Minnesota Now

According to border czar Tom Homan, 700 federal immigration agents have reportedly been ordered to leave Minnesota. Minneapolis Council member Jason Chavez shared whether that move has made any difference on the ground. The federal government is also telling Minnesotans to stop impeding ICE operations. More than 100 have been arrested for allegedly doing so. But for some, the charges don't stick. We took a closer look at what impeding actually means under the law.Plus, a new grant aims to support struggling restaurants in Minnesota and we heard more about how Bad Bunny's half time show was a moment of pride for Latino Minnesotans.Also, the Vikings are waking up with regret this morning. Their former quarterback now has a Super Bowl ring, one year after leaving Minnesota.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “People” by Libianca and our Song of the Day was “Death of the Party” by Space Monkey Mafia.

Border czar Tom Homan has said he'll eventually reduce the number of federal immigration officers in the state from 2,000 to about 150, but he says that depends on whether members of the public stop what he describes as interfering with agents work. Homan did not define what actions he views as interfering. But MPR News has reported, federal agents regularly tell people who are recording or objecting to their activities to stop impeding them.Homan said in the past month, at least 158 of these interactions have led to arrests. 85 people have been charged in federal court.Minneapolis attorney Bruce Nestor is representing several people accused of impeding or assaulting ICE or Border Patrol officers. He says citizens are being charged with felonies and are being forced to turn themselves in, give DNA samples and attend hearings. “Yet what we've seen in the past few days is that all of these charges are now being reduced to misdemeanors by the prosecutors by the United States Attorney's Office,” said Nestor. Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke to University of St. Thomas law professor Rachel Moran about what the law says about impeding federal officers.

The Seattle Seahawks are this year's Super Bowl champions after beating the New England Patriots 29-13. Leading the way for the Seahawks was none other than former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, who left only a year ago. Minnesota Now sports contributors, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson, spoke more about the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics and more.

It's been more than two months since a surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived in Minnesota. And while Department of Homeland Security said that it removed about 700 agents from the 3,000 that were in the state last week, some Minneapolis City Council members said they have seen no change in ICE action on the ground. One of those city council members is Jason Chavez, who spoke with host Nina Moini about what he's seeing and hearing.

The presence of federal immigration agents in Minnesota has upended the restaurant industry. Some restaurants have been forced to close their doors, because immigrant staff are too scared to go to work. And some are not getting as much business due to people being afraid to leave their homes. So the Minneapolis Foundation and food journalist Stephanie March have created The Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund, to help support the industry. March joined Minnesota Now to talk about the challenges facing the restaurant industry.

For the first time, Hennepin County sheriff Dawanna Witt spoke about her cooperation with ICE. Sheriff Witt said she has had “healthy” conversations with Tom Homan, the White House official in charge of the Minnesota immigration enforcement surge. Homan has said that federal officials could reduce the number of agents if jails, like Hennepin County, would cooperate and hand over inmates.NPR's Meg Anderson spoke with Sheriff Witt about her cooperation and abiding by state law.

It's a big weekend for sports; Super Bowl 60 is this Sunday in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the same time, in Italy, the Winter Olympics are kicking off, with dozens of Minnesotans competing. Back at home, Minnesota men's basketball teams have taken two wins. MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson to talk about more about it.

Border Czar Tom Homan said more agents will leave if county jails cooperate. We heard from Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt who said she is doing her part. Plus, hear what Minnesotans think about the announcement of 700 ICE agents leaving the state. The Minneapolis City Council is voting on whether the city will support funding rental assistance for people whose income has been hurt by ICE presence in the state. We get more on that.A Somali American artist will share her perspective on making art during this tumultuous time in Minnesota. And our sports contributors are back — with a Minnesota perspective on the upcoming Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week is five years since the military in Myanmar seized control in a coup that forced many in the country to flee political repression and violence. Some came to Minnesota to join a large diaspora that was already here. More than 20 thousand people from Myanmar live in the state, which is home to the United States' largest population of Karen people, an ethnic minority group from Myanmar. The Karen community includes U.S. citizens, refugees and asylum seekers. Recently, federal immigration activities have caused fear and uncertainty among Karen people in Minnesota. That includes the fear of being sent back to Myanmar. MPR News host Kelly Gordon talked with two leaders of The Urban Village, a St. Paul nonprofit that works with youth in the Myanmar diaspora. Jesse Phenow is the group's co-director and Eh Ler Tha is director of special projects and media.

