Mother Jones’ video content soars amid coverage of ICE violence in Minnesota

As the federal government’s immigration siege in Minneapolis continues, Mother Jones’ video content about the violence set a monthly record for the news organization. In January, its videos rang up more than 25 million views, a figure that is almost 40 percent of the video views for the entirety of 2025, which was itself a record.

“This is a vital story for our audience — and, in many ways, a story about video itself: how it can be used to bear witness in real time,” said James West, Mother Jones’ executive editor. “When something this big is happening, we’ll be there, we’ll listen to those most affected, and we’ll publish the work where people are actually watching. Video made that possible — and these numbers show our investments are paying off.”

Mother Jones created about 40 videos in January covering the immigration crackdown, and below are the three most viewed:

1. Julia Lurie interviewed an Army veteran in Minneapolis who aired his fury at a government threatening the same freedoms he defended on the battlefield (approximately 5.8 million views). The veteran, Ian Austin, was later arrested and released after having attended an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul. 
2. Sam Van Pykeren followed an Evangelical minister and former Christian nationalist on a spiritual redemption as he joined the public strike in Minneapolis on Jan. 23 and visited the memorial of Renée Good (approximately 5.3 million views).
3. Amanda Moore captured the shocking scene when federal agents forcibly dragged a disabled woman in Minneapolis from her car, even cutting off her seat belt to remove her (approximately 4.8 million views).

Mother Jones is a nonprofit news organization supported by readers and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, after publishing its first magazine in February 1976.