Panels created by Rocky Casillas Aguirre are written in both Spanish and English, on display recently at the Northfield Public Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
I APPRECIATE WHEN LEADERS think outside the box, using creative ways to gather and share information.
Take a project in the southern Minnesota riverside college town of Northfield, home to more than 2,000 Latinos, representing some 10 percent of the city’s population. A 2023 city-inspired effort led by a collective of local Latino artists and activists was tasked with developing a connective public art project focused on Latino voices.
Getting the conversation going…(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
Among the results was a poster campaign, “Dear Northfield,” by Latino artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre. He interviewed 100 Latino residents, asking this question: “If you could write a letter to the people who govern our city, what would you tell them?”
The results are colorful, eye-catching panels that reveal invaluable insights from Northfield’s Latino population. I recently saw six of Aguirre’s art posters displayed in the atrium of the Northfield Public Library, a community gathering spot.
At first glance, the artwork reminds me of illustrations in a children’s picture book or drawings in a cartoon. That’s a signature style of Aguirre, born in Mexico, raised in Northfield and a resident for more than 20 years. His art grabs attention in vivid cultural colors.
But it is the comments on those posters which especially deserve a close look as they address topics like housing, transportation, food, culture, communication and connection.
On the topic of local businesses… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
In their own words, Latino residents of Northfield share their thoughts, their concerns, their hopes, their dreams. They wish for Latino businesses downtown, shops where they can buy Mexican-made products, foods familiar and comforting to them.
On the topic of housing… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
They want affordable housing, options other than living in trailer houses and apartments.
On the topic of culture and entertainment… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
They want local Latino-based cultural choices in music, entertainment and art, specifically naming murals. That seems doable in Northfield, which has always embraced public art and has multiple murals.
They want more options for youth, like a Latino youth center.
On the topic of representation in local government… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
They want more representation in city government and increased connections and engagement between white people and Latinos.
None of these seem like particularly big asks, although some certainly take time and money to implement. It’s good to get the conversation going.
The panels as viewed from outside the Northfield Public Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
I hope other communities follow Northfield’s example and use art as a way to share information that will help build a stronger, better and more culturally-aware and diverse city. A place where everyone can thrive, no matter their color, no matter their language, no matter their culture.
(Promo sourced from the Northfield Arts Guild Facebook page.)
Update: Due to the forecast winter storm/blizzard in Minnesota beginning Saturday, March 14, through Monday, March 16, this event could be subject to cancellation on Sunday. However, hours have already been added from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.
THE COMMUNITY OF NORTHFIELD is stepping up once again, as it has multiple times in recent months, to help immigrants in need following Operation Metro Surge.
So what exactly is an art swap? It’s a group of artists gathering, creating and passing around artwork, all contributing at the same time. Basically, an artist builds on or adds to an original work of art that’s circulating around the room.
Local artists met for four two-hour sessions in February to create watercolor and acrylic art themed to Banksy’s “Flower Thrower” painting. That piece by the graffiti artist shows a masked man throwing flowers in a form of nonviolent resistance. This seems an appropriate choice given federal immigration enforcement agents wore masks and threw tear gas and other chemical irritants at protesters and resisters in Minnesota. Art has always been a tool of expression.
Now, as nearly all 3,000 federal agents have left the state (about 100 remain), recovery begins. The need is great for monies to fund legal aid, rental assistance, food and other basics among those impacted by ICE. This sale of collaborative art on Sunday is just one more way to help individuals and families who are struggling.
Northfield continues to show, via multiple fundraisers, that it cares deeply about those who call this southern Minnesota community home. They take the directive, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and put those words into action, this time with paint and paintbrushes.
MINNESOTANS ARE KNOWN for their generosity. And once again they showed up big time to support those affected by federal immigration enforcement in our state.
I photographed this sandwich board outside Content Bookstore in mid-February. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
At Content Bookstore in nearby Northfield, around $3,000 was donated to the two organizations. I was among the donors and among the many Content shoppers who visited with Allen Eskens, a writer of thrillers and mysteries from St. Peter, and Mary Bleckwehl, a Northfield children’s book author.
