Latest news with #JacobFrey
Fox News
a day ago
- General
- Fox News
False rumors of Minneapolis ICE raid spark protest as police decry ‘irresponsible' info from elected officials
A chaotic protest in Minneapolis during which federal agents were seen getting physical with demonstrators unfolded as elected officials posted "highly irresponsible" information online suggesting a criminal search warrant was an ICE operation, police say. Tense moments were captured on video Tuesday as federal agents and the public clashed in the streets of the major city, with State Sen. Omar Fateh claiming on Facebook that "On scene are DHS, ICE, FBI, Sheriffs, and MPD" in what he described as "blatant fascism on display." In a follow-up post, Fateh said "While the Mayor has told us ICE is not welcome in our city, what residents saw was their deployment assisted by his MPD." However, the federal operation focusing on a Mexican restaurant actually "was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement" and "No arrests were made," according to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. "The information that came out on social media from elected officials was highly irresponsible," Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt then said Wednesday. "There were ways for them to have accurate information and instead of getting accurate information, being impulsive and putting out things that could potentially incite riots is senseless." "Yesterday's incident was a criminal investigation," she added. "So putting out the rhetoric that that was a raid, it was not a raid. Putting out the rhetoric that it was an immigration enforcement, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office does not participate in immigration enforcement. Elected officials have a responsibility to the constituents to put out accurate information. They don't have to agree with it, but do not mislead the public, causing more harm to our communities." Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara added that "Ultimately, you can say what you want and point fingers and blame people for different things, how it happened, whether they should or shouldn't have or whatever, but the bottom line is if a tragedy happened at Lake and Bloom yesterday, it doesn't matter who is at fault. The community loses. The feds lose. We all lose, and we are left behind. "The feds can leave, we are left behind to deal with the consequences," O'Hara continued. "And what I saw yesterday as they were trying to leave, aside from just the verbal things that were being said, but with things being thrown at them – in some cases heavily-armed federal agents getting into hand-to-hand situations with people who are protesting – is not good." Video clips showed protesters screaming at the federal agents. In one scene, a masked man wearing an ATF Police uniform tossed a demonstrator to the ground after he tried to get in front of a van that was leaving the area. "Trump has created an environment of understandable fear, created an atmosphere where distrust isn't just a norm. In fact, sometimes it's appropriate," Frey told reporters Thursday while speaking alongside Witt and O'Hara. Homeland Security did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. In a statement provided to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Jamie Holt, the ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge for St. Paul, said "Federal investigators conducted a groundbreaking criminal operation today -- Minnesota's first under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) umbrella -- marking a new chapter in how we confront complex, multidimensional threats. "From drug smuggling to criminal labor trafficking, this operation showcases the breadth of our collective missions and the strength of a united front," the statement added, noting that "This HSI led investigation wouldn't have been possible without the extraordinary collaboration of our state partners and federal HSTF partners." Witt told reporters Wednesday that "It is not okay for people to obstruct law enforcement when we are trying to obtain evidence." "It's not okay to try to prevent them from leaving. It is not okay," she added. "It did not look good -- I get that -- and we will deal with some of the things that happened that even I don't agree with, which is why I have an appointment already set up with some of our federal leaders. That could have been done better."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE issues statement in response to raids at 2 Twin Cities restaurants
ICE issues statement in response to raids at 2 Twin Cities restaurants originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a statement in response to the law enforcement operation at two Twin Cities restaurants on Tuesday, one of which drew a large crowd of protesters. A large crowd gathered outside Las Cuatro Milpas at Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in south Minneapolis late Tuesday morning as it quickly emerged that masked ICE agents were on the scene, sparking concerns that an immigration enforcement operation was ongoing. As the crowd grew, with pepper spray at one point being used by police on protesters, The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office issued a statement clarifying that the search warrants being executed were not related to immigration. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who was not at the scene, issued a quick statement a short time after, saying the "incident was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs & money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement." ICE has since acknowledged the operation and provided a little information regarding the nature of Tuesday's action, describing it as a "groundbreaking criminal operation" that was "Minnesota's first under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) umbrella" that is designed to "confront complex, multidimensional threats." The Las Cuatro Milpas restaurant in Bloomington was also raided as part of the operation, but as of Wednesday no details have been released concerning why the restaurants were targeted for search warrants, nor have any allegations been publicly issued relating to the investigation. The ICE statement continued to say: "This HSI led investigation wouldn't have been possible without the extraordinary collaboration of our state partners and federal HSTF partners, including the U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI, IRS-CI, DEA, ERO, ATF, USMS, DSS, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, TSA and local law enforcement. Together, we are safeguarding communities, protecting national security, and setting a new standard of joint enforcement efforts." There has been scrutiny over the involvement of Minneapolis Police Department in Tuesday's operation, with activists and some local council members raising concern that MPD officers were at the scene given the department's hands-off policy towards ICE enforcement. MPD's policy said that it will not interfere with ICE investigations, but will not be involved in the enforcement of federal immigration law. Tuesday's operation featured agents from HSI (Homeland Security Investigations), a division of ICE, which investigates a "wide range of crimes, including narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, and financial crimes." MPD said it "responded to a request to assist with crowd control and to help ensure public safety," adding: "Officers supported federal law enforcement in safely departing the area." The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office confirmed it partnered with federal agencies, which also included the FBI, DEA and ATF, on the investigation that led to Tuesday's search warrants, but said it has no involvement in civil immigration enforcement. "HCSO enforces criminal statutes and works on criminal investigations. We work with federal partners regularly on those criminal investigations," it said. In a statement on Wednesday, Mayor Jacob Frey accused some of the politicians at the scene – which included several of his opponents for mayor this November – of making "inflammatory statements ... before the facts were known," saying these statements "spread fear and panic instead of countering it." "Some falsely implied that MPD was helping ICE deport residents," he added. "Stoking panic can be a tempting short-term social media strategy in politics – it's a good recipe for viral content. But it also erodes trust in government," he continued. Over the long term, it makes it easier for people like Donald Trump to tear down the institutions and norms that we need to defend the rule of law." Irene Fernando, the Hennepin County Commissioner for the 2nd District, said it should not be surprising that the presence of ICE agents in Minneapolis sparked immigration crackdown concerns given the mass deportation efforts currently being undertaken by the Trump administration. "While there are conflicting reports on the purpose of this joint action, the presence of ICE agents indicates the clear potential of a raid. And with the horrifyingly and historically high Air Quality Index, the use of chemical irritants is truly unconscionable and disgusting," she said. "I have requested an after-action report from the Sheriff on the use of Hennepin resources and the taskforce that was deployed today. I also requested information on deployments of employees, equipment, and weaponry that occurred today." Bring Me The News has reached out to Las Cuatro Milpas for comment on Tuesday's operation. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
What Is the Future of George Floyd Square?
Note: This newsletter was sent to readers on May 23, 2025. Dear Headway reader, A version of this letter was originally published in Race/Related, a weekly newsletter focused on race, identity and culture. There's no place in America quite like George Floyd Square. More than 300 responses to our story about the site have reinforced this sentiment. Even if you landed in this place without any context, you would know something significant happened at the intersection of 38th Avenue East and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis. From the sculptures of raised fists marking the intersections that border the street to the closed gas station bearing the hand-painted title 'The People's Way,' the corner where a police officer killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck on May 25, 2020 now feels like the physical outpouring of a community's grief, anger and hope. It is currently a place suspended in time. Since its days as a barricaded protest zone filled with residents and activists, members of this community remain divided over what to do with the impromptu memorial that was created here. If there's consensus on any point, it's that change is both inevitable and necessary. But there are conflicting visions over what the city should do with the site, which has been the object of a still-unresolved struggle between Mayor Jacob Frey and the Minneapolis City Council. The Headway team asked Ernesto Londoño, The Times's Minneapolis bureau chief, and Joshua Rashaad McFadden, who photographed the George Floyd protests for The Times in 2020, to show us the square as it currently stands, alongside the perspectives of some of the people with a say in what it becomes. We wanted to document the site as it exists today, knowing that it will eventually change. You can see our story here. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Minneapolis police chief calls federal law enforcement's actions "tone-deaf" after chaotic raid
