Federal Agents Confront Angry Crowd During Minneapolis Immigration Raid
Furious protesters screamed "how do you sleep" at a squad of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as they forcibly detained two teenagers during a raid in Minneapolis on Wednesday. The chaotic scene unfolded as part of Operation Metro Surge, an ongoing federal crackdown that has seen ICE agents apprehending alleged illegal immigrants from city streets.
Dramatic Arrest Captured on Camera
MPR News photojournalist Ben Hovland filmed the dramatic encounter, capturing masked federal agents forming a perimeter around the young individuals. "Do not cross this line," one agent declared while sweeping his arms forward. An angry demonstrator immediately responded, "Do not touch me, you have no right to touch me."
Fellow protesters blew deafening whistles and continued heckling the ICE officers throughout the operation. "You're taking a little girl," one protester screamed as immigration officials attempted to distance the growing crowd from their vehicle.
Unclear Reasons for Teen Detention
The specific reasons for ICE detaining the two teenagers remain unknown, though Hovland reported to MPR that the pair were initially stopped when ICE agents allegedly rear-ended their silver SUV. The photojournalist also witnessed ICE agents examining the girl's U.S. passport book as she sobbed on the snow-covered street, while other officers photographed the "frightened" teenage boy's face.
After eventually placing both teenagers in the back of a federal vehicle and slamming the door, the immigration officers deployed crowd-dispersing chemicals before leaving the scene. The Independent has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment regarding the incident.
Escalating Tensions Following Fatal Shooting
Community tensions have continued mounting in Minneapolis since an ICE agent shot and killed mother-of-three Renee Good earlier this month. Good died after her car blocked a road where immigration officers were conducting an operation, with the Trump administration alleging she attempted to ram federal workers with her vehicle. Local officials have disputed this version of events.
Good's death sparked widespread protests across the city, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanding in a profanity-laden speech that ICE leave the area entirely. The Trump administration has intensified its immigration enforcement in response, alleging that Somali immigrants are defrauding Minnesota's daycare system for financial gain.
Political Responses and Community Actions
Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Minneapolis on Thursday, with a White House source telling Fox News he plans to discuss "restoring law and order" to the city. Vance has been critical of Good and supportive of the ICE agents involved in her January 7 shooting, previously telling reporters, "I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it's a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement, a lunatic fringe, against our law enforcement officers."
As the ICE crackdown continues, residents have reportedly begun delivering groceries to migrants so they can avoid leaving their homes. Sergio Amezcua, a pastor at Dios Habla Hoy, told The New York Times that ICE appears to be targeting non-white individuals, prompting him to form a volunteer group protecting vulnerable people from federal attention.
"Our community is traumatized," Amezcua stated. "People that are born here are traumatized." His church has received nearly 25,000 requests for grocery assistance, completing 14,000 deliveries comprising meat, milk, hygiene products, and other essentials from food banks and individual donations.
