SPNSCC response to current events in Minnesota

Written by SPNSCC Board

February 2026

The Saint Paul - Nagasaki Sister City Committee (SPNSCC) works to promote peaceful cooperation between people of different cultures, establish mutual cooperation, participate in cultural exchanges and develop friendships with the people of Nagasaki, Japan. The SPNSCC was formed to help bridge the cultural and communication gap between our two countries, to help insure that misunderstandings do not turn into tragedy. The recent action in Minnesota by ICE is the antithesis of our stated mission.

The presence of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) has created fear, division and uncertainty for our cities, our members, and friends around the world. Conduct by federal agents through racial profiling, the use of excessive force and improper detaining of arrested individuals has caused a large scale protest by the community. Their actions have caused the deaths of two people by the hands of agents. The SPNSCC finds the acts of violence committed by ICE and the CBP in Minnesota under operation Metro Surge unacceptable and calls for an end to further actions by these agencies and calls for them to leave Minnesota. Operation Metro Surge is an attack on the civil and constitutional rights of the citizens of the State of Minnesota. 

To the families and friends of Renee Good and Alex Pretti,  we offer our condolences. They did not deserve to be killed by federal law enforcement on the streets of an American city.

To our friends in the City of Nagasaki Japan: Though our plans for the upcoming year have been cast in a shroud of uncertainty by recent events and many people from Japan are reluctant to come to our city under the current conditions, we will continue to work on maintaining our relationships and to double our efforts of nurturing the cause of peace and understanding through the goodwill and friendships we have developed from 70 years of cooperation.