January 23 prompt: ALTRUISM. Many Thanks to Rohini for today’s prompt, as we take a moment or two each day this month to reflect on words that come from the community. And thanks to Linda G Hill for getting us organized!

Meanwhile in Minnesota

So here’s an inspiring story about two moms who accompany neighborhood school kids to make sure they get safely from the bus stop to their homes. They were picked up for detention by ICE (don’t know why) and here’s the story they (with just a hint of our Minnesota accent ) told KARE11’s Jana Shortal (Breaking the News). I expect we’ll hear more; this just reported today.

They were handcuffed in the middle seats of the ICE vehicle, two agents in the front, and one in the space behind the two women. The agent in the back said that he wasn’t feeling so good, the driver continued driving, and the back agent started making choking noises and slumped over. One of the women told the two agents in the front that they needed to pull over because the man was having a seizure (he had a total of three).

They did then pull over and uncuff the women, who had basic CPR training (one works as a PCA), because the agents, young men, had no medical training (they said). 911 was called in to Brooklyn Park police (confirmed a call was received) and help was sent, but in the meantime, the PCA tried to position the back agent to be comfortable on his side (recovery position) and not choke. She spoke to him reassuringly, telling him she would be right there with him until the helpers arrived.

What happened next was that the women were recuffed, brought to the Whipple building (ICE Central for Mpls), and given a citation.

When asked why she helped when the officer was part of the team that were detaining them, she answered, breaking into tears “There was a human being in front of me, and despite his guns and despite the terror he has been inflicting on my neighbors, he’s still human. He still has loved ones…I still see human beings, no matter what I look at, and no matter who I look at.”

The women didn’t know if they would be charged for their actions, and DHS had not yet gotten back to Jana with their side of the story.

My takeaway is that this was stunning altruism, and while I don’t know why they were detained, the fact that they stopped everything and probably saved this man’s life is the most important fact. The serendipity of this prompt and this breaking news is not lost on me. So thank you, Linda and Rohini.  

© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2026) 

To read others’ responses or join in yourself, please visit:  https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/23/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-23rd-2026/