I got a free copy of this book for donating to one of the selected nonprofits. (Book cover sourced online)
Nearly 60 writers participated statewide in Authors for Minnesota Day, giving of their time and also giving away selected books to those who gave to the two recipient nonprofits. I snagged a soft-cover copy of Bleckwehl’s Arrrgh! Me Hate to Wait! Eskens had already given away his supply of free books by the time I arrived in mid-afternoon.
This event was about more than helping two deserving nonprofits focused on helping immigrants in Minnesota. This was also about supporting independent bookstores and Minnesota writers. Content Bookstore buzzed with shoppers browsing shelves, buying books and even standing in line to chat with Eskens and Bleckwehl.
To see this level of interest and support was encouraging, but not surprising. Minnesota has repeatedly proven, in the past few months especially, that it cares about and looks out for its neighbors.
Lourey, co-organizer with author Kristi Belcamino, posted on Facebook: “I was in tears several times throughout the day seeing how many people in our community want to support small businesses and immigrant rights. Thank you to all the bookstores and authors who participated, and to everyone who showed up—we got to see the best of Minnesota today.”
(Promo sourced from The Grand Event Center Facebook page)
THE GOOD FOLKS of Northfield, Minnesota, are organizing again to help their neighbors. This time it’s via a 12-hour Mutual Aid Marathon from 10 am-10 pm Saturday, March 7, at The Grand Event Center in this college town south of the Twin Cities.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to organizations—such as Sharing Our Roots and Northfield Community Action Center—providing mutual aid to those in the community impacted by federal immigration enforcement.
Doors open at 10 am at the event center, 316 Washington Street, just a block off Division Street in the heart of this historic downtown. Suggested donation at the door is $10.
From 10 until noon, attendees can enjoy a breakfast with 30 percent of entree sales going to organizations doing vital work in the community. Likewise, profits from a “pay what you can” appetizer buffet, which starts at 4 pm, will also be donated.
Event planners promise a full day and evening of live music, performances, poetry, political education, and powerful speakers. See the event poster promo above for a complete schedule.
Organizers are calling upon the public to: Bring friends. Bring family. Bring your appetite and your solidarity. Come for a while or stay for the entire marathon.
As I see it, the Mutual Aid Marathon is all about neighbors helping neighbors, which is the very definition of a loving and caring community.
College students walk past a public mural fronting a vacant lot in downtown Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
BETWEEN DIVISION STREET and the Cannon River in downtown Northfield across from the public library, an art installment stretches, hiding a fenced, vacant spot of land.
Barricades block entry to the historic Archer House, damaged by a 2020 fire and later demolished. The public art installation covers the length of the hotel. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2020)
Here the historic Archer House River Inn once stood, a sprawling complex of hotel and businesses until a November 2020 fire severely damaged the building. It was later demolished, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of this thriving southern Minnesota college town.
The back view behind the panels shows the foundation of the Archer House. The Northfield Public Library sits in the background across Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
Flash forward years later and a 170-foot long length of 17 individual mesh fabric murals now hang on fencing surrounding foundation remnants and earth. Until the land is developed, this public art installation hides an eyesore and stands as a tribute to the creatives in the Northfield community.
Northfield library staffers compiled a list of books by Northfielders, past and present, to incorporate into the panels. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
As a lover of both art and books, I appreciate this unique community endeavor to create something artistically beautiful and informative.
College students pass by the mural panels while I photograph the installation. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
The Northfield Public Library worked with local Latino artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre on the project, which features more than 100 books by Northfield authors showcased on bookshelves printed on fabric. Walking along the mural scanning the titles is almost like walking into the library across the street up the hill and searching for a book.
One of Aguirre’s characters reads “Giants in the Earth.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
As I followed the installation, photographing and reading book titles, I found books familiar and unfamiliar. Some are widely-known, like Giants in the Earth, a story about Norwegian immigrants homesteading in Dakota Territory during the 19th Century, by Ole E. Rolvaag. Or Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone’s The Conscience of a Liberal—Reclaiming the Compassionate Agendas. He died in a 2002 plane crash.
