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Something heartbreaking and destabilizing is unfolding in Minnesota.

On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU/VA nurse and U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation.

Federal officials have described the shooting as self-defense, while bystander video reviewed by major outlets has raised serious questions about that account—and the incident has triggered protests, grief, and fear across the state and beyond.

If your body feels revved up, exhausted, numb, angry, or shaky, that doesn’t mean you’re “overreacting.” It means your nervous system is doing its ancient job: scanning for threat and trying to keep you safe.

This post is about naming reality and getting practical about what you can do—without sacrificing your safety, your clarity, or your humanity.

1) Start where power actually lives: your nervous system

When the world feels dangerous or unjust, we often try to “think our way out.” But the body doesn’t take orders from logic when it’s in survival mode.

A regulated nervous system doesn’t make you passive—it makes you effective.

Try this before posting, arguing, confronting, or doom-scrolling:

• Put both feet on the floor and exhale longer than you inhale for 2–3 minutes.
• Name five things you can see. Four you can feel. Three you can hear.
• Ask: What’s the next smallest stabilizing thing I can do? (Water, food, a walk, a call, a shower.)

Regulation isn’t a vibe. It’s the foundation of wise action.

2) “Use your voice” doesn’t have to mean “put yourself in danger”

A lot of people get stuck in a false binary:

If I’m not directly confronting power, I’m doing nothing.

That’s not true. It’s also not safe for many people—especially immigrants, people of color, people with past legal vulnerability, or anyone who might be targeted simply for being present.

You can resist harm without escalating risk. You can advocate without volunteering yourself as the next casualty.

Choosing safety isn’t cowardice. It’s strategy.

3) Know the difference between what you can influence and what you can’t control

One of the most grounding questions in moments like this is painfully simple:

What’s mine to carry—and what isn’t?

You can’t single-handedly control federal tactics, narratives, or outcomes. You can influence:

• how you communicate,
• how you support vulnerable people,
• how you vote and organize,
• how you strengthen your community’s resilience,
• how you interrupt misinformation,
• how you protect your own mental health so you don’t burn out.

Power isn’t always loud. Often it looks like persistence.

4) Pick a lane that matches your capacity and your risk

Not everyone has the same bandwidth. Not everyone has the same safety. And not everyone has the same role.

Here are “lanes” that matter—choose one (or rotate them):

The Grounding Lane

Be the person who helps others stabilize. That might mean childcare, meals, checking on neighbors, or being emotionally steady when someone else is spiraling.

The Information Lane

Share fewer things, but share them responsibly. Verify before reposting—especially during fast-moving events where misinformation spreads like wildfire.

(If you’re furious, that’s understandable. Just don’t let rage become a delivery system for unverified claims.)

The Civic Lane

Calls, emails, town halls, local organizing, showing up at city council meetings—these are unglamorous, effective levers. Reuters has also reported significant community mobilization in Minnesota in response to the enforcement surge.

The Support Lane

Donate or volunteer with civil rights and legal organizations doing direct work. Even small contributions matter when pooled.

The “Witness, Not Warrior” Lane

If you’re present at protests or enforcement activity, prioritize de-escalation and safety. Go with a buddy. Have an exit plan. Keep your phone charged. Know where you’re going afterward.

You don’t need to win a confrontation to be on the right side of history.

5) Know-your-rights resources (especially if you’re scared right now)

If you or someone you love is worried about immigration enforcement encounters, there are well-established know your rights resources that emphasize staying calm, not opening doors without proper warrants, and asserting the right to remain silent and consult a lawyer (these resources also clarify they’re not individualized legal advice).

A practical, widely used tool is the ILRC “Red Card”, which helps people assert rights in a short script that can be handed to an agent.

If you’re a healthcare provider or work in healthcare settings, there are also specific guidance resources for how to respond to enforcement actions in clinical contexts.

6) Talk to kids about this without transferring terror

Kids don’t need every detail. They need:

• emotional truth (“People are scared and upset”),
• adult steadiness (“You are safe with me right now”),
• concrete supports (“Here’s what we do if we feel overwhelmed”),
• community framing (“Helpers exist, and we help too”).

If a child asks, answer simply. Then bring them back to the present moment and their immediate world: school, friends, routines, safety.

7) Watch the “activation cycle” (so you don’t become what you’re fighting)

When we feel powerless, the mind craves a target. That’s when we:

• post things we haven’t checked,
• shame people as “the enemy,”
• burn relationships we might need later,
• exhaust ourselves with nonstop outrage.

Before you engage, ask:

Will this reduce harm? Increase safety? Build truth? Create connection?

If not, pause. Regroup. Try again.

8) If you’re not okay, get support (really)

Collective stress is still stress. If you’re in crisis or feeling like you might hurt yourself, reach out for immediate support through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call/text/chat).

You don’t have to carry this alone.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by what’s happening, our practice is here to support you—whether you’re experiencing fear, anger, grief, or helplessness. You’re not “too sensitive.” You’re human. And your care—for yourself and others—matters.

— Dr. Tiffany Griffiths