Minnesotans demand ICE out of Twin Cities

St. Paul, MN – Dozens of Minnesotans gathered in the pouring rain on Tuesday, November 25 to show their solidarity with those affected by federal immigration raids. The Trump administration is launching racist attacks through ICE in Saint Paul. Meanwhile there are no official protections for the most vulnerable against this violence.

The rally by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) took place outside of Bro-Tex Inc. in Saint Paul. It is a manufacturing company where an ICE raid took place one week earlier on November 18. There was another federal raid by ICE at a residence in the city’s East Side on the morning of the rally. ICE arrested one resident of the home, and then three more observers. There were several injuries from the “non-lethal munitions” deployed by federal agents and the Saint Paul Police Department.

The protest sought to demonstrate community support for families whose loved ones were recently detained by federal immigration officers. Karla Alarcon is one of those whose father is still in detention after being arrested at the Bro-Tex Inc. operation.

Alarcon said, “Every family impacted has a history, a dream, a purpose, and a place in this community. And today Minnesota has a choice to make: are we a state that allows families to be torn apart in broad daylight? Or are we a state that stands up and says, ‘Not here! Not to our people!’”

Alarcon called upon politicians at all levels to take action to prevent more families from going through the same trauma.

MIRAC member Miguel Hernandez spoke of how local police escalate tensions during raids, like the morning November 18. Police used tear gas, pepper balls and other violent crowd control tactics.

Hernandez said, “It’s a lot better when the police are not around. They showed up today and we saw the clear difference of violence. It escalated way faster and way more aggressively with more police.”

Hernandez highlighted the demand “Real Sanctuary Now!” The movement is urging stronger sanctuary policy in the Twin Cities to keep local police from collaborating with for the safety of everyday residents. 

Other organizations represented among the speakers at the rally were West Side Community Organization, Anti-War Committee, and Minnesota Workers United.

At the end of the protest MIRAC urged attendees to join them at the Minneapolis City Council hearing on December 9 at 1:30 p.m. to pack the room and demonstrate support for a proposal to amend the city’s separation ordinance in accordance with the needs of the immigrant community.

#StPaulMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #MIRAC #ICE