ICE in Minnesota - Day 44: Community Calls for Walkout Day Next Friday, Protests Continue

Minneapolis, MN — The grinding occupation of the metro area by thousands of federal agents continues. While events have formed a virtual blizzard this recap aims to show the major trends going on and key developments on frontlines. Here’s what’s been going on in the last few days – as updates come in Wednesday they will be added at the top of this report.

To chronologically organize local news events we are counting days since December 2, which was regarded as the beginning of what federal authorities call “Operation Metro Surge.”

The “Twin Cities Metro Activity Dashboard” page (TinyURL / Airtable) shows rolling updates on reported swarms of federal police activity around the Twin Cities. It has nearly 1300 data points so far, but is not exhaustive.

8:20 P.M. WEDS UPDATE: Federal agent shooting incident in North Minneapolis – Capping another tumultuous day, shortly after Gov. Tim Walz gave a televised address about the “chaos” spread by Homeland Security agents, word quickly spread and was confirmed that some federal force had shot at least one person in North Minneapolis. The MIRAC alert sent to us was time-stamped 7:35 p.m. with a location given as 24th Avenue; that alert said there were no fatalities. The City of Minneapolis posted at 7:45 p.m. that they were “aware of reports of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in North Minneapolis.”

Live videos were immediately being streamed by State Senator Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-MN59) (part 1 / part 2) and Yesenia Farias from the area. According to a report from kub on Bluesky, “protesters at incident scene just got an armored truck trying to get through to turn around lots of people here, actual scene has very wide perimeter.” There are a substantial number of federal agents in the immediate area.

protesters at incident scene just got an armored truck trying to get through to turn around lots of people here, actual scene has very wide perimeter
— derek. (@kub.bsky.social) January 14, 2026 at 9:15 PM

UnraveledPress is onsite (thread) and has reported some use of tear gas as well as a CBP BORTAC truck arrived. StatusCoup also has video at the site and was hit with crowd control munitions from federal agents. Georgia Fort is among many that are live.

Near Lyndale and 24th Ave in Minneapolis tonight, feds have reportedly shot another person. Preliminary info is shaky for now, hearing two people injured. BORTAC just rolled up in an armored vehicle. A crowd is gathering outside the police tape—MPD presence as well.

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— unraveled (@unraveledpress.com) January 14, 2026 at 9:12 PM

🚨BREAKING: ICE unleashes ONSLAUGHT of flash bang grenades and chemical ammunition at unarmed Minneapolis protesters in WAR-LIKE attack. Several protesters struck. Our reporter @zdroberts.bsky.social struck in the head. "I got hit in the head really bad." LIVE NOW ⬇️

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— Status Coup News (@statuscoupnews.bsky.social) January 14, 2026 at 9:15 PM

According to the DHS, who has a proven track record of lying, around 6:50 p.m., a federal agent was attempting to pull over “an illegal alien from Venezuela” who evaded them. An agent was then allegedly attacked with a broom and a show shovel by multiple people and the agent shot the initial man they were attempting to pull over before he ran into a house. He was allegedly shot in the leg and brought to the hospital. Two people were allegedly detained for attacking the agent.

Federal agents used massive amounts of tear gas, shot pepper balls and smoke grenades. Some are fearing that a canister let off by agents with green smoke was hexacloroethane, a toxic chemical weapon. Photojournalist Chris Juhn said it was “the most tear gas” he’s ever experienced and said of the gas used tonight, “A gas mask isn’t enough. This was going into peoples homes over north. It’s so bad the military stopped using it from the damage it does. I thought it was weird it rose instead of fell. I’m glad I didn’t get it too thick. I left when I started to breath it in. But my body feels weird, def not normal tear gas.”

Late-night noise demo at Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis – On the evening of January 13 (Day 43) a noise demo at the Graduate by Hilton went into the late hours. This hotel which is closely linked to the University of Minnesota has reportedly been hosting ICE agents (UR Video). The University of Minnesota police have been guarding the lobby fitted in riot gear (UR Video). Noise demos around the metro area including downtown have been a feature of the protest movement lately.

A dozen or so University of Minnesota Police officers wearing riot gear and holding batons have been standing in the lobby of the Graduate Hotel as a noise demonstration occurs outside protesting ICE agents who are reportedly staying there. The main protest is done but dozens are still making noise.

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— Unicorn Riot (@unicornriot.bsky.social) January 13, 2026 at 10:56 PM

Judge declines to make immediate ruling on halting ICE activity — Federal Judge Katherine Menendez didn’t issue a temporary restraining order meant to block ICE activity in the Twin Cities at a status conference Wednesday morning. The hearing comes after the state, alongside Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a suit Monday against Trump’s DHS that sought a temporary restraining order against the agency. Judge Menendez said she planned to hold oral arguments next week, according to MPR news.

