Twin Cities Residents Honored with JFK Courage Award for Resisting ICE Efforts

Filmogaz.com reports Twin Cities residents were recognized with a JFK Courage Award for resisting ICE efforts during a large federal immigration enforcement campaign.

The JFK Library Foundation announced the honor, citing residents who put themselves at risk to protect immigrant neighbors.

Federal operation and deployment

Beginning in late 2025, more than 3,000 federal agents from ICE and U.S. Border Patrol operated in the Twin Cities metro area.

The Department of Homeland Security described the action as the largest federal immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history.

Community response

Tens of thousands of residents took to the streets to protest what they called federal overreach.

Faith leaders organized demonstrations and community groups established rapid-response networks to alert neighbors and document activity.

Labor unions and small businesses joined calls for a statewide day of action. Organizers reported hundreds of local shops closing during a general strike.

Risks, documentation and fatalities

Volunteers filmed enforcement activity and warned families about agent presence across neighborhoods.

The foundation said two people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, died after encounters with enforcement agents during the operation.

Other honorees and statements

The foundation also announced it will honor Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for defending the Fed’s independence.

Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg praised public servants and citizens who acted to uphold democratic promises.

Awards ceremony

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Awards are presented annually by the JFK Library Foundation.

Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg will present the awards on May 31, 2026, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

The foundation lauded a broad coalition of Twin Cities residents and suburban neighbors for peaceful resistance despite real personal risk.