Marcia Howard, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Educators, told Al Jazeera that elected officials and union leaders are participating in Signal chat groups used for local "ICE watch" efforts that monitor federal immigration enforcement. Howard said community members—including teachers, parents and local volunteers—use phones, whistles and patrols to protect students and neighbors. She criticized ICE and Border Patrol practices in the Twin Cities, called some officers "overly‑militarized," and compared their actions to "slave catchers" and the KKK. Fox News Digital contacted the union for comment.
Minneapolis Teachers Union President Says Elected Officials Join Anti‑ICE Signal Chats, Describes Community 'ICE Watch'
Minneapolis teachers union chief admits elected officials in anti-ICE Signal chats
Marcia Howard, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Educators, told Al Jazeera in a recent interview that local elected officials and union leaders are participating in Signal chat groups used for what she described as "ICE watch"—community efforts to monitor federal immigration enforcement activity in the Twin Cities.
Howard said participants in these groups help identify license plates, conduct neighborhood patrols and use phones and whistles to protect students and other residents. "Our bosses are in the Signal chats with us," she said. "Our elected officials are in the chats with us."
Marcia Howard (C), an activist and teacher, stands with other community members at George Floyd Square before the start of a candlelight vigil on May 25, 2025, marking the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Getty Images)
"Everybody that's anybody is doing the work of protecting our neighbors, because that's how we show up in Minneapolis and St. Paul," Howard told Al Jazeera.
Howard, a former English teacher with 25 years in the classroom, is well known for her activism during the unrest that followed George Floyd's death in 2020. She has been described as a "steward" of George Floyd Square, where she said she meets with local activists every morning.
Allegations About Federal Agents
In the interview, Howard criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations in the area, calling some officers "hapless, untrained, overly‑militarized agents." She said community encounters escalated, alleging agents taunted residents from rental trucks and that raids targeted undocumented immigrants—some of whom she said had prior criminal histories.
Local teacher and activist Marcia Howard (C) speaks with demonstrators who traveled from around the country outside the Hennepin County Government Center on Dec. 23, 2021, in Minneapolis, Minnesota during jury deliberations in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, who was charged with manslaughter in the April 2021 shooting death of Daunte Wright. Potter says she thought she was using her Taser when she shot Wright with her handgun.
Howard used strong rhetoric to condemn the enforcement tactics, saying federal immigration officers had "declared war on my state, they have declared war in my city," and compared their actions to "slave catchers" and the Ku Klux Klan.
Community Response And Context
Howard described a broad cross‑section of Minneapolis residents—"nanas," youth coaches and parents among them—participating in watch efforts alongside teachers and activists. She framed these actions as protective measures intended to keep students and neighbors safe during enforcement operations.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Minneapolis Federation of Educators for comment.
Background
The comments come amid increased national attention on local responses to federal immigration enforcement. Howard's role in Minneapolis civic life and her leadership in the teachers' union make her statements notable within local political and labor conversations.
Help us improve.
