Group messages and training documents suggest K-12 student ICE protests in Minnesota may be organized by Sunrise Movement and its members, including current Ivy League student with ties to past campus encampments
Incidents
SUMMARY
Group messages and training documents shared with Defending Education suggest that the Twin Cities Student ICE Response group, composed of K-12 students, may be receiving training from Sunrise Movement and its members, including a current Brown University student named Simon Aron who has past ties to campus encampments.
The training presentation includes slides focusing on “Options for ‘Day of Action'” such as a “mass buy and return” at a local Target store or rallying at a state government building. A “walkout guide” that accompanies the presentation features student demands that mirror those from UNIDOS-MN and the Saint Paul Federation of Educators.
Additionally, a “ICE Safety Training for Twin Cities Metro Students” run by Sunrise Movement includes what actions to take if ICE supposedly enters school property and to push back on truancy policies and pausing “standardized testing because of unequal education.” Screen grabs appear to show the Sunrise Movement’s Executive Director, Aru Shiney-Ajay, being part of the Zoom training for K-12 students.
Sunrise Movement sponsors K-12 school clubs and has received funding from donor organizations such as the Ford Foundation, the Tides Foundation, and the Windward Fund, which is part of the Arabella Network. It is also listed as a partner with the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) Climate Justice campaign.
Message chats include timelines of upcoming trainings and protests as well as calling for the recruitment of friends.
DOCUMENTS
ICE Response Coordination Call Slide Presentation
The January 18, 2026, “TC Students ICE Response Coordination Call” presentation includes a slide stating “Trump is experimenting on Minnesota: How far can he take his authoritarian agenda?” Another slides states the goals of the movement which include “Flex our power now to kick ICE out of Minnesota” and “Build long-term student power in schools here and across the country.” The document also lists “options for ‘Day of Action'” such as a “mass buy and return” at a local Target store or rallying at a state government building.
Another slide stating “our student movement is rising” includes logos of various organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), Indivisible, and Socialist Alternative.
A slide titled “Long Term Support” includes an upcoming “Strike Camp in Texas” on February 27, a resource link to starting a “Sunrise Hub at your school,” and how to connect with other radical groups in Minnesota.
Minnesota Student Walkout Guide
A “Minnesota Student Walkout Guide” from Sunrise Movement and UNIDOS MN states that “Minnesota is under attack, and schools are on the frontlines. Our classmates are teargassed, kidnapped or missing. Trump is experimenting on us to see how far he can take his authoritarian agenda.”
The document includes a list of demands that mirror those coming from UNIDOS-MN and the Saint Paul Federation of Educators such as “ICE must leave Minnesota now,” “the officer who killed Renee Nicole Good must be held legally accountable,” and “no additional federal funding for ICE.”
The walkout guide includes a checklist for preparation, recruitment, walkouts, and action roles; as well as other guides such as how to “photograph an action.”
UNIDOS-MN is listed on the Minnesota Government “Council on Latino Affair”s website under “Community Services and Resources.”
Student ICE Safety Training
A presentation for an “ICE Student Safety Training for Twin Cities Metro Students” run by Sunrise Movement leadership includes slides focused on pushing far-left narratives, what to do if ICE enters school property, and a set of demands for the Minnesota Government.
Slide narratives make claims such as “We are seeing this surge in ICE agents because we live in an authoritarian regime,” “ICE is being used to terrorize and divide everyday people, while billionaires get richer,” and “there is no safety until we get rid of ICE and Trump.”
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