Art, Resistance, and the Arrest of Isa Lopez

From community murals to protest lines, Isa López has long embodied the heart of Minneapolis’s Latine and Indigenous resistance. Her struggle is now a rallying cry for justice.

Jarary Santos Segovia

Isa López is a beloved Minneapolis community member. She is an artist, poet, and proud activist among many other things. Isa inspires Minneapolis’s Latine and Indigenous communities everyday with her art, poetry, and activism.

On June 3, 2025 federal agents descended on South Minneapolis on the corner of Lake St and Bloomington Ave for what appeared to be an immigration raid carried out at Las Cuatro Milpas. According to Sahan Journal, there were at least 30 agents in military clothing, armed with military grade weapons and accompanied by military trucks. Community members quickly arrived on scene, prompted by alerts that ICE agents were detaining Cuatro Milpas workers and residents of the apartment complex above the restaurant.

One of the community members in attendance was community activist and poet Isa Lopez. As the crowd of concerned community members swelled, they demanded answers from the various federal agencies (ICE, HSI, FBI, ATF), Hennepin County Sheriff, and a smaller number of Minneapolis Police Department officers about their presence. Despite a local ordinance that prevents MPD from collaborating with federal agencies, MPD maintains their presence was needed for crowd control. Isa and others demanded accountability for the unusual show of force in an otherwise tranquil neighborhood home to many immigrant communities. In one such act of force caught on camera, a federal agent in military gear is seen grabbing Isa by her coat, slamming her to the ground, and pinning her down.

It was revealed in the aftermath of the disastrous operation that various federal agencies collided to carry out search warrants with ties to an alleged drug and human trafficking operation. No one has been charged in connection to the alleged operation and search warrants have been kept sealed.

Less than a week later, on June 9th Isa was leaving an interview with journalist Georgia Fort about the June 3rd incident. As she was heading to her vehicle, she was approached by unidentified officers and violently shoved into an unmarked vehicle. She was booked at Sherburne County Jail on federal counts of assaulting law enforcement. Although she is a U.S. citizen, Isa was detained at Sherburne County Jail, known to serve as an ICE detention facility. Soon after news of her arrest broke, community members gathered on a vigil outside of the County Jail to demonstrate solidarity with Isa. On June 12th, 2025 Isa was granted a bail bond and will be allowed to fight her case alongside her community.

Isa’s community has maintained their support as she faces four felony charges. Three of those charges stem from the alleged obstruction to the investigation she posed on June 3rd, and one charge on allegedly assaulting an agent as she protected herself on June 9th.

Isa has experienced state-inflicted intimidation and manipulation throughout the process. An initial hearing set for September 29th was rescheduled. The court has stated that all evidentiary communication between her lawyer and prosecutor could be done through electronic written format. Isa is a pillar of the Latine and Indigenous community in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and deserves to have her community stand with her.

On November 7th and 14th, phone banking events were held at Scott Hall 19. Community members and students are gathering to call U.S. District Attorney Dan Rosen and are urged to drop Isa’s charges. Dan Rosen is a Trump-appointed nominee, who has no formidable experience in criminal defense.

Community members have come together to create a benefit show where Minneapolis indie Latine musicians played to show their solidarity. Students, community members, artists, and musicians work endlessly to share Isa’s experience and art. The goal of the benefit show was to show that Isa is a fundamental part of the Minneapolis Latine and Indigenous community. Her community will always stand by her and defend her.