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Mass Protests Against Immigration Enforcement Lead to Arrests at Minneapolis Airport
Police arrested several anti-immigration enforcement demonstrators at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Friday after they exceeded their permit boundaries, officials said. The arrests came as part of a larger mobilization against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which proceeded despite Arctic temperatures gripping Minnesota.
According to Trevor Cochlin of Faith in Minnesota, one of the organizing groups, “roughly 100 clergy” were arrested at the airport. The protesters were demonstrating against Delta Airlines’ involvement in the deportation of immigrants. Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesman Jeff Lea confirmed that arrests occurred outside the main terminal when protesters violated permit stipulations and disrupted airline operations.
A coalition of labor unions, progressive organizations, and clergy had called for Minnesotans to stay away from work, school, and businesses on Friday to protest the recent immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
“We want ICE out of Minnesota,” said Bishop Dwayne Royster, leader of the progressive organization Faith in Action, who traveled from Washington, D.C. to join the protests. “We want them out of all the cities around the country where they’re exercising extreme overreach.”
The Twin Cities have seen daily protests since January 7, when Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. In the days since, federal law enforcement officers have repeatedly confronted community members and activists monitoring their activities.
Protest organizers reported that more than 700 businesses across Minnesota closed in solidarity on Friday, from a small bookstore in Grand Marais near the Canadian border to the landmark Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis.
“We’re achieving something historic,” said Kate Havelin of Indivisible Twin Cities, one of the more than 100 participating groups.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that two young children were recently detained during immigration enforcement actions. A 2-year-old named Chloe was detained with her father as they drove home from a grocery store in South Minneapolis on Thursday, according to a GoFundMe page created by Minneapolis city council member Jason Chavez.
DHS said in a statement that Border Patrol arrested Elvis Tipan Echeverria of Ecuador and that the toddler’s mother refused to take custody, so the child was reunited with her father at a federal detention facility. According to an emergency petition filed in federal court, a district judge granted an injunction ordering Chloe’s release into her lawyer’s custody. The child, an Ecuadorian citizen brought to Minneapolis as a newborn, has a pending asylum application.
DHS also maintained its claim that the father of 5-year-old Liam Ramos abandoned him during an arrest by immigration officers in Columbia Heights on Tuesday, leading to the child’s detention. Department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Liam was detained because his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, “fled from the scene.” The two are being held at the Dilley Detention Center in Texas.
The family’s attorney, Marc Prokosch, disputed this account and said he found no criminal history for Liam’s father in state records. Columbia Heights district superintendent Zena Stenvik described the situation as using Liam as “bait.”
The mass protest on Friday coincided with extreme weather conditions in the Upper Midwest. Early Friday afternoon, the temperature in Minneapolis was minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of minus 28, with a severe winter storm expected to follow.
Havelin compared the presence of immigration officers to the winter weather emergency: “Minnesotans understand that when we’re in a snow emergency… we all have to respond and it makes us do things differently. And what’s happening with ICE in our community, in our state, means that we can’t respond as business as usual.”
The protests have had economic impacts, particularly on Somali businesses, which have reported lost sales as workers and customers stay home fearing detention. Many schools also closed on Friday, though they cited various reasons including the extreme cold and scheduled teacher workdays.
On Thursday, a prominent civil rights attorney and at least two other individuals were arrested for their involvement in an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a Sunday service at a St. Paul church where an ICE official serves as pastor. Black Lives Matter Grassroots, a national hub for local BLM chapters, expressed “gratitude” for these activists on Friday, stating: “Grassroots organizers in the Twin Cities are putting their own bodies, freedom and livelihood on the line to secure community.”
Despite the freezing conditions, organizers planned a march in downtown Minneapolis for Friday afternoon, hoping it would be the largest coordinated protest action to date in response to the immigration enforcement surge.
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8 Comments
Curious to learn more about the specific demands and goals of this protest movement. While immigration is a sensitive topic, I hope both sides can find common ground and work towards solutions that balance security, civil liberties, and humanitarian concerns.
It’s good to see citizens actively participating in the democratic process, even on contentious issues like immigration enforcement. However, the airport disruptions seem counterproductive. I wonder if there are alternative ways the organizers could raise awareness and advocate for policy changes?
That’s a fair point. Peaceful protest is a fundamental right, but should be balanced against the need to maintain public order and safety. Hopefully the authorities and organizers can find a constructive path forward.
This is a complex and controversial issue. While I understand the protesters’ concerns, disrupting airport operations could create safety and security risks. A thoughtful, lawful approach is likely more effective to address these concerns constructively.
I agree, finding the right balance between free speech and public safety is critical. Hopefully the authorities and protest organizers can work together to allow for peaceful expression within reasonable limits.
The immigration debate is highly charged, but resorting to mass protests and civil disobedience is concerning. Perhaps the organizers could explore legal/political channels to advocate for policy changes they believe in, rather than risking arrests and disruption.
That’s a fair point. While protesting can raise awareness, engaging with lawmakers and the judicial system may be a more constructive path to enact meaningful, lasting change on this complex issue.
This is a complex and emotive issue. While I respect the protesters’ right to free expression, disrupting airport operations seems unwise and may alienate potential supporters. I hope the organizers can find lawful ways to voice their concerns and advocate for policy changes.