Minnesota Now

A coalition of more than 20 mayors across Minnesota is calling on the state for help with recovery from the surge of federal agents in the last two months. We'll hear from the mayor of Brooklyn Center about the group's number one ask to state lawmakers.It's been a week since border czar Tom Homan announced a plan to significantly reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota. But has that been the case on the ground? What data on flights out of MSP carrying detainees indicates.Homan also claimed federal agents had located more than 3,000 supposedly missing unaccompanied children during the surge. A local expert breaks down what that might mean.And we'll meet a Minnesota ER doctor consulting for the hit TV show “The Pitt.“Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Minneapolis Madness” by room3, Alex Brown, David Feily and LA Buckner. Our Song of the Day was “Human” by Brandi Carlile.

The number of ICE detainees flown out of state has dropped significantly since border czar Tom Homan announced a major drawdown of federal agents from Minnesota last Thursday — an indication that federal enforcement activity could be easing.Nick Benson is an activist with MN50501 who has been tracking flights leaving Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport chartered by the federal government. He said more than 3,600 people have been flown out of the state on these flights since early November when he began documenting.

The hit HBO medical drama “The Pitt,” follows a fictional emergency room in Pittsburgh, Penn. for one day. Each episode, is an hour of their shift. The show has been complimented for its accuracy in portraying a real emergency room. That's thanks in part to a Minnesota doctor. Dr. Jacob Lentz is an emergency room doctor at MHealth Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming, Minn. and he served as a medical consultant for the show. Season two is airing now on HBO. Dr. Lentz spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about his role on the show and how he helped contribute to its medical accuracy.

If you follow women's hockey, you know this rivalry well. The United States women's Olympic hockey team and the Canada women's Olympic hockey team have defined Olympic gold medal games for nearly three decades. Since 1998, they've met in the Olympic finals seven out of eight times. The U.S. has taken gold twice. They're trying for a third gold Thursday afternoon. And Minnesota fans have plenty of reasons to watch. Six players representing the U.S. also play for the Minnesota Frost. Frost General Manager Melissa Caruso is watching her players compete on the sport's biggest stage — and she joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the game.

A group of mayors in Minnesota are asking the legislature for economic relief from the impacts of the surge of federal immigration agents to the state. The Cities for Safe and Stable Communities Coalition now includes more than 20 communities, mainly suburbs in the Twin Cities metro area.Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon said getting aid to city governments is the group's number one ask to state lawmakers.“We won't be asking for handouts,” said Hanlon, “We are asking for fairness, for justice and resources to fix a crisis we didn't create in order.”Brooklyn Center Mayor April Graves was part of the creation of this group of mayors and she spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk more about their priorities.

When border czar Tom Homan announced a drawdown of federal agents in Minnesota, he said something else that stood out: “ICE, here, in this state, have located 3,364 missing unaccompanied alien children. Children that the last administration lost and weren't even looking for.”Unaccompanied minors is a term the federal government uses to describe children under 18 who don't have lawful status in the U.S. and who don't have parents or legal guardians in the country who can care for them. Many live with other family members or connections who are known to the government as their sponsors. The Trump Administration has pledged to step up tracking of 450,000 unaccompanied minors nationwide. The goal, it says, is to protect them from abuse and child labor. Joining Minnesota Now to talk more about this is Kim Boche from The Advocates for Human Rights. They lead a team of attorneys focused on unaccompanied minors.

Hennepin County attorney Mary Moriarty is filing a request to get evidence from the federal government on a pair of shootings in Minneapolis during the surge of ICE agents.More than a foot of snow has piled on the North Shore with up to 10 more inches on the way as blizzard conditions continue. MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner has been keeping an eye on the storm.Plus, tenants advocates were at the state capitol Wednesday morning calling for an eviction moratorium and rent relief funding for those economically affected by the presence of thousands of federal agents. Plus, a new exhibition is showcasing 3,000 years of Chinese artwork that features the horse.