Thousands of students stage walkout demanding ICE leave Minnesota — Students from St. Paul and nearby school districts marched to the capitol building after walking out of class in protest against ICE activity, according to reporting by Georgia Fort. Local school districts have cancelled class in recent days in response to ICE activity.

Labor unions and community groups call for walkout day – On Friday, January 23, a large walkout has been called by many major Twin Cities organizations. It includes “Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1005, SEIU Local 26, UNITE HERE Local 17, CWA Local 7250, and St. Paul Federation of Educators Local 28” (Workday – 1/13 – Day 43). More groups are expected to join the call including faith leaders. Clergy were denied access to detainees at the Whipple Building on Tuesday (RNS – 1/13).

Hennepin County Medical Center questions swirl at county board meeting – At a Hennepin County board meeting on Tuesday 1/13, registered nurses, case managers and other medical workers from HCMC called for a separation agreement between Hennepin County and ICE. They also called for Sheriff Dawanna Witt to instruct her department to trespass ICE. There has been chatter about HCMC employee data sought by ICE as well. A labor leader source said HCMC is in the process of giving Homeland Security access to employee I-9 data (Clint Combs for UR). In a statement posted on 1/13 HCMC said “We will guard the privacy of our patients.” Update: 6:40 p.m. Weds: A note apparently from AFSCME Council 5 says they confirmed Hennepin Healthcare is “complying with a request” from DHS “for access to employee I-9 forms” which could lead to the “potential targeting of workers based on immigration status”. The Interim CEO of Hennepin Healthcare resigned Tuesday.

ICE fans out across greater Minnesota – More reports have come in about ICE activity in Rochester, Mankato, and other outstate locations (Minnpost – 1/12 – Day 42). Hundreds of people challenged ICE agents midday at a St. Cloud strip mall (Star Tribune – 1/13 – Day 43).

Federal agents fire crowd control weapons on protesters at Whipple Building – During the early evening hours of January 13 (Day 43) there were some charges of federal agents against protesters including flashbangs (Status Coup) and at least one bloody injury. Many of the agents onsite are Bureau of Prisons guards (UnraveledPress). The Whipple Building is the most significant logistical site for ICE in Minnesota, the home of the regional ERO field office and also a magnet for hard-right trolls who sometimes attack protesters (UR – 1/10 – Day 40). Democratic members of Congress from Minnesota were blocked from an oversight visit at the Whipple Building on Saturday 1/10 and have requested an emergency court hearing with U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb (AP – 1/12).

Greg Bovino continues to harass St. Paul – The last few days have seen CBP teams led by Greg Bovino intimidating residents of St. Paul. A caravan rolled around the Midway area, knocking on doors (UnraveledPress – 1/13 – Day 43). There was a report of a federal helicopter in the Midway area during the day, which did not appear on flight tracker websites, probably linked to Bovino’s activity. People have spotted in at least one instance that agents on the ground can see an aerial feed likely in real-time. Asian communities are increasingly targeted and federal agents have been asking where Hmong households are in St. Paul. (Pioneer Press 1/12 – Day 42 – Archive) Bovino was present at a violent attack on 1/11 at the Speedway gas station near Macalester College on Snelling Avenue; agents seemed to beat the detainee unconscious according to witnesses (News2Share – 1/11). Bovino also got a softball interview on Monday from Esme Murphy (WCCO – 1/11).

Federal agents grab passerby amid protesters in Minneapolis – The most high-profile detention for 1/13 involved a group of around 50 federal agents who attacked a driver in a car; they said they were on their way to a medical appointment and not involved in protests. “I saw multiple agencies including ICE there. Pepper spray, tear gas, flash bangs, and pepper balls were used. I saw at least 2 arrests along with someone that was in the back of one of the vehicles.” This was just a few blocks from where ICE killed Renee Good (Chris Juhn photos – 1/13 – Day 43).

‘ICE Air’ flights head from MSP for Texas – The latest pattern in recent days are increased detainee flights from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Texas. “Since Jan 9, there have been 12 ICE Air flights out of Minneapolis, MN—a jump from the typical 3 flights/week to Minneapolis. This surge is taking place as people with valid refugee status are being taken from their homes in MN & transferred to detention centers in [Texas]. Of the 12 flights, 10 have landed in El Paso, TX, while the remaining 2 landed in Houston. Since Jan. 6, at least 10 Coast Guard planes have flown to Minneapolis, potentially carrying ICE agents” (IceFlightMonitor on Bluesky – 1/14). Recent detention statistics don’t show large numbers of ICE detainees in Sherburne County, although that is part of the county level detention network system (UR – 11/26/25). Planespotters have monitored the MSP detention flights carefully (UR – 12/4/25). Some federal surveillance aircraft without transponders appear to be operating out of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport near the new State Emergency Operations Center (UR – 1/11 – Day 41).

