead volunteers and church staff, such as Ann Hotz, who works at the church's daycare centre, handed out coffee, snacks and hand warmers to those who stopped by.
Some were on their way to lay flowers at a nearby memorial for Pretti, while others visited on their way home from protests against the weeks-long federal immigration enforcement operation in the city.
Yesterday, I fell apart, Hotz told the BBC as she helped move cases of water outside. Today I'm here to stand with my community and help our neighbours as they remember Alex and mourn him.
Dean Caldwell-Tautges, the church administrator, stated, This is what America is now, referring to the recent actions of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
The shooting has reignited debates around immigration policy and enforcement tactics, with local protestors demanding an immediate end to operations that have resulted in violence against community members. This situation is made more alarming as it follows the death of another resident, Renee Nicole Good, under similar circumstances earlier this month.
Calls for justice and accountability are mounting, with community members expressing their frustration and sorrow through vigils and protests, emphasizing the urgent need for change in immigration enforcement practices and policies.