The Minneapolis City Council passed a proposal to provide rental assistance to people impacted by the surge of federal agents. Proponents say too many residents face eviction and other hardships because they feel like they can't leave their homes and work their jobs. Cari Spencer watched the council's discussion about the proposal and joined MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon.

Minnesotans are experiencing the ICE surge in the state in many ways. One Minneapolis artist took the spotlight thrust on Minnesota's Somali American community from President Trump as an opportunity to share what it is to be a part of that community.MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with Ifrah Mansour to explain her perspective on the last few months and how her community is standing strong.

Border Czar Tom Homan said 700 agents will be leaving Minnesota because the federal government is getting more cooperation. We explain. And some Minnesota school districts are suing DHS to prevent ICE from being on or near schools. A coalition of suburban mayors are banding together amid the ongoing immigration operation. We talked to one of those mayors, from St. Louis Park. Plus, Children's Minnesota will pause some gender-affirming care for children. We looked at the impact.Thousands of Minnesotans energized by the political moment turned out for precinct caucuses last night. We get a report from our political team. And highs near 40? Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner has the forecast.Our Music Minutes was “Apologies” by Willie Wonka and our Song of the Day was “Your Eyes” by Dina Ögon.

This month, Children's Minnesota will pause some gender-affirming care. The health system announced Tuesday that starting Feb. 27, it will stop prescribing puberty blockers and hormones to patients under 18. Hospitals and clinics around the country are under pressure from the Trump Administration. It's proposed ending Medicaid and Medicare funding for providers that continue these treatments to minors. One of the providers that will likely take on patients who had gone to Children's Minnesota is Family Tree Clinic. MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with Family Tree's Executive Director Annie Van Avery to explain the significance of the decision.

Two Minnesota school districts and Education Minnesota, which represents the state's teachers' unions, filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block DHS from conducting immigration enforcement activity in or near public schools.This follows DHS's decision to remove limitations of immigration enforcement at sensitive locations like schools and churches. Duluth's public school district has signed onto the lawsuit. The district sent an email to its families this morning that said it is quote "fighting for the safety and stability of our learning environments." MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with Duluth Public School District Superintendent John Magas to explain further.

Tom Homan, the White House official leading the federal immigration operation in the state, announced that 700 federal agents will leave the state today.MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with MPR's Estelle Timar-Wilcox, who was at the press conference at the Whipple federal building, to hear the latest.

A coalition of 12 mayors in Twin Cities suburbs are banding together to support their communities amid the ICE operation. It's called the “Cities for Safe and Stable Communities.” One of the suburbs involved is St. Louis Park. Mayor Nadia Mohamed joined Minnesota Now to talk about this new coalition.

When two Brooklyn Park women were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they would up helping an agent through a medical emergency. Their arrest, captured on Brooklyn Park police dash cam, also gives an inside look at how local police interact with ICE. Tippy Amundson and Heather Zemian shared their experience with MPR News.

All immigration officers in Minneapolis will receive a body camera. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the change on social media yesterday. We talked to an expert about what it means.Two women said they provided emergency aid to a seizing ICE officer who detained them in Brooklyn Park. We hear their story. Plus, Border Czar Tom Homan has said he'll consider taking immigration officers out of Minnesota if local governments cooperate with ICE. He wants help from county jails, specifically. We learn how that works. And many events have been taken off the calendar this year due to the situation in Minneapolis. We talked with the city's tourism agency about the economic impact.Plus, hear special coverage of a press conference by state and school leaders about the impact of the ICE detention of children.