DOJ struggles to make case for harassing observers in federal court, six MN Fed prosecutors resign – The local and state governments have submitted a large lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (Politico – 1/12 – Day 42). Six prosecutors inside the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office resigned over leadership pressure to investigate Renee Good and her widow’s links to activist groups (NYT – 1/13, NBCNews – 1/13). On Tuesday the DOJ struggled to justify harassing, pulling over, and sometimes violently arresting legal observers in cars who were not presenting imminent threats. A ruling is expected late Thursday 1/15 (Kyle Cheney for Politico on Bluesky – 1/13 – Day 43 – XCancel – X). In a related earlier case in Chicago, U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Ellis said video evidence “suggests that the agent drove erratically and brake-checked other motorists in an attempt to force accidents that agents could then use as justifications for deploying force.” (Fox9 – 1/12) More than two dozen ICE vehicles in the metro area “currently lack the necessary emergency lights and sirens” required to be “compliant with law enforcement requirements” according to a contract justification just published this week (Wired – 1/13).

Content for the ‘clicktatorship’ – President Trump claimed that “THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING” to followers on his website (TruthSocial – 1/13/25). America is now under a “form of government that combines a social media worldview with authoritarian tendencies … their beliefs, judgment, and decisionmaking reflect, are influenced by, and are directly responsive to the online world to an extreme degree,” according to University of Michigan public policy professor Don Moynihan. The “clicktatorship” “is generating these images to justify the occupation of American cities by military forces, or to justify cutting off resources to states that did not support the president” (Wired – 1/13). The Department of Homeland Security has an extensive social media campaign integrated with ICE enforcement. ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who shot and killed Renee Good, was filming the encounter with a cell phone in one hand (BBC – 1/10). ICE is planning a $100 million “wartime recruitment” campaign (WaPo – 12/31/25). DHS used a phrase found in a neo-nazi anthem for an ICE recruitment message after the shooting (The Intercept 1/13), part of a larger pattern of white supremacist dogwhistles in agency messaging (SPLC – 8/28/25, TNR – 8/14/25). This included the phrase “Which way, American man?” similar to the title of an infamous 1978 white supremacist book (Newsweek – 8/12/25).

Harassment of observers at home – There have been more reports of intimidation by federal agents of legal observers at their homes and privacy advocates believe private data is being used to intimidate people (MPR News – 1/13).

Alpha News tattle line swamped immediately – The leading purveyor of right-wing posts in Minnesota, Alpha News, announced they were collecting videos of protesters that they deemed to be conducting illegal activities. However the form system seemingly got overwhelmed immediately by pranksters and shut down within hours (vegavannah on Bluesky – 1/13). Earlier, Alpha News was the first to publish Ross’ leaked cell phone video he filmed while killing Rene Good, which was promoted by JD Vance and other top White House officials almost immediately.

Natives convince federal agents to leave Little Earth – In a video reposted by American Indian Movement leader Mike Forcia, Native residents of the Little Earth housing complex convinced federal agents to depart with some saying the site is a “reservation” (Mike Forcia – date not specified). At least five Native Americans had been detained by ICE during this campaign (ICT – 1/9 – Day 39). Red Lake Nation descendant and U.S. citizen Jose Roberto “Beto” Ramirez was “mocked and teased” during a detainment after being struck “multiple times on his head and face” at the Robbinsdale HyVee parking lot, then brought to the Whipple Building (ICT – 1/9).

Immigration agents “terrified of backlash,” leaked documents show elements of plan – Some leaked documents indicate the scale and patterns of activity within the Border Patrol. According to at least one agent, some don’t want to come; law enforcement are being propagandized by leadership to think of it as a war. It also results in rookie officers showing up: “If no experienced senior agents step up, they send the new guys straight out of the academy. Not a good idea” said a Border Patrol agent (Ken Klippenstein – 1/13).

MAPE: Telework is in, return to office is over – A message to members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees indicated that Minnesota Management and Budget has “indicated a willingness to allow agencies to expand telework flexibility for all state employees” due to the “fear and safety concerns” of the state workforce. “Discretion remains with your supervisor” but “MMB said they will not enforce makeup office days.”