Minneapolis City Council Debates Liquor Licenses for Hotels Housing ICE Agents
On Tuesday, members of the Minneapolis City Council discussed whether to deny the renewal of liquor licenses for two hotels that accommodate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
Tom Homan, the border czar, recently announced the conclusion of Operation Metro Surge, a campaign targeting illegal immigration. During a press briefing on Thursday, he stated that over 12,000 undocumented immigrants had been detained. According to WMSP Fox 9, some congressional members have raised concerns that the Canopy hotel, part of the Hilton chain, and the Depot, associated with Marriott, may be compromising public safety by hosting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workers.
Minneapolis City Councilman Orrin Chaudhry questioned whether it would be prudent to examine the serious concerns voiced by citizens about this issue.
“We believe that liquor licenses are a privilege, and that privilege should be reserved for businesses that prioritize public safety,” noted Wade Luneburg, the Recording Executive Director of Unite Here Local 17, as reported by WMSP.
Following a City Journal report on significant welfare fraud impacting various programs and the announcement from President Donald Trump about ending the “temporary protected status” for Somalis in Minneapolis, there were protests targeting hotels suspected of accommodating employees from ICE and other federal agencies. These protests turned violent, with anti-ICE demonstrators confronting journalists and counter-protesters supporting ICE operations.
The Minnesota Rapid Response Network was involved in monitoring ICE vehicles, communicating their locations, and calling for support to engage with the agents, sometimes leading to confrontations. This conflict was notably tied to the tragic shootings of Alex Preti and Renee Nicole Good, which occurred during a response to an ICE operation aimed at detaining undocumented individuals with criminal histories.
As for the liquor license vote, reports from WMSP and WCCO indicate that the City Council chose not to delay the scheduled vote, preferring instead to conduct a brief, one-day investigation by staff. Following this, they will determine whether to renew the license.
