Barack Obama publicly states support for anti-ICE demonstrators in Minneapolis | Barack Obama

Barack Obama publicly supported protesters in Minneapolis for opposing the “unprecedented nature” of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Minnesota.

Speaking in an interview with progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen on Saturday, the former president discussed the power American citizens hold when they stand up for the values ​​they believe in and his hopes for the next generation of American leaders.

“The reason I point out that I don’t think the majority of the American people approve of this is because ultimately the answer will come from the American people,” he said. “We just saw this in Minnesota, in Minneapolis.”

“It’s important for us to recognize the unprecedented nature of what ICE was doing in Minneapolis, St. Paul, the way federal agents, ICE agents were being deployed, without any clear direction, without training, removing people from their homes, using five-year-olds to try to bait their parents, everything we saw, gassing crowds just standing there, not breaking any laws,” he added.

The Twin Cities region of Minnesota has been the site of ongoing anti-immigration protests. These protests grew following the murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.

But this week, Tom Homan, America’s border czar, said the Trump administration would scale back its immigration crackdown in Minnesota following the killings and initial escalation by immigration agencies. Many saw the decision to withdraw as proof that the protests had succeeded in sending a message.

“Right now we’re being tested, and the good news is that what we saw in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and what we see in other places across the country, including here in Los Angeles, is that the American people said no,” Obama said. “At least a good number of Americans are saying we’re going to live up to the values ​​we say we believe in.”

“As long as we have people doing this, I feel like we’re going to get through this,” he added.

Obama, along with former first lady Michelle Obama, called the killing of Alex Pretti a “heartbreaking tragedy” and “a wake-up call to all Americans, regardless of party, that many of our core values ​​as a nation are increasingly under attack.”

In a statement released last month, the Obamas said federal law enforcement and immigration agents were not operating legally and responsibly in Minnesota. They said the tactics employed by ICE and other federal agents appeared “designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger residents of a major American city.”