Characters created by Rocky Casillas Aguirre mix with books by Northfielders. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
Then there are poetry collections by Northfield poets—Bridge and Division, We Look West… This is a community rich in poets, a city where poems imprint upon concrete in a Sidewalk Poetry project.
Some of the books by Northfield authors are specifically themed to Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
Other titles also drew my eye like A Field Guide to Northfield by Nancy Soth, Peace for Ukraine Coloring Book, Northfield Cocina: Local Latino Recipes and many more.
Lots of the artist’s cartoon characters are busy reading books. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
Beyond those 100 plus books featured in the art installation are the colorful characters Aguirre creates for his books, cartoons and stand alone art. They are interspersed among the titles—reading, interacting, resting, adding elements of color and interest.
Twitch, a magical campfire created by the artist for his own art, is incorporated into the murals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
Aguirre, who has dealt with anxiety and depression, focuses his art on raising awareness about mental health, especially among youth. Twitch, a magical campfire, is among the characters he’s created and which can be spotted on the downtown mural.
Another view of the panels, looking south on Division St. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted
This artist, born in Mexico but raised in Northfield and a resident for more than 20 years, also worked with the local Latino community on another city-supported art project, “Dear Northfield.” He interviewed 100 local Latinos, among the 2,000 who live in the city, to get their insights on topics like housing, food, transportation and more. The result is a series of bi-lingual posters that inform, raise awareness and connect. “Dear Northfield” is currently displayed at the Northfield library.
Even the library has its own history book. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
I learned a lot by simply walking along the mural panels attached to fencing at the site of the demolished Archer House. I learned that Northfield has far more authors than I ever imagined. Authors who write in all genres.
Looking at the mural north along Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
An overview of the art installation photographed through a second floor library window looking down on the Division Street scene. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
I’m excited to see more and learn more. The visual arts are such a gift, whether hung on a fence screening a vacant lot or hung in a gallery inside an arts center. Art holds the power to move us, inform us, enlighten us and, sometimes, even to change us.
Mark Heiman designed the book cover. (Image sourced online)
IN A SLIM VOLUME of poetry collected by a small town Minnesota independent bookstore and printed by a small town printer, 22 area poets raise their voices in response to the massive immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota. The result is 26 powerful, empowering, strongly-worded poems that hold back nothing.
These poets unleash their fury, their fears, their frustrations, layers of intense emotions. “Let every poem be a witness,” writes my friend and former Northfield Poet Laureate Rob Hardy in his poem, “A Witness.” He writes that in the context of the fatal shooting of mother and poet, Renee Nicole Good, by a federal immigration agent on the streets of Minneapolis on January 7.
The poets and their poems plus an intro by Lindsay Ness, co-owner of The Grand Event Center. She introduced a “Words to Meet the Moment: Poets Against Fascism” poetry reading which preceded publication of this chapbook. If you find the title of a poem offensive, read the poem and you will understand the title. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
Two poems, “Last Words” by Susan Jaret McKinstry and “I’m Not Mad at You” by Marie Gery, quote Renee Good’s final words—”I’m not mad at you”—spoken to a federal immigration agent right before her fatal shooting.
The words within these 26 poems reflect not only individual poets’ thoughts but also a collective community reaction to ICE in Minnesota. Themes of anger, fear, unity, dignity, hope and light run throughout this poetry.
Colorful merchandise inside Mercado Local in Northfield, where I met Mar Valdecantos and read poetry with Becky Boling and D.E. Green. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I especially appreciate the writing of two immigrants, including my friend Mar Valdecantos, who came to the U.S. from Spain many years ago. She uses humor to make a point, stating that perhaps she should cover her dark hair with a blonde wig. That would allow her to semi hide her ethnicity and allow her to feel safer while out and about in the community. Safe against racial profiling, used freely by immigration agents to stop people of color in Minnesota.
Latino immigrant Heriberto Rosas, in “Minnesota es un lugar de contrastes,” writes of whence and why he came to America, the challenges he and other immigrants have faced, and the hope and gratitude they hold. It’s an especially revealing poem written in Spanish and translated into English on the opposite page.