The surge of ICE activity in Minneapolis has led tens of thousands of people to flood downtown for a variety of protests against ICE. But it's kept many others— like those afraid of violence, harassment or arrest by ICE agents— far away from downtown. Events from graduations to conferences to concerts have been canceled or moved outside of the city. The tourism organization Meet Minneapolis conducted a survey about the impact of ICE on tourism in the city. Of the 101 restaurants, event businesses, hotels, arts organizations, attractions and service providers that responded to the survey, 80 percent said they have had canceled, postponed or reduced bookings and sales as a result of ICE activity. 90 percent of those businesses said that fear and stress is affecting the operations of their business.A senior vice president at Meet Minneapolis, Courtney Ries, told MPR News that the 13 Minneapolis hotels that responded to the survey said they lost around $3 million in revenue from the ICE surge this year. That's after more than 40 groups and events connected to the hotels canceled, including two large events at the Minneapolis Convention Center.“When travelers are looking at Minneapolis, there is a lot of uncertainty,” Ries said. “Our job is to advocate for our community and businesses. Who have obviously experienced a lot of heartbreaking emotions over the killings as well as the struggle for businesses to survive.“Meet Minneapolis also surveyed 2,030 American travelers were interested in traveling to Minnesota. 20.6 percent of those said they have altered plans to travel to a destination because of ICE activity.“This is a very acute situation for many of these businesses. We're seeing a lot of questions about how event attendees are going to feel when they come into the city,” Ries said. “We'll continue to host things like the auto show, the boat show, the totally rad vintage fest, the Minnesota school board association meetings, but with more information because attendees have more questions.”

Border Czar Tom Homan has said he'd take federal immigration agents out of Minnesota if local leaders cooperate. And one form of cooperation that he's said the federal government wants is more access to people in county jails. Some counties notify ICE when people who could be deported are about to be released from jail. Sometimes, the jails hold these individuals for ICE for up to two days. And some counties don't do any of these things. MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with Linus Chan, an immigration lawyer and law professor at the University of Minnesota, to explain why there's variation in how sheriffs handle immigration detainers in county jails.

Every Homeland Security officer in Minneapolis is now being issued a body camera. That's according to Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem who said the move is effective immediately. MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with Lauren Bonds, the executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, to get a better understanding of what this means for accountability efforts.DHS was asked whether cameras are for only ICE agents in the city of Minneapolis or statewide. They were also asked how long it would take for cameras to be up and running. They did not answer those questions.

For some immigrant families and people of color in Minnesota, two months of the immigration operation means it's been at least two months of feeling like they have to hide in their homes out of fear. For others, it's been two months of watching violent confrontations while scrolling on your phone or in-person as an observer. MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke with Ana Marielle Rivera, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in St. Paul, about what this means for mental health.

The two Border Patrol agents who fatally shot Alex Pretti have been identified. And there are measles cases at the Texas detention center holding families from Minnesota. We talk with two reporters who cover use of force and immigration detention.It's been two months since the federal government began sending thousands of immigration agents to Minnesota. We checked in with people who have been responding. We find out what this time has been like inside one immigration law office, and we talked with the leader of emergency response in Minneapolis.Plus, a therapist will join with insight on the mental health impacts of this moment.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Everything is Peaceful Love” by Bon Iver and our Song of the Day was “Pop Song” by Karate Chop, Silence.

A large part of the cases of people detained — at times unlawfully — by federal immigration officers has played out in the courts. MPR News has reported that the federal government has quickly moved detainees to other states. That's made it difficult for families and attorneys to locate them. And judges from across the Midwest are coming in to help keep up with a constant stream of challenges to those detentions. MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke to Gloria Contreras Edin, an immigration lawyer based in St. Paul, about those challenges.

It's been two months since the federal government began deploying thousands of federal agents to Minnesota. Rachel Sayre is the city of Minneapolis emergency management director. She has coordinated emergency resources for residents. MPR News host Kelly Gordon spoke to her about some of the impacts she has seen.

ProPublica has identified the two Customs and Border Patrol agents who shot at Alex Pretti as Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez. They have been put on leave. Additionally, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father are back home in Minnesota after being released from the Dilley detention center in Texas. But for families still there, DHS has confirmed actives measles infections inside. MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon spoke with Shannon Heffernan and Anna Flagg, journalists with The Marshall Project, to talk about their reporting on children in detention and federal law enforcement use-of-force.

