ICE in Minnesota: Security barriers installed as more federal agents arrive

Hundreds more ICE agents coming to MN, Noem says

DHS Sec. Kristi Noem says hundreds more ICE agents are coming to Minnesota. They began arriving on Sunday, and more are expected to arrive on Monday. This comes days after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and comes amid rising tensions as people protest ICE in Minnesota, demanding they leave.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Crews began installing additional barriers at the Whipple Federal building early Monday morning as tensions rise between ICE agents and protesters.

Security barriers at Whipple Federal Building

The backstory:

Tensions have been high in the Twin Cities in recent days following the shooting of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, which has sparked protests across the city. Workers began setting up additional concrete barriers and fencing early Monday morning at the Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling, which serves as the regional ICE headquarters and houses the federal immigration court. 

Additional fencing going up at Whipple Federal Building on Monday, Jan. 12. (FOX 9)

Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said hundreds more federal law enforcement officials would arrive in Minnesota on Sunday and Monday.

"We're sending more officers today and tomorrow," Noem told host Maria Bartiromo. "They'll arrive, there'll be hundreds more in order to allow our ICE and our Border Patrol individuals that are working in Minneapolis to do so safely. We're going to continue to, if they conduct violent activities against law enforcement, if they impede our operations, that's a crime, and we will hold them accountable to those consequences."

DHS has not specified how many officers are being deployed or where the total number of federal agents in the Twin Cities will stand once they arrive, though it’s believed more than 2,000 federal agents are already operating in Minnesota. 

Dig deeper:

The escalating tensions over immigration enforcement is even prompting some businesses to close their doors. 

In St. Paul, La Michoacana Monarca posted on Facebook saying, "Due to recent immigration activity in our area, we have decided to keep our doors closed as a preventative measure. Yesterday, several immigration agents were present in the area. For this reason, we will be closed starting today and throughout the upcoming week, until the situation improves."

ICE operations impacting MN schools

Local perspective:

Schools in Minneapolis are back in session Monday after a temporary closure due to the death of Good, but ICE operations continue to impact students and educators.

Monica Byron, president of Education Minnesota, spoke with FOX 9 about the impact of these operations on schools. "Unfortunately, we’re seeing some things being canceled or postponed or done a little bit differently," said Byron. She mentioned that schools are ensuring more adult presence during dismissal times and after-school activities.

In response to the ICE operations, Minneapolis Public Schools are offering students the option to attend classes virtually through mid-February.

Meanwhile, students in different districts are planning walkouts this week, including those at Roosevelt High School, the location where federal agents deployed chemical irritants and detained a staff member, who was later released. DHS said agents were trying to arrest someone who fled into the school zone, and claimed a Roosevelt staff member assaulted an agent. 

Have you witnessed and documented ICE activity?

What you can do:

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