My poet friend D.E. (Doug) Green also writes “hope” into his poem, “A Bridge Too Far,” as he references the Civil Rights Movement and the bridge crossed, literally, “in the face of violence, cruelty and terrible hatred.” A bridge which must once again be crossed.
I picked up my copy of the chapbook at Content Bookstore after a morning of protesting in Faribault, thus the flat hair. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo by Randy Helbling)
These poems are raw, relentless, sometimes raging in content. That includes my “Fiery Resistance” and “Death of a Poet.” Words hold power. “We the people have a job to do,” writes Orick Peterson in “ICE Prowls Our Streets.” He asks us to muster our courage against the bullies, take on our neighbors’ fears, lean into each other.
Steve McCown, who died unexpectedly on the day he was to read his original poem, “Ice and Fire,” at a “Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism” event on January 18 in Northfield, summarizes everything well in the final line of his poem: “We can build a fire on ice.” Let me repeat his final line, with emphasis: “We can build a fire on ice.”
FYI: The 42-page chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism, is for sale only at Content Bookstore in Northfield. Cost is $10. The bookstore will ship domestically at a cost of $4.99, the media mail book rate, with an additional $1 charge for each book ordered.
Content Bookstore published the chapbook with printing By All Means Graphics. The original print run is 300 books. Once expenses are paid, proceeds from sale of the chapbook will go to the Northfield Community Action Center.
“Words to Meet the Moment,” published by Content Bookstore, Northfield, Minnesota, and printed by Northfield-based By All Means Graphics.(Book cover designed by Mark Heiman)
POETRY HOLDS POWER. And perhaps no time has that been more evident in Minnesota than during the massive federal immigration enforcement, Operation Metro Surge.
In January, poets from my area of southern Minnesota gathered to read original poetry at a “Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism” event in Northfield. I was in Wisconsin, unable to attend. But a poet friend, Becky Boling, read my two poems, “Death of a Poet” and “Fiery Resistance.”
T-shirts for sale at Content Bookstore. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)
Now those two poems and others read at The Grand Event Center in January have been printed in a chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment, published by Content Bookstore. That’s an independent, socially-conscious bookshop in the heart of historic downtown Northfield. Once printing costs have been covered, all proceeds from chapbook sales will be donated to the Northfield Community Action Center, a nonprofit serving the community.
The work of 20 poets, some of whom I know personally (and have read poetry with) or whom I’ve heard read, are printed therein. These are gifted poets, many with their own published collections of poetry. Several were previous poet laureates in Northfield.
I picked up this zine when I was recently at Content Bookstore. It includes three poems, “Ice and Fire” by Steve McCown, “Last Words for Renee Nicole Good” by Susan Jaret McKinstry and “A Witness” by Rob Hardy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
All of us wrote in response to ICE’s presence in Minnesota and/or in reaction to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal immigration agent on January 7. This was prior to the second fatal shooting, that of Alex Pretti, by ICE agents. Good was a poet, which makes this new chapbook especially meaningful.
Whether you like poetry or not, this is one collection you should read to better understand how we as Minnesotans, we as poets, have been feeling these past few months. Poetry holds power. It is a way to raise our voices against injustice, a way to express our thoughts, our feelings. A way to make a difference. A way to meet the moment.
FYI:To pre-order/order Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism, click here. The chapbook is priced at $10. Content Bookstore will ship the chapbook domestically for an additional cost of $4.99, the media mail book rate, plus an additional $1 per book shipped. Only one printing is planned, unless the chapbook sells quickly. Books will also be available for purchase in the store.
Northfield, typically a welcoming community, has not welcomed ICE as seen in this sign downtown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
THE DAY AFTER BORDER CZAR (anyone dislike that title as much as me?) Tom Homan announced a draw-down of federal immigration agents in Minnesota, I’m feeling, as Governor Tim Walz said, “cautiously optimistic.” Recent history has proven that we can’t necessarily believe or trust what federal government officials tell us. But I’m trying to be hopeful.
