Dozens of clergy members were arrested at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on Friday following a coordinated act of civil disobedience against the increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in the Twin Cities. Protesters, who were reportedly singing hymns and praying while kneeling on roadways, ignored police directives to disperse, leading to arrests by local law enforcement.
The demonstration was a central component of an organized “ICE OUT!” day, which organizers claimed included scores of business closures and worker walkouts across Minnesota, effectively functioning as a localized general strike. This escalation in public opposition follows weeks of tense and sometimes volatile confrontations between ICE agents and local residents opposed to the Trump administration’s stringent immigration enforcement policies.
Organizers, including the non-profit advocacy group Faith in Minnesota, stated that the immediate demands included legal accountability for the ICE agent involved in the recent fatal shooting of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, during monitoring of ICE activities. Furthermore, the clergy sought to highlight alleged detentions of airport and airline workers by federal agents on the job, urging airline corporations to publicly support the cessation of the federal surge in the state.
The deployment of federal agents in Minnesota was reportedly initiated partly in response to allegations of fraud within the state's substantial Somali community, a demographic President Trump has targeted for removal. While the administration, through officials like Vice President J.D. Vance, has framed the operation as necessary enforcement and attempted to de-escalate tensions, local Democratic leaders and protesters have characterized the federal activity as an occupation.
The scale of the opposition was notable, with hundreds converging on the airport before an afternoon rally downtown, despite frigid weather conditions. Community organizers noted the gravity of participation, with some business owners closing their establishments to send a clear message of solidarity against the perceived federal overreach. The situation remains indicative of deep political polarization regarding immigration enforcement, with both sides citing harassment and obstruction.
Source: Based on reporting from The Irish Times, originally sourced via Reuters.