'Picking the thing we know how to do'

Minneapolis civil rights lawyer Tim Phillips, who wore an 'ICE OUT' shirt to a Wolves game that security asked him to remove, shares his experience.

Hell yeah, it’s a Friday morning and a colleague invites me to sit courtside with him at the Timberwolves game against the Spurs on Sunday.

As excited as I am about the game, I realize I can’t squander this opportunity to send a message. Two days before, ICE agent Jonathan Ross killed Renee Good. ICE has been occupying the Twin Cities for weeks, terrorizing immigrant communities, harassing Black, Brown, and Indigenous folks, and unlawfully arresting observers.

I’m a civil rights lawyer, so there are countless calls, texts, and emails these days related to people being brutalized or detained by ICE. But on Saturday I find a free moment to stop by Boneshaker Books, just to see whether they have a shirt for sale that would work for my courtside seat the next day. No dice.

On Sunday I call a friend who is a former graffiti artist. He says yes, he’d be happy to help; no payment necessary. It seems like everybody in Minneapolis wants to throw down against ICE in whatever way they can. It’s inspiring. My friend hand-makes an awesome black t-shirt with a big, clear message: “ICE OUT.” Beautiful work.

I pick up the shirt at his house on my way to the game. But I haven’t announced my plan to my colleague yet. At dinner beforehand, inside the Target Center, I unzip my hoodie to show him the t-shirt and ask if he’s okay with me displaying this when we sit courtside together. After all, they’re his tickets. He’s enthusiastic. Everyone with any empathy hates ICE.

After dinner, we walk out to our seats. Victor Wembanyama is even taller when you’re standing on the court.

Wolves fans stand until our first basket and against the Spurs tonight, we’re standing for a while. About five minutes into the game, while we’re still standing, security comes up to me and says I need to give them my shirt. What?

My colleague, also a lawyer, is incensed. He starts recording with his phone. Turning to the crowd behind us, he shouts to them that security is saying I can’t express this message. After a brief moment, security deescalates the situation: they get us into another room and they apologize for asking me to give them the shirt. They clarify that no political or partisan messages are allowed in Target Center, but I can keep the shirt as long as I wear something else instead.

I’m prepared for this and already have another t-shirt on under the ICE OUT shirt. I remove the shirt they object to (security also asks me to turn the ICE OUT shirt inside out, which I do). Having resolved our conflict, I’m happy to return to our incredible seats.

During halftime, Jon Krawczynski from The Athletic interviews me, something I’m not prepared for. I explain to him that I wore the shirt because ICE is gratuitously hurting people and tearing families apart.

The Wolves have their best game of the season, with a 33-18 fourth quarter. Julius Randle’s amazing defense causes Wemby to lose his balance and fall out of bounds, right in front of me. Mostly, tonight is a fun break from the ongoing crisis in Minneapolis. But it also feels important to show up as a Wolves fan who wants ICE out of Minnesota, and out of every community.

I don’t hear from anyone within the Wolves organization about the shirt, even after the game or in the days that follow. But I do hear from another person who wore an anti-ICE shirt to the same game and also had to remove it (ironically on MLK Jr. night).

Each one of us is picking the thing we know how to do and trying to use that to stop ICE. Whether it’s filing lawsuits, making t-shirts or the banners that hang from so many houses in Minneapolis, observing and recording ICE, or blowing whistles to alert people nearby that ICE is present and trying to abduct people. The people being abducted or arrested are our friends, our neighbors, or parents at our kids’ schools.

I am so grateful for everyone doing whatever they can to stop this cruelty. I love you all. Abolish ICE.