'The Nation' Nominates Minneapolis For 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The editors of The Nation magazine have nominated the city of Minneapolis and its residents for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing the city’s response to the uprecedented federal immigration enforcement operation that began in late 2025.

In a statement addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the editors wrote they were “honored to nominate the city of Minneapolis and its people,” arguing the city has promoted “democracy and human rights” through nonviolent action.

The nomination focuses on the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol agents to Minneapolis, which the editors say created widespread fear.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is quoted in the statement calling the operation "more about tragically terrorizing people than it is about safety."

The editors also reference the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, writing that the incidents helped spark peaceful protests that drew tens of thousands of people into the streets despite frigid conditions.

Beyond demonstrations, the nomination highlights community efforts to support residents affected by the enforcement operation, including grocery deliveries and financial assistance for neighbors afraid to leave their homes.

The Nation ties its nomination to the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a former correspondent for the magazine and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, arguing that Minneapolis exemplified nonviolent resistance in the face of state power.

Summing up the city’s response, the editors quote the widow of Renee Good: "They have guns; we have whistles."

The Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced in October 2026.

Read the entire nomination here.