OCCUPIED: MN
OCCUPIED: MN
Occupied: MN is a six-episode docuseries depicting the federal occupation of Minneapolis by masked ICE agents through Operation Metro Surge, and the courageous actions of everyday Americans who rose up to defend their neighbors—no matter the cost.
ABOUT
We, a group of Minnesota filmmakers, journalists and activists, have come together for a documentary project about the occupation of Minnesota by militarized ICE agents on the streets of the Twin Cities—one of the largest domestic immigration enforcement actions in American history.The Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge deployed thousands of masked, armed agents throughout the winter of 2025/2026. People were taken from their homes, their workplaces, and their cars. Facilities were overcrowded. Access to legal counsel was denied. Three people died. No federal charges have followed.But Minnesotans showed up. Neighbors, clergy, elected officials, teachers and parents formed an impactful resistance that ultimately led to ICE’s retreat. Our docuseries will chart the course of the Trump administration’s buildup of anti-immigrant rhetoric and tactics, the widening net of the crackdown, the resilience of Minneapolis’ immigrant population, and the triumph of mutual aid.Our goal is to leave our audience with an implicit call to action by showing the unanswered and unpunished injustices perpetrated on the American people in the Twin Cities and what can be learned from the example set forth by the citizens of Minnesota.
