A local resident, who asked not to be named, offering free ICE whistles to cars driving past the memorial site for Good in Minneapolis. — The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS
ON Minneapolis street corners, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are often heard before they are seen, as local residents and protesters fill the air with the sharp blast of whistles.
The whistles have become a way for the community to draw attention to immigration raids, part of what federal authorities have described as one of the largest enforcement efforts in recent years.
At Minneapolis City Hall, state and city lawmakers, including city council president Elliott Payne and state senator Doron Clark, wore bright red whistles around their necks during a news conference, signalling solidarity with the community and adopting the whistle as a symbol of resistance.
The use of whistles is not new.
Similar tactics were reported in Chicago and Los Angeles last year, where the sound sometimes encouraged enforcement officers to move along or helped de-escalate tense situations.
Now, whistles have spread across the Twin Cities, distributed through local businesses and 3D-printed designs.
Since December, a women’s sports pub has handed out more than 1,500 whistles, with half of that number distributed in just the past few weeks, said owner Jillian Hiscock.
“I have one on every key chain I have,” she said. “People want to help, and they want to do what they can. A whistle is a low-barrier way to step up and show support for our community.”
Interest surged since the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on Jan 7, prompting social media posts asking where whistles could be obtained.
People visiting a makeshift memorial for Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. — AP
The form of protest has drawn federal attention.
Officers are trained to handle crowds and loud noises, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Your whistles won’t stop or hinder federal operations,” the agency posted on X.
Physically interfering with enforcement activity is illegal, but whistles are considered a protected form of expression.
“Bystanders certainly can make noise, blow whistles and alert presence,” attorney Tracy Roy said.
Community support has helped keep supplies flowing. When the women’s sports pub called for more stock, more than 2,000 whistles were pledged by local residents.
Victoria Ford, owner of Minneapolis bookstore Comma, said distributing whistles “seemed like a good fit” given the shop’s space and hours.
Many parents have picked up whistles for their children as a precaution while walking to school.
On some days, the store distributes as many as 300 whistles.
Ford’s shop offers a variety of whistle designs, along with small publications by Chicago artists that have appeared around the Twin Cities.
The publications, featuring images of whistles and the phrase “Form a crowd, stay loud”, are packaged with whistles by the community group @mspwhistles on Instagram.
After Jan 7, Minneapolis hobbyist Zack (who requested only his first name for privacy) went to the scene with a camera and returned home determined to do more. He has since 3D-printed nearly 400 whistles, distributing them to local businesses.
Hiscock hears residents sometimes worry about using the whistles incorrectly or feeling silly.
“People laugh about it being a whistle, but we’ve seen time and time again the power they have – not only notifying people but creating a distraction and helping folks hopefully get to safety,” she said.
For many in the Twin Cities, having a whistle on hand is a tangible first step toward community action.
But even this small gesture comes with weight.
“Picking up a whistle is easy, but using it is not,” Ford said. “It’s putting yourself out there.” — Tribune News Service