T-shirts for sale at Content Bookstore in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
For more than two months, 3,000 immigration enforcement agents have been working in Minnesota. And if anyone still believes that they are/were doing only targeted enforcement, arresting “the worst of the worst,” then I have some lakefront property to sell you.
Let’s go back to Thursday morning, when Homan made his draw-down announcement complete with praise for his agents and the success of their mission in Minnesota. I couldn’t listen any more. I’d heard enough.
Buttons for sale at Content Bookstore, an independent bookshop in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
I had an appointment in neighboring Northfield anyway so off I went to this college town that, like Faribault, has been recently inundated by ICE. Except in Northfield, a decidedly blue city, the business community is publicly vocal about its opposition to ICE’s presence unlike in my decidedly red city.
Empowering signage in the window of a downtown Northfield business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
In the heart of downtown Northfield, on one side of a block along Division Street, nearly every business has posted an anti-ICE sign and/or uplifting signage. I felt the strength of those shopkeepers willing to stand up for and encourage others. There’s power in raising united voices in opposition to wrong.
Buy a sticker at Content and help Northfield’s children. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
Inside Content Bookstore, where I stopped to shop for a baby shower gift, I discovered even more messaging and ways in which the Northfield community is stepping up to help their immigrant neighbors, including children affected by ICE’s actions. Monies from the sale of Minnesota state flag and “Rebel Loon” (our state bird) stickers will go toward books and activities for those kids. Content is also collaborating on a poetry chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism, releasing soon.
Strong words for ICE posted on a downtown Northfield business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
As ICE supposedly ends Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota (which also encompassed cities and small towns outside the metro like my city of 25,000), we are left with a mess. Let me define that. The personal toll is huge. Trauma has been inflicted upon thousands. “Generational trauma,” Governor Walz said.
Another inspirational message posted at a Northfield business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
I worry about the kids who witnessed family members being taken or who saw armed, masked immigration officers with guns outside their schools (with classmates taken by ICE), outside their daycares, outside or inside their homes, at their bus stops, on the streets. It’s hard enough for adults to see such threatening power, aggression and use of excessive force. But our children? The mental health of all Minnesotans concerns me, especially that of the youngest among us.
Northfielders have stepped up to help one another as seen in this sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
And then there is the financial fall-out with people now unable to pay their bills, including rent, facing eviction because they haven’t gone to work out of fear of ICE. Again, legal status matters not as anyone with brown or black skin has been targeted. These same individuals and families have relied on community members and nonprofits to help with rent payments and to bring them groceries. This is not long-term sustainable.
Against the backdrop of the Minnesota state flag, the message is clear on a Northfield business: ICE OUT. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
Until we are all confident that ICE is really, truly gone and is doing only targeted enforcement of “the worst of the worst,” we will all remain on edge. Rebuilding trust, restoring life to normalcy will assuredly take time.
A great quote from Maya Angelou fits the strength and resilience of Minnesotans. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
Likewise, the Minnesota economy has suffered severe damage, especially small businesses. Governor Walz has proposed a $10 million forgivable loan recovery plan to help the business community and is also hoping for help from the federal government. Good luck with that.
While on the Riverwalk in Northfield, I spotted this graffiti on the pedestrian bridge over the Cannon River. I don’t condone this graffiti, but I certainly understand it. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
While in Northfield on Thursday, I learned that ICE agents recently went along Division Street, asking for employment records at some businesses. I don’t know details. But in my mind, I envision these armed, masked officers as a threatening presence in the heart of this picturesque, riverside American city. This community doesn’t back down from threats. In September 1876, townsfolk stopped the James-Younger Gang from robbing the First National Bank. Northfield is a community which cares for one another and which, in the midst of a federal invasion, has stood, is still standing, Minnesota Strong.
A love message posted along a recreational trail in Madison, Wisconsin. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
WHAT IS LOVE if not compassion, care and kindness, often privately, but also publicly, expressed? Each holds value.
Roses from my husband. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
On Valentine’s Day, I appreciate a loving valentine, a box of chocolates and/or a dozen roses as much as anyone. But what I value even more is the steadfast love that is part of my daily life. The love that comes in a hug, a kind word, a loving gesture, a caring act, a text.
