USA : The Resistance Rises

Produced by

Studiofact Media Group

Leading French distributor

ARTE France

Production year2026

Programme formatOne-off

GenresDocumentary

Runtime 26 min

Synopsis

On January 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by ICE federal agent Jonathan Ross during an immigration enforcement operation. Federal authorities claimed self-defense, but eyewitness footage told a starkly different story. Since that day, a shift has occurred: the diffuse anger against ICE’s presence and methods has rapidly evolved into a structured resistance—coordinated, persistent, and unexpectedly supported by local institutions. In the freezing snow of Minnesota, neighborhood watch networks have formed, messaging groups have multiplied, and residents now converge within minutes, armed with whistles, to alert others of ICE operations, slow them down, document them, and protect their communities. Protests are no longer spoken; they are reactive, collective, and methodical. And for the first time, this resistance is not confined to activists. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara have stepped forward, publicly questioning the federal narrative and warning that ICE’s strategy is manufacturing violence rather than preventing it. Even more unprecedented, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz delivered a solemn address, urging Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to "end this occupation." In response, Washington has doubled down: Trump dismissed the tragedy as a mere mistake ("things happen") and threatened further crackdowns. This film will take you to the streets, documenting how the resistance organizes—through lookouts tracking ICE vehicles, whistleblowers sounding the alarm, lawyers and observers filming every ICE operation, and union leaders and pastors structuring the movement. It will also explore the unprecedented institutional pushback against the federal government, culminating in calls for an economic blackout to pressure Washington. We will also examine the explosive question this defiance raises: How far can federal authority go? Who has the legitimacy to enforce the law on America’s streets? Are we witnessing the beginnings of an insurrection—or even civil war?