44 Distillation Guidebook Co-Lab • 9.18–9.19 2025 Mark Valdez As I look at the work of the Hazleton Integration Project (HIP), I do so through my lens as a Latino, living in Minneapolis. Between December 2025 and February 2026 an estimated 3,000 federal agents descended on the Twin Cities, ushering unprecedented violations of laws and civil rights abuses by U.S. agents against its people, including the murders of two U.S. citizens, Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti. Certainly, this was a time of tremendous fear and violence, but it was also a moment of incredible community resilience and strength. Neighbors showed up for each other, putting their own bodies and safety at risk to defend and protect the most vulnerable. During that time, I noticed a change in my own behavior. I knew I was a target because of my brown skin, so I limited the amount of time I spent out on the streets, mainly going from home to work, with occasional stops at my local grocery How Can We Weave the Social Fabric Before We Need It? Artist, cultural organizer, and facilitator, responding to the Hazleton Integration Project, reflecting on the arts sustained solidarity during federal immigration detention efforts in Minneapolis.
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