A look inside a food pantry outside the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I also appreciate the ways in which communities show love. Neighbors helping neighbors. Nonprofits providing for those in need of food, housing, financial assistance. Volunteers helping in their communities in whatever ways they can, whenever they can. We are seeing a lot of that right now.
This is love.
A beautiful love-themed mural in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
And then there’s love-themed art found in public spaces. I’ve discovered love on murals, in signs, even on the back of a car. I often photograph these love messages because I think it’s important to document the positive, that which uplifts, that which connects all of us no matter our differences.
A personal, loving message photographed on the back of a car several years ago at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Love is universal. And how we express and live love matters in connecting us, building relationships, bettering our communities.
One of my favorite photos, taken in Pine Island, shows a loving act. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Love comes in a smile, a door held, a supportive arm offered, an encouraging word spoken. Words matter. They need not be poetic or profound, simply rooted in kindness, understanding, care.
A vintage valentine from my mom’s collection. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Listening, too, is love, something we could all be better at practicing. The same goes for thinking before we speak or anonymously type behind our screens.
Photographed in Pine Island. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
On Valentine’s Day, I hope we can all pause and ponder the ways in which we can grow love. In our personal lives. In our neighborhoods. In our communities. For “what the world needs now is love, sweet love.” And a whole lot more of it.
A wish on the Wish Wall at Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
I happened upon this project a few weeks ago while walking through the hallway connecting Buckham Memorial Library to the Faribault rec center. I knew I needed to write about this effort to gather comments in a time of much uncertainty and turmoil in America as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Posting a wish at the Carleton College Library during the project launch. (Photo by and courtesy of Zachary Spindler-Krage, Division of Communications, Carleton College)
Weeks into the project, Wish Walls, set up in eight locations throughout Rice County, are generating high interest and participation. “The public has really embraced the opportunity to express their feelings about America on its birthday. We originally hoped we’d get 200 responses total. I suspect now that we’ll get three times that number by the time we take down the Wish Walls (around February 16)” said Serena Zabin, professor of history and liberal arts at Carleton College in Northfield. She teaches the class, HIST 216: History Beyond Walls, that is leading this civic engagement effort.
The Wish Wall in the hallway outside Buckham Library had only two wishes when I photographed it several weeks ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
WISHING FOR UNITY & MORE
And what are people in Faribault writing on those Wish Walls, which I checked on January 21-22? Answers range from personal to general. Some common themes emerge with wishes for love, happiness, respect, kindness, empathy… I especially appreciated the wish that we would “…learn to be color blind. We are more the same than we are different.” That resonates.
One simple wish at the Oasis. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
I felt the deep concern of the writer who hopes for a return to “humanity.” Another wishes “that we wouldn’t be so politically aggravated.” Another holds one singular wish: Unity.
Posted at the Oasis. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
There’s a lot of thought and emotion behind these written words posted on local Wish Walls. When I read about desires that no one go hungry, that all can access medical care, that we ought to help our neighbors, I felt the love of community.
Sharpies and cards for writing wishes at the Buckham Library Wish Wall. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
REVIEW, ANALYZE, SUMMARIZE, LEARN
When the Wish Walls come down, the Carleton College history class will review, analyze and summarize the comments, looking for patterns and common themes, determining whether location impacted responses and more, according to professor Zabin. Results will be shared via social media through the college and the county historical society and at the county fair.
Students will also compare comments with historical research they are doing on the commemoration of the 1876 Centennial, Zabin said, with a goal to answer this question: If there had been Wish Walls around Rice County in 1876, what responses might people have posted?
Penning a wish for America during the project launch at the Carleton College Library. (Photo by and courtesy of Zachary Spindler-Krage, Division of Communications, Carleton College)
I appreciate the work of these students, who are monitoring the Wish Walls, making public presentations and researching. What they learn will not only be invaluable in connecting them with local communities, but will also provide useful information and insights for those of us who call Rice County home. Responses and reports will be kept in a time capsule by the county historical society.
