Even before the crowd was visible, the sound of whistles and shouts filled the air. In a residential street in Minneapolis, over 70 individuals gathered along the sidewalk, recording on their phones and hurling insults — along with sporadic snowballs — at a few U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and their vehicles.
During the incident, an ICE agent tackled a protester to the ground. Subsequently, a woman made a sudden movement towards the agent, prompting him to raise a baton, leading to the crowd’s outrage at the escalation. At a certain point, an ICE supervisor contacted the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office for support.
The supervisor, whose name was muted in a recording around 1:13 p.m. released by the sheriff’s office, reported, “I got officers getting attacked. We have 60 to 70 agitators that are fighting us.”
Upon the deputies’ arrival, they lined the sidewalk and observed as the crowd and ICE officers traversed from one end of the block to the other, passing by a car with a broken window. The deputies witnessed an ICE agent firing pepper balls into the street, dispersing some protesters and onlookers who sought water to cleanse their eyes.
The recent immigration initiative by the Department of Homeland Security, Operation Metro Surge, commenced on December 1 in Minnesota. It has faced significant opposition in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, with residents expressing solidarity with the Somali and broader immigrant community targeted by the raids and disparaging remarks from the U.S. president.
In a public statement, the Hennepin County sheriff’s office clarified that its deputies did not witness any assaults or agents requiring medical attention and emphasized their non-involvement in civil immigration enforcement.
Today at approximately 1:13 pm, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received a call for immediate assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. <a href=”https://t.co/zAHZAsZZ6S”>pic.twitter.com/zAHZAsZZ6S</a>
—HennepinSheriff
Various officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, the mayors of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and the Minneapolis police chief, have expressed concerns about the intensified enforcement following President Donald Trump’s derogatory remarks towards the Somali community in the city.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the U.S., estimated at around 80,000 individuals, most of whom are American citizens.
