Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will pay tribute to the residents of his state who resisted ICE’s Operation Metro Surge in a new book, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Norton will publish the Democrat’s Good Neighbors next year. The publisher called the book a “passionate ode to tolerance, decency, respect and empathy, and an inspiring reminder that we are capable of changing the world for the better, one block at a time.”
The book will be the first by Walz, who began his career as a teacher and football coach before being elected to the U.S. House in 2006. He served 12 years in Congress and was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018; in 2024, then Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate in the presidential election. The pair lost to Donald Trump and JD Vance in the general election.
Walz served as governor during Operation Metro Surge, which began in December of 2025 and lasted just over two months. The operation targeted undocumented immigrants in Minnesota, leading to the arrests of more than 3,700 people, the majority of them without criminal records. The operation drew massive protests, and two U.S. citizens—Renée Good and Alex Pretti—were killed by ICE agents during the operation, leading to protests across the nation.
“In response to the violent federal occupation that caused widespread chaos and harm, their extraordinary, peaceful actions were hailed across the country and around the world,” Walz said in a statement. “Here in Minnesota, it’s simple—we call it being a good neighbor.”
Norton declined to tell the Associated Press if the book would cover Walz’s experiences during the 2024 presidential campaign. Walz has decided not to run for reelection as Minnesota governor but recently announced that he’s launching a political action committee to aid rural Democrats running for office.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
