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ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Multiple people were hurt while at the scene of a protest against immigration and federal officials in St. Paul on Tuesday morning, according to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's office.
Mayor Carter called the federal response an "ICE operation" in the city, but said he has few details about the incident.
Immigration officials respond to Bro-Tex in St. Paul
What we know:
According to reports from the scene from Pioneer Press reporter Frederick Melo, at least one person was removed from a building by federal agents, and a chemical irritant was deployed as protesters "swarmed" authorities outside Bro-Tex Inc. in St. Paul.
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ICE raid at St. Paul business; protesters hurt
Multiple people were hurt while at the scene of a protest against federal officials in St. Paul on Tuesday morning, according to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's office. According to reports from the scene from Pioneer Press reporter Frederick Melo, at least one person was removed from a building by federal agents, and a chemical irritant was deployed as protesters "swarmed" authorities outside Bro-Tex Inc. in St. Paul.
Video from the scene shared by 50501 Minnesota and Women's March Minnesota on social media features a lot of screaming and yelling, and as federal officials try to leave, protesters try to stop them. Officials physical interacted with protesters, and at least one protester threw an item at a departing vehicle.
A St. Paul City Council staffer confirmed to FOX 9 that federal agents on scene included the FBI, ICE, DEA and HSI (Homeland Security Investigations). St. Paul and Ramsey County were not there nor involved.
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Protesters hurt after federal, ICE agents hit St. Paul business
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter issued a statement after protesters were injured while federal and immigration agents were at a St. Paul business Tuesday morning.
Federal agents had cleared the scene prior to noon on Tuesday. A spokesperson for ICE confirmed their investigation to FOX 9 Tuesday afternoon:
"Today in St. Paul, ICE HSI and law enforcement partners conducted court authorized law enforcement activity and served a search warrant in furtherance of a federal criminal investigation. There is no threat to public safety, and the investigation remains ongoing at this time."
Dig deeper:
Bro-Tex has been in business in St. Paul since 1923. It manufactures cloth and microfiber wipe products.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Mayor Carter statement on ICE operations
What they're saying:
Mayor Carter released a statement on Tuesday afternoon calling the federal response "ICE operations." The mayor is in "close communication" with the city attorney's office and St. Paul Police Department.
"Though we don't have many details right now, I share the concern and fear this raises for our workers, families and entire community," Carter said in the statement. "Remember you have rights."
At the scene of the ICE operations earlier on Tuesday, Mayor Carter, giving an example of similar raids around the country, said federal agents "grab a roofing crew" and are doing so without warrants. It's unclear what happened in Tuesday morning's incident.
The City of St. Paul has immigration resources available on its website.
St. Paul council member demands transparency
What they're saying:
Molly Coleman is on the St. Paul City Council and represents Ward 4, where Tuesday's raid involving federal agents took place. She joined FOX 9's All Day to give her account of the events, and is seeking transparency. She says city officials started to hear about a large federal enforcement mobilization early in the morning. Their initial information suggested it was not an ICE raid, but a lawful, permissible enforcement.
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St. Paul Council Member Molly Coleman reacts to federal raid
Molly Coleman, who represents Ward 4 on the St. Paul City Council, joined FOX 9's Rob Olson on All Day to react to community members and protesters interacting with federal agents outside a business Tuesday morning. She says they've gotten no transparency on why federal agents were in the area, and what enforcement they were called to.
Coleman says the scene escalated due to the size of the law enforcement response and the force they used. The injuries suffered by community members and protesters were largely due to chemical irritants. Some people were shoved to the ground by agents. Coleman says she doesn't know where some community members are, and why others have been detained. She said at least three were placed in a vehicle and detained.
Coleman says they want transparency on what happened, and why.
"As a St. Paul City Council member, if I call the federal government and say tell me where you took our people, they’re not answering, they’re not calling me back. That’s true for elected officials throughout the state at all levels of government," Coleman said. "I think it’s immensely concerning we have a federal government that is so uninterested in telling the truth to the people of St. Paul. It’s a very difficult and troubling situation."
MN lawmakers react to ICE raid
Local perspective:
The Minnesota House's St. Paul delegation released the following statement following Tuesday's federal response in St. Paul:
"This morning, we have been monitoring incidents with federal agents in our city. We have been in contact with local law enforcement and elected leaders, and we will continue to work with them to protect our community.
"To all our constituents in St. Paul, we want to say: be a good neighbor, take precautions, know your constitutional and civil rights, document any incidents with federal law enforcement, and make sure you protect yourself. If you find yourself in need of assistance, please contact local law enforcement or get in touch with community organizations. Always remember that you have rights."
Immigration Defense Network to hold vigil on Wednesday
What's next:
In a press release on Tuesday, the Immigration Defense Network said it will hold an "urgent community vigil" and press availability at 9 a.m. on Wednesday outside Bro-Tex in response to what happened Tuesday morning.
The Immigrant Defense Network on Tuesday afternoon said federal agents "stormed" a workplace, "detained workers, deployed chemical irritants," adding that Tuesday's "escalation was unacceptable" because workers were taken from their jobs.
"What happened today is not law enforcement — it is an assault on our community," said a representative from the Immigrant Defense Network on Tuesday. "No one should fear that simply going to work, providing for their family, or standing up for their neighbors will result in federal agents storming a workplace, detaining people en masse, and deploying chemical weapons against Minnesotans."