Fighting Political Violence
Whether we were born here or chose to make this our home, we all value our freedom to keep our families safe, send our kids to school without fear, and build a good life in the communities we love.
But Operation Metro Surge unleashed thousands of violent agents on our neighborhoods without proper training, without just cause, and without respect for our constitutional rights.
This was an assault on our freedoms, and it hit communities across Minnesota, whether they are red, blue, or purple.
MyNortheaster.com, February 17, 2026
Heights Mayor on World News, Grassroots Efforts
While the amount of attention is new for Columbia Heights, its residents and mayor aren’t shying away.
“We don’t want it to stop in Minnesota just for it to go somewhere else,” Márquez Simula said. “We want it to stop everywhere.”
WHAT THE SURGE COST US
Our businesses
Revenue dropped up to 50% at small businesses across Columbia Heights. Some have closed permanently.
Our safety
Families stopped calling 911. When residents are too afraid to report crimes or access city services, everyone is less safe.
Our schools
Hundreds of students stopped coming to class. Parents were afraid to bring their children to the bus stop.
Our trust
Federal agents refused to show warrants, ignored due process, and harassed residents and business owners. Rebuilding trust will take years.
STANDING TOGETHER
Amáda helped launch Cities for Safe and Stable Communities, a growing coalition of more than 30 mayors from Bloomington to Eden Prairie, Brooklyn Park to St. Louis Park, all standing together to demand accountability and protect our communities.
WATCH: Amáda on TPT Almanac
This coalition is not about partisanship. It is about the safety and well-being of our families.
FIGHTING FOR OUR DISTRICT
As Mayor, Amáda led the Columbia Heights City Council to unanimously pass a resolution calling for an end to the ICE and CBP surge. She created the Mayor’s Rapid Response Team to help the community in times of emergency. She closed city parking lots being used as federal staging areas. And she is pushing for state funding to help local businesses recover.
TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE STATE CAPITOL
Now running for Minnesota House District 39B, Amáda is supporting legislation to protect our communities:
Keep ICE agents away from schools, child care centers, hospitals, and college campuses
Hold federal agents accountable when they violate our rights
Give Minnesotans the ability to seek justice in an independent court of law when their constitutional rights to free speech, peaceful assembly, due process, or equal protection are violated.
Require federal agents to show visible identification
Require identification and ensure an independent investigation of any shooting involving federal agents in Minnesota.
In the United States, every person should be treated with dignity and respect. No family should fear sending their child to school. No business owner should watch their livelihood disappear because of a federal operation they had no part in creating. No neighbor should be afraid to call for help.
Protecting our freedoms has always been up to all of us.
“When I think of our community, I think everybody gets to be who they are. We’re ready to move forward and continue to welcome our neighbors in.”
— Amáda Márquez Simula
Together, we can restore stability, rebuild trust, and make St. Anthony, New Brighton, and Columbia Heights places where every family has the freedom to thrive. It will not be easy. But we have done hard things before, and we can do them again.
Affordable Rent. Affordable Healthcare.
No matter where you come from or how much money you have in your wallet, you deserve the freedom to make a good living, care for your family, and retire in dignity. But right now, a wealthy few are rigging the rules – and it’s costing all of us.
Wall Street Landlords Are Driving Up Your Rent
Corporate landlords are using unethical pricing algorithms to fix rents across entire neighborhoods. In our own community, seniors at The Legends of Columbia Heights saw their rent spike 12.5% – while Social Security only went up 5.9%. These aren’t small-time landlords. These are Wall Street companies making record profits while working people and seniors are forced to choose between rent and groceries.
Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula didn’t stay silent.
She declared that Dominium had “betrayed our city’s trust” and told reporters: “I would like the people of Columbia Heights to know the seniors are coming together…we need our seniors not to be judged by the AMI, because they’re on a fixed income.”
She marched with seniors to the State Capitol, fought for a 3% cap on rent increases, and rallied six members of Congress to demand accountability. That’s what leadership looks like.
You Deserve the Freedom to Get Care Without Going Bankrupt
More than 250,000 Minnesotans have no health insurance at all. Over a million more are underinsured – meaning one bad diagnosis could mean financial ruin. Insurance companies deny and delay the care our families need while raking in billions.
The solution: the Minnesota Health Plan, a single-payer system that covers every Minnesotan. That means dental, vision, mental health, prescriptions, and nursing home care, with no insurance company standing between you and your doctor. No more middlemen. No more denials. Just care.
THE PLAN FOR AFFORDABILITY
Cap rent increases at 3% in tax-credit housing so seniors and working families can stay in their homes.
End rent price-fixing by holding corporate landlords accountable for using secret algorithms to inflate what you pay.
Pass the Minnesota Health Plan to guarantee every Minnesotan comprehensive healthcare—no insurance company gatekeepers, no medical debt.
Our families’ financial well-being shouldn’t depend on the generosity of a wealthy few who rig the rules. Together, we can build a community where everyone has the freedom to thrive—no exceptions.
The American Dream
Our district is one of the most diverse communities in Minnesota. Since taking office, Amáda has helped two people become US citizens. This includes reuniting a family that was separated internationally. As an elected official, she has no power to make these changes. She simply saw opportunities to leverage her network and connect people with the resources they needed.
Strategic Thinking
The government was built to benefit some people more than others. We need more representative government and city staff, specifically more Black and brown people in these roles. Creating a balanced and just system is difficult and will take generations. Amáda regularly meets with various cultural leaders, community groups, other elected officials of color for support and long-term strategies. If you want to represent your community in district 39B, please contact Amáda so she can help.
