Thousands Rally Against ICE Enforcement in Minnesota Amidst Arctic Temperatures

Protests Against ICE Operations

• Thousands of Minnesotans braved subzero temperatures to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
• Protesters argue that federal agents have overstepped their bounds and are violating constitutional rights.
• Businesses in Minneapolis closed in support of the communities affected by ICE's detention operations.

Clergy Arrested at Airport

• Approximately 100 clergy members were arrested at the Minneapolis airport.
• They were calling on US airlines to refuse transportation of ICE detainees.

Allegations of Aggressive Tactics

• Residents claim ICE agents are aggressively detaining individuals regardless of documentation, stating agents "don't care about documentation."
• Outrage has been fueled by images of protesters being sprayed with chemical agents and pinned to the ground by federal officers.
• There are accusations that the federal government is disregarding the Constitution.

Case of Liam and Father

• A 5-year-old boy, Liam, and his father were taken by ICE.
• The family's attorney states they are not criminals, are in the country legally, and have an active asylum case, asserting they were not evading ICE.
• ICE denies claims that the boy was used as bait, stating the father fled from officers, abandoning his child.
• ICE officers reportedly stayed with the child, provided food, and ensured his care.
• School officials claim agents told the boy to knock on the door to get his mother to open it, but she refused out of fear.
• The boy and his father are from Ecuador, came legally, and have an active asylum case with no order of removal.
• DHS confirms the boy and his father are being held together at a detention center.