How four faces changed the way many Americans see Trump's immigration crackdown

[Swede]

First, we saw their faces: A man shielding someone who’d been pepper-sprayed and forced to the ground. A wide-eyed 5-year-old with a bunny-ear hat and a Spiderman backpack. A grandfather being led through the snow wearing only boxers, Crocs and a blanket. A woman behind the wheel of an SUV whose last recorded words were, “I’m not mad at you, dude.”

Later, we came to know their names: Alex Pretti, Liam Conejo Ramos, ChongLy Scott Thao and Renee Good.

And swiftly, we heard authorities’ accounts of who they were. But the Trump administration’s official versions of what occurred — challenged by numerous witness accounts, local officials and activists — haven’t quelled protests on the streets of Minneapolis or stopped mounting criticism of authorities’ aggressive tactics. And experts say the images of Pretti, Conejo, Thao and Good are a big reason why.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/28/us/images-minneapolis-immigration-crackdown-trump?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc&recs_exp=up-next-article-end&tenant_id=related.en