Photo: Andrew Ling on Unsplash.com

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - March 18, 2026

In December 2025, the Trump Administration initiated "Operation Metro Surge," a federal immigration enforcement action in Minnesota described by officials as a measure to enhance national security and public safety. The operation expanded on January 6, 2026, with the announcement that 2,000 additional agents would be deployed to the Twin Cities. Following this expansion and the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident, Renee Good, by a federal agent on January 7, the Minnesota Attorney General and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul filed a joint lawsuit challenging the operation.

Operation Metro Surge sparked widespread protests and community-led efforts to support neighbors who reported being hesitant to leave their homes. While the administration maintained the necessity of the surge, and officials have cited over 3,000 arrests made, community members and legal filings alleged instances of racial profiling and the detention of legal citizens. These events have reportedly created an environment of exhaustion for civic and religious leaders working to support these impacted communities, leading to a coalition of Cook County residents and community leaders to launch a new program to offer organizers a reprieve.

The Rev. Dr. Mary Ellen Ashcroft, a retired Episcopal priest, developed the concept for North Shore Rest and Renewal (R&R). Ashcroft told Boreal Community Media that the idea emerged after she observed a sharp contrast between the peace and renewal she was experiencing in the "woods and the big lake" and the high levels of stress reported by friends and activists in the Twin Cities. 

Additionally, after hearing a psychotherapist talk on the radio about the stressful impacts those who were resisting Operation Metro Surge were experiencing (and would continue to experience even after the situation de-escalated), she found herself asking, "What if, I thought, we could find a way to offer peace and renewal we have here to those who need it?"

"When I talked to local folks, I saw how much energy and angst they had around the situation, and it seemed to me that while writing checks and holding signs is good, many would like more ways to be connected and be involved," she added.

North Shore R&R's primary goal is to share the region's natural environment and provide "stillness, beauty, and care" for those on the "front lines of this work."

North Shore R&R provides three-to-four-night stays in a variety of settings, including private guest rooms, local resorts, and vacation rentals. Beyond lodging, the group seeks to provide dining and groceries, access to wellness services such as massages, community amenities through the Art Colony, and free day passes from the Cook County YMCA, among other offerings.

To identify participants, the group relies on a recommendation-based selection process. Ashcroft stated that they have reached out to church and civic leaders in the Twin Cities, asking them to suggest individuals who are "stressed and tired," which allows those familiar with the specific needs of the workers to act as a screen on behalf of the program.

"We've had wonderful responses--people from various groups expressing their gratitude and sense of being supported, as they pass names onto us," Ashcroft said. The first participants in the program will arrive this week. 

While the group is led by several religious figures, the organizers state that North Shore R&R is a secular project and caters to those of any or no religion. 

"People of various faith and civic groups care about issues of justice and kindness, and this is reflected in North Shore Rest and Renewal," Ashcroft added. 

According to a press release from the group, the leadership coalition includes:

• Rev. Dr. Mary Ellen Ashcroft, retired Episcopal priest and project visionary

• Dr. Milan Schmidt, retired physician, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic

• Dr. Karen Halbersleben, former president of Northland College

• Rev. William Beckstrand, pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Hovland

• Rev. Enno Limvere, pastor, First Congregational UCC Church, Grand Marais

• Rev. Peggy Schnack, priest in charge, Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church, Grand Marais

• Rev. Calvin Konop, pastor, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Grand Marais

The initiative is funded through private donations and contributions from local entities. Organizers are currently seeking additional housing options from private homeowners and local business owners. They are also looking for residents interested in "purchasing a meal for a resister," an effort intended to support both the visitors and local restaurants. Organizers note that while the program is a charitable effort, contributions made to the group are not tax-deductible.

The program is scheduled to run through May 2026. 

For more information about the North Shore R&R or to sponsor a meal, contact Mary Ellen Ashcroft at [email protected]. 

For those interested in offering housing or other services, contact Carol Stender at 952-444-0596 or via email at [email protected]