Minneapolis leaders have addressed concerns following Tuesday's chaotic clash between protesters, police, deputies and federal law enforcement. It happened just before noon outside Las Cuatro Milpas restaurant off East Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue. The Department of Homeland Security says it was executing multiple search warrants and didn't make an arrest, calling the operation "groundbreaking." But crowds quickly gathered at the scene, many believing it was an immigration raid. City leaders soon released statements about the operation's actual purpose. "This incident was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement," said Mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday. Police and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office also released statements echoing the same explanation. During a joint press conference about their "Operation Safe Summer" plan, Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara said they didn't know about the operation until it was already underway. Sheriff Dawanna Witt said her office had some knowledge of what was going to happen, but she could only say it was tied to a "transnational criminal organization" — one of eight warrants executed across Minnesota linked to human trafficking. WCCO All said that while Tuesday's operation was necessary, it was poorly planned, and O'Hara criticized the actions of federal law enforcement. "I had concerns and I have relayed them to our federal partners," O'Hara said. "I think the matter in which some of it was handled was tone-deaf for the situation. I think there's no question everybody learned yesterday just how heightened and how tense the issue of immigration enforcement in this city is." Frey, O'Hara and Witt also slammed local leaders for reacting without the facts, emphasizing the raid wasn't tied to immigration despite the presence of agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Minneapolis City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison called local and federal agents involved "faux military clowns," while mayoral candidate and state Sen. Omar Fateh called it "blatant facism." "When things are tense and heightened and spiraling out of control, you need leaders to step back and gather the facts and deal with the situation that was unfolding," O'Hara said. WCCO went to Hennepin County District Court and found federal search warrants connected to the raid, but they were sealed. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Federal officers in tactical gear went into a Latino community in Minneapolis. A protest followed
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dozens of protesters converged in the heart of the Latino community in Minneapolis on Tuesday after a large force of federal and local authorities wearing tactical gear conducted what they called a law enforcement action. The protesters flocked to the area near a Mexican restaurant and other Latino-owned businesses after seeing livestreams that claimed an immigration raid was underway, reflecting opposition to such raids in a city that has declared itself a sanctuary for migrants. However, statements from local authorities said it was not an immigration enforcement matter, but a criminal case. 'While we are still gathering details, this incident was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement,' Mayor Jacob Frey said in a Facebook post soon after the police action. 'No arrests were made.' But several dozen protesters remained at the intersection occupied by federal agents hours earlier, using cars to block traffic. A few held signs saying 'abolish ICE' and 'stop the deportations.' A driver went through the crowd. At least one person appeared to have been knocked to the ground but got up and said they were OK. Protesters deflated the car's tires; police moved in to take the driver away, and a scuffle ensued. At least one man was taken into custody. Bystander video showed officers wearing logos from local agencies but also federal ones, including the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. An armored vehicle at the scene bore the initials of Homeland Security Investigations. Minneapolis' police chief also was present. Michelle Gross, president of the local Communities United Against Police Brutality group, said the show of force appeared designed to 'terrorize people into submission.' 'This is jackbooted thuggery, and we aren't having it in our city,' she said. Onlooker Jennifer Davila, who works in the community, said it already had been on edge because of raids. It's tight-knit, and 'if something happens, we know about it," she said. 'They had a white van, a black van and a tank. For a raid, that's pretty excessive,' Davila said. 'And then coming into a brown community and doing this, because we have all kinds of immigrants, not just Latinos.' While the mayor said there were no arrests, a few protesters were at least temporarily detained as tensions grew between the crowd and the law enforcement officers. A Minnesota Public Radio photographer was pepper-sprayed and had his camera broken. A Facebook post from the sheriff's office said it 'partnered with federal agencies on a criminal investigation and part of that investigation included the execution of multiple search warrants at multiple locations in the metro area.' Frey said the police department's only role was helping with crowd control, and that the department was not involved in 'anything related to immigration enforcement.' Both the police department and sheriff's offices have policies against cooperating with immigration enforcement actions. The sheriff's office said that in conducting criminal investigations, 'We work with federal partners regularly.' A local FBI spokesperson, Diana Freedman, declined in a text message to provide details about the operation. ___ Associated Press writers Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed reporting.