The year of the horse has officially begun after Tuesday's Lunar New Year marked the end of the year of the snake. Lunar New Year is a holiday celebrated by many Asian cultures across the world. Each year is tied to a specific zodiac animal as well as one of five elements. 2026 is the first time in 60 years that we are welcoming the year of the fire horse. To usher in this new era, a new exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art showcases the significance of the horse across 3,000 years of Chinese art. The exhibition, “Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats Through Time” opened Wednesday and will be open through Aug. 30. Curator Liu Yang joined Minnesota Now to talk about the exhibition.

In a new series, Minnesota Now is airing the voices of people who have been hiding in their homes due to fear of arrest, detention or deportation during Minnesota's federal ICE surge. We asked them to send us voice memos for three days in a row, describing how they are spending their days.L is a Mexican mother of two. We are not using her full name for her safety. She has not left her home in Northfield for several weeks. She told MPR News she is still in hiding, despite federal officials saying the ICE surge in Minnesota is ending. L still receives ICE watch messages with pictures of federal vehicles in Northfield nearly every day. She said even if the drawdown happens, she thinks she will feel afraid leaving her house forever.Hear more voices from the series in our podcast feed or on our show page.

Wednesday morning, tenants advocates gathered at the state capitol to call for an eviction moratorium and rent relief funding statewide for people who are behind on rent as a result of amped-up ICE presence in. The authority to enact an eviction moratorium for the state lies with Governor Tim Walz, who has said he can't do it without declaring a peacetime emergency. He has so far been unwilling to make that move. Amanda Otero, an executive director for the nonprofit Take Action Minnesota, said workers and families are absorbing the economic impact of the ICE surge in the state. “Housing stability is not separate from recovery,” Otero said. “It is the foundation of it.”One of the groups pushing for the moratorium and even greater measures to support renters is the newly-formed Twin Cities Tenants Union. It's a combination of already-existing unions across Minneapolis and St. Paul that came together over the past two months to advocate for renters who have lost income during the ICE surge. The group is pushing for a rent strike beginning March 1. Lucid Thomas has been organizing with the tenants union and he joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain. The Minnesota Multi Housing Association is a group that advocates for landlords and building managers. CEO Cecil Smith said in a statement to MPR News that rent collections overall were stable in January and February and on par with the previous year, according to the group's members. He said the association will “continue to help those seeking rental assistance.”

State investigators are taking a new step to get evidence related to the federal law enforcement shootings that took place in Minneapolis during the ICE surge. The Hennepin County Attorney's office announced Wednesday morning that it is filing a formal request for evidence from the federal government in the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti and the shooting in north Minneapolis that injured Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.Estelle Timar-Wilcox was at the press conference and joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what this means for the investigations.

As the Trump Administration has focused federal immigration activity on different cities around the United States, it has publicized the names and photos of immigrants it calls “the Worst of the Worst.” A Minnesota family is speaking out about their loved one who was given that label. At “Ricky” Chandee came to the U.S. as a refugee from Laos as a child. He was convicted of assault at age 18 and served a prison sentence more than thirty years ago. Back then, Laos refused to accept his deportation. He has since built a life in Minnesota. Minnesota Now producer Alanna Elder reports Chandee is now detained in El Paso, Texas and facing possible deportation.

Lawmakers are gaveling in a new legislative session Tuesday after a series of heavy events since the end of the last session, including the Annunciation shooting and the killing of former House speaker Melissa Hortman. We learned about how they're grieving and being called to action.Among the items on the agenda for day one of the session: honoring Mark and Melissa Hortman. We heard from their son Colin Hortman in his first sit-down interview since their killing.As the Trump Administration continues its campaign against people they say are threats to public safety, a Minnesota family is speaking out about their loved one who was given that label and has been detained for weeks.An effort to support small businesses affected by the federal surge is underway.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Hold On” by Joe Davis and our Song of the Day was “French Fry Marlene” by Texas Toast.

