Ice Out: Minnesota Writers Rising Up

ICE OUT: Minnesota Writers Rising Up is a powerful anthology of poetry and prose responding to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota—and to the human cost of policies that blur the line between law enforcement and occupation. Written in real time by Minnesota writers, poets, immigrants, activists, and witnesses, these pieces capture fear, grief, anger, resolve, and unexpected solidarity as communities confront raids, detentions, and state-sanctioned violence.

Edited with urgency and moral clarity, this collection blends firsthand testimony, lyric resistance, and civic reckoning. Some pieces document specific events; others transform outrage into metaphor, prayer, or defiant humor. Together, they form a record of a place pushed to its limits—and a people choosing empathy over intimidation.

Published in collaboration between Afton Press and Calumet Editions, ICE OUT is both a work of literature and an act of resistance. It speaks to readers concerned with immigration justice, civil liberties, contemporary American politics, and the enduring role of writers in times of crisis.

This book is for readers who believe that words still matter—and that bearing witness is a form of action.