Protesters Demonstrate Against ICE in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — Protesters held a noisy demonstration outside the Graduate Hotel to oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to several arrests.
The crowd, numbering in the dozens, made quite a ruckus. They banged on pots and buckets, blasted sirens and whistles, and chanted “fuck ICE” as they marched through the area. Video footage captured by an outlet showed protesters converging on a site where federal employees seemed to be staying. Eventually, the University of Minnesota Police Department used a loudspeaker to inform the demonstrators that they were breaching noise regulations and declared the assembly unlawful. They ordered the crowd to leave the property, yet many remained.
Authorities suspected that ICE and other federal agents were present at the hotel, prompting the noise demonstration. Law enforcement set up barriers to separate protesters from the hotel.
Reports indicated that around six protesters were detained, though the total number of arrests couldn’t be confirmed. The University of Minnesota Police and the Minneapolis Police Department did not respond to inquiries, and the Minnesota State Patrol referred all questions to the university police.
Police had several vehicles stationed at the location, including an armored car, and officers were seen in full riot gear. Observers noted that demonstrators had previously protested outside the same hotel on January 21, alleging it was providing services to immigration officials. During that incident, three arrests were made.
Additionally, some protesters were arrested for targeting another hotel believed to house federal agents. A reported incident at the Home2 Suites hotel included visible injuries to a federal agent, alongside riotous behavior from the crowd. Local police helped federal and state law enforcement in managing the situation.
Despite the tensions, Border Czar Tom Homan stated that ICE intends to continue its immigration enforcement activities in Minnesota, irrespective of the recent opposition following the deaths of two activists involved in an agent-related shooting last month.
