John, it has been a difficult week. But here’s the biggest reason I have hope right now: people like you.

Let me explain: the MAGA extremists in charge of our federal government have made a big, but wrong, assumption about who we are as Americans.

They thought if they turned our own government against vulnerable communities in a few headline-grabbing atrocities, the rest of us would fall in line. That we’d look the other way, abandon our neighbors, and pray we won’t be next.

And frankly, throughout 2025, that was enough for big law firms, Ivy League colleges, and leaders in both political parties to do Trump’s dirty work for him. But it didn’t work on you and me.

The horrific killings of Keith Porter Jr., Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti, and too many others – at the hands of a government that’s supposed to keep us safe – have galvanized everyday people to come together, keep each other safe, and accomplish extraordinary things.

In Minnesota and across the country, Common Cause members like you are leading the way. Here’s how your fellow Common Causers are getting into motion – and how you can join up if you haven’t already:

Join our weekly phonebanks to key swing senators as Congress negotiates ICE and DHS’s demand for $10 billion. Last week’s had a record number of first-time phonebankers, so even if you’ve never done it before, here’s your chance >>
Write to your local paper – it’s the best way to show your neighbors who feel the same way you do that they’re not alone. We’ll help you from start to finish – writing your letter, then getting it placed in a local paper near you >>
Exercising our constitutional right to document and record is more important than ever – you can learn how to help keep your community safe and expose wrongdoing by joining this training with our partners at No Kings >>
Help build public pressure by spreading our demands for ICE accountability on social media – even if it’s not your usual thing, we’ve prepared some ready-to-go posts for you to customize. Use our simple social media toolkit to get started >>
Finally, if you couldn’t join our rapid response member webinar this week, you can hear an on-the-ground update from our Minnesota team, and more about what you can do to help push our work forward. Watch the recording >>

Listen, I know it’s tempting right now to feel overwhelmed, or to give into despair. That’s what they want – for us to give up hope of getting the country we all deserve.

But so many of the people I’ve talked to – our organizers, our lawyers, and members like you – are ready to answer the call of this moment. And we’re going to win.

Thanks for all you do,

The team at Common Cause