Little Falls, a community of just under 9,000, sits in almost the exact geographical center of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Morrison County, a rural ag county with a population of about 35,000. Morrison County holds a unique distinction as the Minnesota county that gave the largest percentage of its votes to Donald Trump — an eye-popping 70+%.
It also is a long way from any border, especially an international one. Canada is over 200 miles to the north.
Perhaps it makes sense then that late last month, folks in the area were puzzled by the appearance of Border Patrol vehicles in the community and along the many miles of gravel roads that criss-cross the county. Some on social media thought there were in town for training at a nearby military base.
Turns out that the Border Patrol was in the area to patrol the border. Minnesota Public Radio got a reporter on the story and she turned up this gem:
The men were chopping silage on a farm field near Little Falls last fall when they noticed three vehicles, about 200 yards away, lurking and waiting.
The workers, about six of them, were supposed to drive on to their next task three miles away, but they worried the minute they got on the road they'd be stopped by the immigration enforcement officers they saw sitting in the cars.
"None of the guys wanted to leave the field so they waited. They called me and I thought I better get out there," said their employer, a Morrison County farmer who asked to remain anonymous for fear his property would be further targeted. "Believe me, you've gotta work up some courage to jump in your pickup and drive toward three ICE vehicles."
The cars were gone by the time the farmer arrived, and none of the workers were arrested that day. But a message had been sent.
Make no doubt about it, rural Minnesota, like Morrison County, is Trump Country, and it is likely that many folks around here are quietly happy this is happening. Will the countless farmers who depend on migrant labor make the connection between losing their workers — and having a damned difficult time replacing them — and their support for the President? I’m not holding out much hope, but I can still hope.
In the meantime, organizations like area congregations are working to help those who are feeling under the watchful eye of the Border Patrol.
And while Morrison is very much when white met bread, it has seen a growth, albeit small, of Somali immigrants for example, demonstrating that like many other rural counties, population growth is coming in the form of migration, not births.
As for the Border Patrol, now that the broader population is aware of their activities, hopefully greater scrutiny of those activities will occur.