U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

03/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/19/2026 13:47

Klobuchar Statement on JFK Profile in Courage Award for the People of the Twin Cities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the people of the Twin Cities being honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for their response to Operation Metro Surge.

"This winter, Minnesotans showed the world what courage looks like. Our state was the center of America's heartbreak, but we were also the center of America's hope. This award is a recognition not just of how our state persevered, but of how Minnesotans led the way in defending the freedoms that define our democracy and the rule of law."

Announcement from the JFK Library Foundation:

The people of the Twin Cities of Minnesota will be honored with a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award® for risking their lives to protect their neighbors and immigrant community members from an unprecedented federal law enforcement operation, peacefully defending the human rights and values that serve as the foundation of our Constitutional democracy.

Starting in 2025, a sharp escalation in federal immigration enforcement swept cities across the country, disrupting workplaces and neighborhoods and stoking fear among immigrant families. In the Twin Cities of Minnesota, the surge was especially intense: more than 3,000 federal agents from ICE and Border Patrol were deployed to the metro area, an operation the Department of Homeland Security described as the largest federal immigration enforcement action in U.S. history. The unprecedented scale and use of force pushed the boundaries of federal authority, drawing national attention to concerns about federal overreach.

The people of the Twin Cities responded with extraordinary courage and resolve. Tens of thousands took to the streets to peacefully protest federal overreach and threats to immigrant families and constitutional protections, while others documented enforcement activity and alerted neighbors to federal agents' presence. Faith leaders organized demonstrations, community groups built rapid-response networks, labor leaders and small business defended workers, and volunteers provided critical support and resources. Across religious, racial, and political lines, a broad coalition of residents of the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs united in peaceful resistance despite violent confrontation and real personal risk, defending their neighbors' rights and strengthening the national movement to protect American democracy.

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