It's been two months since the federal government began what it calls “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota. Besides spreading fear amongst immigrants and many documented instances of violence and racial profiling, the surge has led many Minnesotans to jump into a remarkably large network of advocates, lawyers, constitutional observers and mutual aid providers. While these helpers have made headlines worldwide, many are getting tired. The Immigrant Defense Network has been operating beyond its capacity for weeks, and there's not yet an end in sight.The Immigrant Defense Network helped band together more than 100 organizations to assist struggling families and defend immigrants' constitutional rights. In January, the network registered an average of 2,000 volunteers per week to deliver food, give at-risk families rides, go to court hearings, and translate documents.“The scale is unimaginable,” Edwin Torres Desantiago, Immigrant Defense Network manager, said. “We have rapid response around the clock, seven days a week. We are actively responding to a case every six minutes across the state of Minnesota.”Torres Desantiago said that to many staff and volunteers, their work feels like a nonstop sprint. “A lot of us are tired, but we know that in this moment we need to keep defending and protecting our neighbors.”“We are living with the reality that this is no longer a couple-week operation like it was in other cities,” Torres Desantiago said. “We are now expecting and creating the infrastructure that this is something we have to sustain for an unforeseeable future.”Torres Desantiago said that even if the there was a sudden decrease in ICE agents in the state, his organization would still work around the clock for months to help with the ripple effect the operation has had on tens of thousands of Minnesotans.

White house border czar Tom Homan made his first remarks in Minnesota. He said he's focusing on a drawdown of agents. Plus, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is running for Governor of Minnesota. We get the latest. Millions have watched videos of the ICE killing of Alex Pretti. One was filmed by a bystander, known to many simply as "the woman in the pink coat." Hear her experience.And school districts are offering a virtual learning option for students who are too afraid to leave their homes right now. We cover that and a changed school grading system with St. Paul School's superintendent.Plus, musicians in the state are taking to the stage with original protest songs to meet this tense moment. We hear some of those.

The TV drama "Heated Rivalry" has become a global sensation. It follows the story of two professional men's hockey players who fall in love and hide their romance from the world.For many fans, the fictional story is a huge step for LGBTQ+ representation in men's professional sports. And it inspired Andover native Jesse Kortuem to publicly come out as gay.MPR News host Emily Bright spoke Kortuem about growing up gay in the Minnesota hockey community and the impact the show has had on his life and the sport of hockey.

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop arresting and detaining lawfully resettled refugees in Minnesota under a program known as Operation PARRIS. The temporary restraining order also requires the immediate release of refugees currently detained in Minnesota, and the release within five days of those transferred to a Texas detention center. The ruling comes in a class-action lawsuit brought by refugee advocacy groups, who argue the arrests are unlawful. Michelle Drake is an attorney based in Minneapolis with Berger Montague, that is helping lead the case. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about the judge's ruling.

After much anticipation she would run, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is now a candidate for Minnesota governor. The race was thrown up in the air after the sudden exit of Gov. Tim Walz in early January. Klobuchar has a clear shot to the fall ballot on the DFL side, while Republicans sort through a crowded field.MPR News host Emily Bright spoke with MPR reporter Ellie Roth to tell us more about the announcement and its potential effects on the upcoming election season.

White House border czar Tom Homan made his first public remarks Thursday after arriving in Minnesota earlier this week to oversee federal immigration enforcement. Homan is assuming leadership of the surge of federal agents from Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who had been the face of the operation.MPR News host Emily Bright spoke with MPR's Estelle Timar-Wilcox, who was at this morning's news conference, about what she heard.

ICE's actions are hurting the safety and learning of Minnesota students. That was the message of superintendents and elected officials this week, as they called for ICE to leave the state. As students worry about the safety of their loved ones or stay home from school, education leaders warn student education will suffer the same losses documented during the COVID pandemic.Several school districts, including Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools, have created a virtual option for for students who feel safer learning from home. And this week, St. Paul announced changes to its grading system to account for potential disruptions in learning. Joining Minnesota Now to talk about all of this is Stacie Stanley, superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools.

