{"id":2556749,"date":"2026-01-29T08:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesota-ice-protesters-face-few-arrests-despite-continued-unrest\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:27:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:27:51","slug":"minnesota-ice-protesters-face-few-arrests-despite-continued-unrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesota-ice-protesters-face-few-arrests-despite-continued-unrest\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota ICE protesters face few arrests despite continued unrest"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fminnesota-ice-protesters-face-few-arrests-despite-continued-unrest%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2556749&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>since federal immigration officials launched Operation Metro surge in December, Minneapolis-area protests have frequently clashed with enforcement actions, but local police report relatively few arrests compared with periods before the operation.Minneapolis Police Department data show 203 serious (&#8220;part I&#8221;) arrests and 550 less-serious (&#8220;part II&#8221;) arrests from Dec. 1, 2025, to Jan. 28, 2026\u2014lower than the two months before the operation\u2014and overall reported crimes, including property damage, were also down. Nonetheless, several high-profile mass arrests have occurred outside the city, including 26 people detained in Maple Grove (13 charged with gross misdemeanor riot and 13 with unlawful assembly) and 99 people cited at Minneapolis\u2013Saint Paul Airport. Federal authorities have made the bulk of enforcement actions related to obstructing operations: DHS says it has arrested more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants since the surge began,the DOJ arrested protesters who stormed a St. Paul church, and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced charges against 16 people for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prosecutor-says-sedition-charges-possible-in-capitol-riot-cases-trump-may-be-criminally-culpable\/\" title=\"Prosecutor Says Sedition Charges Possible In Capitol Riot Cases, Trump May Be \u2018Criminally Culpable\u2019\">assaulting federal officers<\/a>. Local leaders, including Mayor Jacob Frey, have opposed ICE operations, while federal and state officials have sought ways to de\u2011escalate; a federal judge is considering Minnesota\u2019s bid to halt the surge.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Minnesota ICE protesters face few arrests despite continued unrest<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2482453\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Since federal <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/immigration\/\">immigration<\/a> officials began &ldquo;Operation Metro Surge&rdquo; in December, protesters have gathered around, and in some cases, interfered with, federal immigration operations, but arrests of unruly protesters have been limited.<\/p>\n<p>While the First Amendment protects the freedom to protest peacefully, violent protests and obstruction of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cities-offering-sanctuary-deny-it-to-their-own-residents\/\" title=\"Cities Offering \u2018Sanctuary\u2019 Deny It To Their Own Residents\">federal law enforcement operations<\/a> are not protected activities and are generally illegal. Despite the number of clashes between federal immigration operations and unruly protesters, arrests have largely been conducted by federal agencies, not by state or local law enforcement, with the Minneapolis Police Department not reporting any surges in arrests.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4438299\/how-democrat-demands-judicial-warrants-decimate-deportation-agenda\/\">How Democrats&rsquo; demands for judicial warrants in immigration enforcement would decimate deportation agenda<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4438431\/trump-nominee-doj-fraud-enforcement-division\/\">Trump names nominee to lead DOJ&rsquo;s new fraud enforcement division<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4438380\/judge-cancels-ice-todd-lyons-testimony\/\">Judge cancels ICE director testimony but rips agency&rsquo;s habitual violation of court orders&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-arrests-by-minneapolis-police-down-compared-to-time-prior-to-operation\">Arrests by Minneapolis police down compared to time prior to operation<\/h2>\n<p>Since Operation Metro Surge was announced on Dec. 1, 2025, the Minneapolis Police Department reported fewer arrests and crimes than during the two-month period prior to the operation. The number of arrests during the same period last year was generally the same, and in some cases, arrests and crimes were lower this year.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Arrest&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.minneapolismn.gov\/government\/government-data\/datasource\/arrests-dashboard\/#d.en.94950\">data<\/a>&nbsp;from the Minneapolis Police Department shows the number of &ldquo;part I&rdquo; arrests, which are for serious crimes, from Dec. 1, 2025, through midday Jan. 28, 2026, was 203, along with 550 &ldquo;part II&rdquo; arrests, which are for less serious crimes, including vandalism and simple assault.<\/span> For the entirety of October and November, there were 299 &ldquo;part I&rdquo; arrests and 751 &ldquo;part II&rdquo; arrests reported by the police department, and from Dec. 1, 2024, to Jan. 28, 2025, there were 255 &ldquo;part I&rdquo; arrests and 509 &ldquo;part II&rdquo; arrests reported during that time.<\/p>\n<p>Crime <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.minneapolismn.gov\/government\/government-data\/datasource\/crime-dashboard\/\">data<\/a> from the police department also shows fewer property damage and vandalism crimes during Operation Metro Surge. There have been 839 crimes, compared to 1,453 in all of October and November and 1,048 from Dec. 1, 2024, to Jan. 28, 2025. The number of reported assaults since the operation began is lower than in October and November, but slightly higher than the same time period a year ago.<\/p>\n<p>Minneapolis has been the epicenter of the protests for Operation Metro Surge, with both <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >shootings involving federal law enforcement<\/a> and protesters happening within the city limits. In both instances, the  unruly protesters were killed by gunshots after confrontations with law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Local officials have shown open hostility to federal immigration operations, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey resisting efforts to cooperate and telling ICE to leave the city.