Helping Ideologically-Moderate Women Make Sense of ICE
What is Galvanize USA doing in response to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) involvement in our communities?
What Happened?
On January 7, 2026, Renee Good, mother of three, was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This act of ICE violence in Minneapolis sent shockwaves through the community and the country, creating a sense of fear and instability that was only made worse when, just two weeks later, another US citizen, Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Department of Veteran Affairs, was killed by ICE agents in the same city.
While Good and Pretti were not the first people to be killed by ICE, either in ICE custody or on the streets, for most of our audience of ideologically-moderate women this was the moment they came face to face with what is happening.
What Do Ideologically-Moderate Women Need?
Knowing that much of our audience fears conflict, our programming can’t ask them to risk their safety or the safety of their families in any way. What is needed is support to not look away, to face the uncertainty and grief of what has happened, and know that they are not alone. They need to hear from trusted messengers to help sort through conflicting narratives and get clarity on how they can take action.
Grace’s Messages
On January 27, we shared a message with Galvanize Together’s SMS audience from our advice columnist Grace naming what is happening in our communities and speaking candidly about her feelings. Her language was deliberate, modeling healthy ways to process emotions and saying clearly this is not right. Our content focused on how our audience is experiencing the news, rather than the news itself. And of course, as always, Grace leaned on community values, encouraging readers to be brave and compassionate, especially when the world feels scary and out of control.
As you may have seen, Galvanize USA is beginning a new phase of our Dear Grace® programming by personifying Grace and moving into new mediums. Following ICE’s fatal shootings, this included doing something we have never done before: sending our SMS audience voice messages.
Here is what Grace had to say to her audience:
“Hi friend, it’s Grace. A lot is happening in our country and on my social media feed. After seeing another person lose their life in Minnesota over the weekend, I’m feeling overwhelmed and, if I’m honest, I’m scared for the people around me and what this means for America. This community is full of women who care deeply about compassion, fairness, and keeping their families safe. As hard as it is for me to say right now, I’m not okay. What’s happening isn’t right, and you’re not alone if you’re struggling too.
I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I recorded a message (in my own voice!) to send to you. But first, can you let me know…how are you feeling?
- Reply 1 if you’re feeling scared and overwhelmed like I am
- Reply 2 if you want to share your thoughts on the ongoing ICE violence in Minnesota
- Reply 3 if you’re avoiding the news and would rather not talk about it right now
Once you reply with one of the numbers above, I’ll send you a voice recording. It’s a bit stressful recording my voice, but this community of women has been brave with me, so I want to be brave back.“
Check out the audio responses here. By doing something new and scary, Grace helped show that doing hard things is sometimes necessary, and always easier when your community is there for you. By emphasizing how she shares their reactions and modeling responses like “it isn’t right,” Grace offered language to help our audience make sense of their feelings.
Hot Topic
A Bonus Hot Topic also gave our audience space to process their feelings and see that they’re not alone. Using neutral language that validates feelings of fear and grief, this Hot Topic helped our audience make sense of what happened without assigning blame or leaning on anger. We even let audience members write in to tell us how they would be processing the news and got 545 responses! These included: talking to friends, family, loved ones, etc., going for a walk and getting outside, praying, meditating, and burning incense, and journaling and creating art. These are great ways to process hard feelings!
What is Galvanize USA Doing Next?
Our timely and values-based programming, delivered by trusted messengers, helps our audience make sense of this rapidly changing landscape. It’s a critical need, and one that we fill with trusted messengers delivering values-based programming.
Galvanize USA will continue connecting with our audience so we understand how they are making sense of current events and so that we can meet them where they are, develop content that resonates, and quickly deploy it across multiple platforms.