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar said she is OK after being attacked at a town hall last night. A man sprayed an unknown substance at her after she called for the federal government to abolish ICE. We have the latest on that story. Plus, the Border Patrol's Greg Bovino has left Minneapolis. But has federal immigration activity changed on the ground? We talked with city council members in Minneapolis and St. Paul about what they're hearing. The actions of federal agents have pushed Democratic and Republican politicians to take new stances on ICE. A political scientist explains the shift. And a new shelter and supportive housing program has opened just three blocks from where Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti.Our Minnesota Minute was “Alone” by Trampled by Turtles.

The bitter cold of Minnesota is especially dangerous for unhoused people who are living outside. That means the work of supportive housing and outreach is all the more urgent. But federal immigration activities on top of the frigid weather have created challenges for street outreach programs like Agate Housing and Services and Simpson Housing Services. Both are also working in the same neighborhood where Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents. Anvis Aryavong shared the challenges his street team is facing when helping people find shelter. And MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Wendy Wiegmann, the associate director for Simpson Housing Services about the problems they have been running into.

A growing number of Republicans are pressing for a deeper investigation into tactics of federal immigration agents in Minnesota after the killing of Alex Pretti over the weekend. Top leaders from DHS, ICE and Customs and Border Protection will testify before congress in two weeks after a hearing was called by several congressional Republicans. Democrats are also becoming louder and using stronger language in their opposition to ICE. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Larry Jacobs, founder and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, for some analysis on this political moment. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

Border patrol chief Greg Bovino has officially left Minnesota and Border Czar Tom Homan has been put in charge of operations in the state. In an MPR News interview earlier this week, Governor Tim Walz said that in a private conversation, President Trump had pledged to do things differently with ICE in Minnesota. We don't yet know what that will mean for ICE presence— or agent behavior — in the state. St. Paul city council vice president Hwa Jeong Kim and Minneapolis city council member Robin Wonsley joined Minnesota Now to talk about what they've seen in the last 24 hours.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall Tuesday night when a man lunged at her and sprayed a substance. The town hall was about ongoing federal immigration enforcement. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with MPR News reporter Peter Cox to explain the latest on the investigation.

A federal judge in Minneapolis has ordered the head of ICE to appear in court. We find out why and break down two other lawsuits over federal immigration activity in Minnesota. Plus, we hear from Governor Tim Walz about a recent call with the president. This is the seventh week of increasingly heightened ICE presence in the Twin Cities. We talked to St. Paul's new mayor Kaohly Her about how she's responding and how the city is faring now.A Columbia Heights, 5-year-old is still in immigration detention in Texas with his father. We learn about a protest inside the facility.For more than 20 years, a theater company has brought to life stories of housing insecurity. They'll perform on a frozen lake this weekend.

A Twin Cities-based theater company is portraying stories of homelessness and housing insecurity. Many of the performers have lived experience with these issues. For more than two decades, zAmya Theater Project has been putting on productions. They have weekly workshops at the Minneapolis Central Library and they're performing at the Art Shanty Projects on Lake Harriet this weekend. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with troupe member Jada Windom and artistic director Maren Ward about the company.

5-year-old Liam Conejo-Ramos is still in immigration detention, his mother told MPR News. ICE officers detained the boy and his father last Friday in Columbia Heights on their way home from school. The story of Conejo-Ramos' detention has circulated all over the world. And news of protests this weekend in Minnesota apparently reached the detention center in Dilley, Texas where the child and his father are being held. Detainees demonstrated there this weekend. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Attorney Eric Lee, who heard the protest, and Sam Doiron, an attorney with the Texas-based group RAICES.

It's the seventh week of heightened immigration enforcement presence in Minnesota. The presence of federal law enforcement has had an impact on many parts of life, with St. Paul businesses closing or reducing hours, citizens being arrested and schools with virtual options. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her about local and state leader's actions during this time.