January 26, 2025
Washington, DC – In response to news coming out of Minneapolis, Advancement Project’s Interim Executive Director Carmen Daugherty issued this statement:
“The brazen murder of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol in Minneapolis is yet another devastating reminder that our policing systems are harming communities instead of protecting them. We are at a crossroads, where the people of the United States must stand together to keep our communities safe or risk further violence at the hands of federal agents.
When five-year-olds are kidnapped and sent to detention, when legal observers and protestors are gunned down, when immigrant communities and people of color are forced to hide for their lives, we’ve reached a point that calls for all of us to speak out against injustice.
We support the people of Minnesota calling for ICE to leave immediately. We urge corporations to align with community demands and refuse to collaborate with ICE. We call on Congress to reject additional funding for ICE and CBP and instead abolish both.
The organizing power in Minnesota—mobilizing strikes, delivering material support, and building real community safety—shows us the path forward. Now is the time for all of us to speak out, show up, and fight for justice.”
Advancement Project released a report in 2025 titled, “Our Silence Will Not Protect Us: Tracking Recent Trends in Anti-Protest Laws,” which documents key legal strategies designed to chill dissent. While efforts by the state and private institutions to squash dissent are not new, the trend is worsening.
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Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. We are a co-convener of the National Campaign for Police Free schools, a formation of 20+ youth-led grassroots organizations fighting to end the criminalization of youth in the classroom, create liberatory educational spaces, and implement an affirmative vision of safety and transformative justice. Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.
