Voices: Amid chaos in Minnesota, Utahns must speak out for peace, accountability and clarity in immigration enforcement

Another person has been shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend, and a growing number of others were injured as news reports showed chaotic scenes of protesters clashing with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

As peace-loving Americans and women of faith, we feel compelled to speak out: This is not making Americans more safe.

Local and state officials are calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stand down and help restore peace in Minnesota, but so far, their requests have been met with threats of additional escalation. As DHS attempted to open a detention center in Utah and expand operations across the country, this tragedy should cause Utahns to pause and consider whether an increased DHS presence would align with the state’s values.

During operations in Minneapolis and elsewhere, ICE officers and leaders in the DHS have effectively reversed their mission to “preserve national security and public safety.” They have endangered public safety and created security risks and, in turn, are threatening the rule of law. Instead of providing transparency and accountability about their operations, federal officials have chosen to impede local investigations and deceive the American public, making statements that are contradicted by local officials, eyewitnesses and video evidence.

The use of force in immigration enforcement efforts has escalated to an alarming degree in a matter of months, with at least 12 people shot by federal immigration officers since September 2025. The number of people being detained by ICE is at an all-time high, and the majority of those in detention have no criminal record. Most Americans said they believed the administration’s immigration efforts were “too much” in recent polls.

Additionally, leaders are sending confusing messages about the immunity of immigration enforcement officers. This leads peaceful citizens to think twice about exercising their First Amendment rights and fuels a fundamental level of distrust between law enforcement and citizens, endangering everyone. Immigrants and members of other marginalized communities have long warned against the injustices present within American law enforcement, and for good reason. And now, their wariness is reflected by the broader American public.

We reject the premise that the violent treatment of citizens, legal immigrants, refugees and peaceful non-citizens are the price we must pay to protect the American people.

As we all process any feelings of anger, frustration or grief, Americans must be vigilant. We must be clear on the need to preserve states’ rights, human rights and due process for all. Immigration enforcement is a necessary part of law and order, but it must be more measured, targeted and humane. Above all else, it must be accomplished legally.

We must continue to speak out, and any exercise of our right to protest must be impeccably peaceful. We must not meet violence with violence, not only because doing so would compromise our moral integrity, but also because a commitment to peacemaking requires recognizing and nurturing the humanity of those with whom we find ourselves in opposition, including members of ICE and political leaders.

We must also speak up for the most vulnerable among us. Refugees who fled from violence are now being re-traumatized in the U.S. Immigrants who access legal channels to work and remain in the U.S. are being detained as they attend their required court hearings. U.S. citizens, including Native Americans, are being racially profiled, detained, physically harmed and mistakenly deported. We call on more elected representatives to lead out in ensuring due process and restoring peace.

We aspire to follow the example of the many people throughout the country who have rallied with courage to care for their more vulnerable neighbors. Their examples reflect principles of Mormon Women for Ethical Government and Utah values. Our hope is fortified in these as we discern between misinformation and reliable sources, call for accountability for ICE and other federal agencies, eschew violence and act on our responsibility to love our neighbors.

With that hope, we acknowledge that people are hurt and afraid, and that we can collectively bear their burdens, individually minister to them, and advocate for justice.

Meredith Gardner is the director of media literacy for Mormon Women for Ethical Government.

Sherilyn Stevenson is the lead researcher and writer for Mormon Women for Ethical Government.

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