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-unruly-protests-in-minneapolis-suburb-led-to-arrests\">Unruly protests in Minneapolis suburb led to arrests<\/h2>\n<p>There have been some high-profile, unlawful protests that have led to arrests outside of Minneapolis itself, including arrests this week of 26 protesters who gathered outside the SpringHill Suites in Maple Grove, Minnesota, thinking federal immigration officials were staying at the hotel.<\/p>\n<p>The Maple Grove Police Department announced Tuesday that 13 of the people arrested were charged with gross misdemeanor riot charges, while the other 13 were charged with misdemeanor unlawful assembly. The police department also said two of the 26 arrested also faced charges for obstructing the legal process.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators stand against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-secretary-of-state-investigating-voter-registration-group-run-by-democrat-raphael-warnock\/\" title=\"Georgia Secretary Of ... Investigating Voter Registration Group Run By Democrat Raphael Warnock\">law enforcement officers<\/a> during a protest outside SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn by Marriott hotels on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Maple Grove, Minn. (AP Photo\/Adam Gray)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;The protest was declared an unlawful assembly after property damage and violence occurred, making the activity no longer protected under the First Amendment. Dispersal orders were issued, and individuals were given clear instructions and ample opportunity to leave,&rdquo; the police department said in a press release.<\/p>\n<p>Another high-profile, mass arrest of protesters by a police department came earlier this month when law enforcement at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport arrested 99 people for a protest that went beyond permitted activities.<\/p>\n<p>The protesters held a sign that said &ldquo;every city, every town, ICE out, shut it down,&rdquo; and were hit with misdemeanor charges, accused of trespassing and not obeying law enforcement orders, according to Minnesota television station <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/kstp.com\/kstp-news\/local-news\/99-cited-in-clergy-led-anti-ice-protest-at-msp-airport-that-ended-with-mass-arrests\/\">KSTP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-federal-law-enforcement-has-arrested-several-unruly-protesters\">Federal law enforcement has arrested several unruly protesters<\/h2>\n<p>While arrests by state and local officials have been relatively low compared to the prevalence of unruly protests across the Twin Cities since Operation Metro Surge began, federal officials have announced several high-profile arrests for obstructing federal operations.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Homeland Security claims it has arrested more than 3,000 illegal immigrants since the operation began at the beginning of last month, but many unruly protesters have also been arrested during that span.<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department arrested a trio of protesters who stormed a church service in St. Paul, and reportedly has attempted to arrest five others for their alleged roles in the incident. Those <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4429020\/doj-arrests-nekima-levy-armstrong-suspect-minnesota-church-storming\/\">arrested and charged<\/a> included Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly.<\/p>\n<p>Attorney General Pam Bondi announced additional arrests in Minnesota on Wednesday, charging 16 people with assaulting federal law enforcement officers, and vowing that additional arrests would be announced in the future.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve said it before and I&rsquo;ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law,&rdquo; Bondi said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AgFWduRYNA\">pic.twitter.com\/AgFWduRYNA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AGPamBondi\/status\/2016589801168732583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>The arrested individuals are: Christina Rank, Abdikadir Noor, Madeline Tschida, Nitzana Flores, Helicity Borowska, Quentin Williams, William Vermie, Paul Johnson, Gillian Etherington, Joshua Doyle, Kirubele Adbebe, Margaret Sager, Ilan Wilson-Soler, Nasra Ahmed, Alice Valentine, and Matrim Charlebois.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4435233\/fact-check-walz-misleading-claim-minnesota-cooperating-ice\/\">FACT CHECK: WALZ MAKES MISLEADING CLAIM THAT MINNESOTA IS COOPERATING WITH ICE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While tensions have remained high in the Twin Cities for much of the month, President Donald Trump and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) have expressed a desire to lower the temperature and find an offramp from ongoing unrest. Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to meet with state and local officials about a potential offramp.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration&rsquo;s Operation Metro Surge is at risk of being halted as a federal judge weighs Minnesota&rsquo;s bid to end it. During a hearing on Monday, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-skeptical-of-trump-order-federalizing-california-national-guard-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Judge skeptical of Trump order ...izing California National Guard ... Washington Examiner\">federal judge appeared skeptical<\/a> of the state&rsquo;s request to end Operation Metro Surge and asked the federal government for additional briefing by Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Few arrests amid Minnesota ICE protests<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2556750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26027108621729.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4283,8364,5698,3970],"class_list":["post-2556749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-arrests","tag-ice","tag-minnesota","tag-protests"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26027108621729.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2556749"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2556753,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556749\/revisions\/2556753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2556750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2556749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2556749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2556749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}