When thousands of immigration agents flooded Minnesota earlier this year, a loose network of neighbors sprang into action.
They fed each other, got kids to and from school safely, and tracked the surge that tore through their communities.
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After organizing block by block to monitor Donald Trump's crackdown, the same neighbors are shifting focus to a different threat: what if the president tries to steal an election?
With November's midterm elections approaching, one group that taught Minnesotans to document immigration enforcement has launched democracy defense trainings.
The sessions encourage people to knock on every neighbor's door to help them vote and, if needed, respond to attacks on the election.
"There is a general, very visceral concern that this administration is planning to ensure that the elections go their way by any means necessary," said Jess, a trainer with Unidos MN.
Jess, a former federal worker fired during Elon Musk's efficiency drive, asked to use only her first name for fear of retaliation.
Dozens of neighbors poured into a stuffy Minnesota church basement on a steamy Tuesday evening in June. They sat at tables marked with their geographical areas.
They had lived through an assault by the Trump administration that killed two local residents and deported many hundreds more.
They knew to take Trump's threats seriously and wanted to learn how to protect elections.
"We've got to make sure that everybody who wants to vote can vote, and everybody's vote is counted, and those votes and the will of the majority is respected," said David Brauer, a training leader with Monarca.
