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ICE agents targeting Uber drivers at MSP Airport, advocates cry foul

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Published  December 15, 2025 2:53pm CST
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
FOX 9

The Brief

    • Advocates raised concerns at a Metropolitan Airports Commission meeting on Monday about ICE activity at MSP Airport.
    • Among other issues, advocates say ICE agents have been targeting Uber and Lyft drivers.
    • While airport commission members say they are concerned about the reports, they say there isn't much they can do to restrict ICE from using airport property.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) Airport leaders say they are looking into reports of immigration enforcement actions at the airport, including agents targeting Uber drivers.

Advocates speak at meeting

What we know:

Advocates spoke out on Monday during a meeting of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).

Hassan Yussuf, who represents drivers, told commission members that he was notified Friday morning about an unusual car that was in a lot reserved for ride-hailing drivers at the airport. He learned there was an ICE officer in the lot randomly checking drivers.

"Even though we are citizens, and we are taxpayers, it was something that was unbelievable," another speaker said, using a translator.

Other speakers raised concerns about ICE agents questioning airport workers in a Delta building.

Board members respond

What they're saying:

Responding to the public comment, commission board members confirmed they were aware of the ICE activity. While they made it clear airport police were not assisting ICE with immigration enforcement, commissioners made it clear there wasn't much they can do to prevent ICE from operating at the airport.

"It's important to understand that MSP is a public-use airport, and we are subject to federal regulation," said Metropolitan Airports Commission Acting Chair Patti Gartland. "Federal laws prevent MSP from restricting access to MSP by public or private aircraft operators. So we certainly are empathetic, troubled and distressed, but we also have parameters we need to stay with."

"The colleagues that I sit with and the issues at hand are not only serious, they are abhorrent to everything that we believe in. But with that being said, there are limits to things we can do," added Richard Ginsberg, board member. "We started looking at what was happening and how we could address it, and we're doing it on both sides. It may not be the perfect solution that people want to see, but it's something that we believe will try to downplay the activity that ICE and others are doing. And we're doing everything we can."

Minneapolis-St. Paul International AirportTransportationImmigrationDonald J. Trump