Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne appeared in a video posted to Bluesky on Sunday boasting about his participation in a “rapid response” network that mobilizes civilians to track and obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
“We just got done clearing a rapid response call,” Payne said in the video. “We had about twenty people show up at 10pm on Sunday, demonstrating how important it is for us to stay engaged. Even as we think that ICE isn’t here, they are still abducting people and somebody got taken today.”
Payne told followers to “stay connected with your neighbors” and remain “vigilant.”
The network Payne participated in is part of a broader ICE Rapid Response operation active in Minneapolis. These groups train members to document and follow ICE vehicles, coordinate protest responses when agents are spotted, and in some cases have published the license plates and personal information of ICE personnel, according to reporting by the Daily Wire.
Following Operation Metro Surge, a targeted enforcement deployment in Minneapolis, ICE agents assigned to the operation departed the city. Agents permanently stationed in the Twin Cities continue routine enforcement work and are actively monitored by the activist groups.
The Minneapolis City Council has deep ties to these networks. Both the majority and minority council leaders are members of the Democratic Socialists of America. Council members have worn whistles, a tool used by activists to alert bystanders to nearby ICE activity, to official city meetings where policy is voted on.
Payne’s video was still publicly visible on Bluesky as of Monday. The council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