At Faribault’s senior center, Buckham West, a wish for Americans. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)
Via this nationwide project, people from across the country are sharing their thoughts about America’s future. There’s much to contemplate during this 250th year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our nation in the context of today in the U.S.
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FYI: Wish Walls in Rice County have been placed in Faribault at Buckham Memorial Library, Buckham West and The Oasis 55021; in Northfield at the Northfield Public Library, FiftyNorth Senior Center, the Key Youth Center and the Carleton College Library; and at the Lonsdale Public Library.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
ICE OUT, a photo essay & commentary from Minnesota February 13, 2026
Tags: businesses, commentary, Content Bookstore, Division Street, Governor Tim Walz, ICE OUT, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Minnesota, Minnesota Strong, news, Northfield, photo essay, photography, signs, strength
THE DAY AFTER BORDER CZAR (anyone dislike that title as much as me?) Tom Homan announced a draw-down of federal immigration agents in Minnesota, I’m feeling, as Governor Tim Walz said, “cautiously optimistic.” Recent history has proven that we can’t necessarily believe or trust what federal government officials tell us. But I’m trying to be hopeful.
For more than two months, 3,000 immigration enforcement agents have been working in Minnesota. And if anyone still believes that they are/were doing only targeted enforcement, arresting “the worst of the worst,” then I have some lakefront property to sell you.
Let’s go back to Thursday morning, when Homan made his draw-down announcement complete with praise for his agents and the success of their mission in Minnesota. I couldn’t listen any more. I’d heard enough.
I had an appointment in neighboring Northfield anyway so off I went to this college town that, like Faribault, has been recently inundated by ICE. Except in Northfield, a decidedly blue city, the business community is publicly vocal about its opposition to ICE’s presence unlike in my decidedly red city.
In the heart of downtown Northfield, on one side of a block along Division Street, nearly every business has posted an anti-ICE sign and/or uplifting signage. I felt the strength of those shopkeepers willing to stand up for and encourage others. There’s power in raising united voices in opposition to wrong.
Inside Content Bookstore, where I stopped to shop for a baby shower gift, I discovered even more messaging and ways in which the Northfield community is stepping up to help their immigrant neighbors, including children affected by ICE’s actions. Monies from the sale of Minnesota state flag and “Rebel Loon” (our state bird) stickers will go toward books and activities for those kids. Content is also collaborating on a poetry chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism, releasing soon.
As ICE supposedly ends Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota (which also encompassed cities and small towns outside the metro like my city of 25,000), we are left with a mess. Let me define that. The personal toll is huge. Trauma has been inflicted upon thousands. “Generational trauma,” Governor Walz said.
I worry about the kids who witnessed family members being taken or who saw armed, masked immigration officers with guns outside their schools (with classmates taken by ICE), outside their daycares, outside or inside their homes, at their bus stops, on the streets. It’s hard enough for adults to see such threatening power, aggression and use of excessive force. But our children? The mental health of all Minnesotans concerns me, especially that of the youngest among us.
And then there is the financial fall-out with people now unable to pay their bills, including rent, facing eviction because they haven’t gone to work out of fear of ICE. Again, legal status matters not as anyone with brown or black skin has been targeted. These same individuals and families have relied on community members and nonprofits to help with rent payments and to bring them groceries. This is not long-term sustainable.
Until we are all confident that ICE is really, truly gone and is doing only targeted enforcement of “the worst of the worst,” we will all remain on edge. Rebuilding trust, restoring life to normalcy will assuredly take time.
Likewise, the Minnesota economy has suffered severe damage, especially small businesses. Governor Walz has proposed a $10 million forgivable loan recovery plan to help the business community and is also hoping for help from the federal government. Good luck with that.
While in Northfield on Thursday, I learned that ICE agents recently went along Division Street, asking for employment records at some businesses. I don’t know details. But in my mind, I envision these armed, masked officers as a threatening presence in the heart of this picturesque, riverside American city. This community doesn’t back down from threats. In September 1876, townsfolk stopped the James-Younger Gang from robbing the First National Bank. Northfield is a community which cares for one another and which, in the midst of a federal invasion, has stood, is still standing, Minnesota Strong.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling