Rubi Lara, left, along with her husband, Alberto Lara, right, giving a speech to warm up the crowd present, of approximately 60 people, prior to the protest. Lara gave a speech to set expectations and inspire hope. | Photo by Ana Padro.

An activist’s dream for change

Moved by anti-ICE activism in the Twin Cities, Rubi Lara hopes to one day see positive changes in Worthington, Minnesota.

By Ana Padro | Reporter

Rubi Lara has organized a peaceful protest and shooed ICE agents out of town. Lara did not act alone, as other people had helped flag various agents with whistles and honking cars to alert of their presence. One January afternoon in Worthington, she noticed two agents in a RAM truck by Grand Avenue attempting to intimidate her through their car window. The agents managed to identify Lara by her first name.

“Are you Rubi?” an agent asked.

“Yeah, who are you?” Lara responded.

She had not made her identity known and became shocked. The agents ignored her request for identification and continued attempting to scare her away. Lara stood her ground and followed them to Windom, a town approximately 30 miles away from her hometown of Worthington, in her car. This incident prompted her to keep a close eye on suspicious activity in attempts to keep the peace in her rural Minnesota town.

Lara, a 25-year-old Mexican-American, hosted a No Kings protest in her small town with a population of approximately 13,900 people and 175 miles southwest of the Twin Cities. The protest took place March 28 in Chautauqua Park.

“She made sure that it was a peaceful protest,” said Caitlyn Swanson, a close friend to Lara who was informed of the No Kings protest plans. “It was kind of scary at first with the ICE stuff that was happening up in Minneapolis, but she made sure it was just peaceful.”

“I have a very strong sense of justice. Any injustice that comes across me, I need to say something, or I will, like, implode.” — Rubi Lara, activist

Rubi Lara at the No Kings Protest, in Chautauqua Park, Worthington, she organized Saturday, March 28. She read off chants from her script to hype up and lead the crowd present. Lara organized the event to remain peaceful and send a message of resistance against ICE. | Photo by Ana Padro.

Lara gained inspiration after having attended a similar, bigger protest in the Twin Cities shortly after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed Renée Macklin Good. Fearing that if something like this could happen to Good, it could easily happen to someone in her own town. She wanted to bring some of that resistance back to Worthington, as her community struggles with what she calls racist ideologies and the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge.

“She just had a thought of like, we got to do something in Worthington, because we’re such a diverse community that we should do something here,” said Alberto Lara, her husband and fellow organizer.

Born and raised in Worthington, Lara grew up on a farm with her parents, four siblings and lots of animals. She woke up before anyone else in her house and headed outside to chase chickens. Lara loved nothing more than playing in mud and getting dirty.

She saw how her parents worked hard, built multiple businesses, such as property rentals, and a life in a small town. Their immigration status garnered ignorance, as some people in town refused to acknowledge other aspects of their efforts. Having lived all her life in a predominantly Republican town in Minnesota, Lara has seen how those who vote against her people and their rights benefit from her culture. She admitted this keeps her up at night and fuels a fire inside her.

“I have a very strong sense of justice,” Lara said. “Any injustice that comes across me, I need to say something, or I will, like, implode.”

Lara attends Minnesota West Community & Technical College-Luverne Center part-time to become a medical laboratory technician and works as a substitute paraprofessional at Worthington Intermediate School throughout the week. While at home, she spends time with her pets and husband. They eloped Dec. 18, 2024, and bought a home in Worthington shortly after. However, their hopes have been set on leaving the small town behind. The couple wants to branch out to a bigger and more diverse city that offers new experiences.

“We do plan on venturing out to a different part of either Minnesota, or like a different state in general,” her husband said. “But, yeah, we don’t want to stay here in Worthington.”

“Our current council has great members, but they don’t quite represent the full demographic of our town.” — Rubi Lara, activist

Although Lara has hoped to move away from Worthington, she dreams of a more welcoming community for immigrants and people of color. She has even held a seat in her city’s Honorary City Council Member Program. This program runs from March through May and serves to provide insight into what holding an actual council position entails. Lara is not interested in running for a position at this time, but hopes more people of color join the council.

“Our current council has great members,” Lara said. “But they don’t quite represent the full demographic of our town.”

For now, Lara has decided to take a break from organizing protests and watching ICE agents to focus on school, but expects to return to her activism this summer.

Worthington’s No Kings Protest

• WHAT: No King’s Protest in Worthington, MN, organized by Rubi Lara
• WHO: Organizer Rubi Lara, and others, such as her husband, Alberto Lara.
• WHEN: Saturday, March 28.
• WHERE: Worthington in Chautauqua Park.
• WHY: To peacefully protest the Trump’s Administration’s Operation Metro Surge.