Minneapolis poet, musician and activist Joe Davis and his band, The Poetic Diaspora, is preparing a long lineup of musicians to celebrate Black music and poetry. Their show, “Diaspora: On the Rise” is set for Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. Davis joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about showing up for his community as an artist in hard times, expression through poetry and the musicians he's working with to celebrate the work he's done with his band.

In a new series, Minnesota Now is airing the voices of people who have been hiding in their homes due to fear of arrest, detention or deportation during Minnesota's federal ICE surge. We asked them to send us voice memos for three days in a row, describing how they are spending their days.N is a Mexican immigrant. MPR News is only using her first initial, due to fears of safety. N hasn't left her home in weeks. She said she doesn't trust what federal officials have recently said about a drawdown of ICE agents in Minnesota. She worries things may get worse before they get better, and said that ICE watchers continue to spot federal vehicles and agents in her town almost daily.This series will continue on Minnesota Now this week. Listen at noon to hear more voices or check back on our show page.

The ACLU of Minnesota shared the stories of 80 Minnesotans in its lawsuit against the federal government over alleged civil rights violations by ICE and Border Patrol agents in the state. We'll talk to a lawyer with the group about its next steps. The Trump Administration said it's pulled at least one thousand federal agents from the state. We'll check in with a neighborhood group in Minneapolis to learn if conditions have improved for small businesses.We'll hear the latest in our series about Minnesotans in hiding due to fears of detention and deportation. And we'll find out how the federal surge has impacted the lead-up to Ramadan, which begins this week. Plus, we'll talk with our sports contributors about the Winter Olympics and more. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “See You See” by Gully Boys and our Song of the Day was “I Don't Care About You” by Jeremy Jewell.

The U.S. women's hockey team beat Sweden 5-0 at the Winter Olympics. Team USA is stacked with Minnesotans, while Sweden has multiple current players and alumni of the University of Minnesota-Duluth on its roster. Going into the game, both teams were undefeated. Joining Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about what happened, and other sports news, are sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.

As the federal surge winds down, businesses are figuring out what's next. Minneapolis officials released preliminary estimates last Friday showing in one month alone, restaurants and small businesses across the city saw $81 million in lost revenue as a result of the operation. Businesses on Eat Street in Minneapolis were among the many impacted in recent weeks. The business corridor became a site of confrontations and protests in the wake of the killing of Alex Pretti. The Whittier Alliance has been working to support places on Eat Street and in the wider neighborhood during the surge. Anna Schmitz heads the organization and joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk more about what lies ahead.

In a new series, Minnesota Now is airing the voices of people who have been hiding in their homes due to fear of arrest, detention, or deportation during Minnesota's ICE surge. We asked them to send us voice memos for three days in a row, describing how they are spending their days.P is an immigrant from Mexico. MPR News is not using his full name for his safety. He and his wife have barely left their home for weeks. Since the announcement of federal agents leaving Minnesota, P said he and his wife feel slightly calmer, but they are still in hiding until they see evidence of that for themselves.This series will continue on Minnesota Now this week. Listen at noon to hear more voices or check back on our show page.

The holy month of Ramadan begins this week. It's a time of fasting, prayer and reflection for Muslims around the world. And even as federal immigration agents reportedly leave Minnesota, the past two months of heightened ICE activity has impacted preparations for this holy time.Imam Hassan Jama leads Alhikma Islamic Center in south Minneapolis. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about what he's seeing in his community ahead of Ramadan.

The White House border czar Tom Homan announced that at least 1,000 federal officers have left Minnesota as their ICE surge operation in the state comes to a close. That's according to an interview with CBS News Sunday. Homan said several hundred more will leave today and tomorrow. In the weeks that ICE agents were here at peak numbers, hundreds of reports of civil rights violations from protestors, legal observers, and other Minnesotans piled up at the office of the ACLU of Minnesota. They are still busy collecting and sorting accounts, and this past Friday the organization added the stories of more than 80 Minnesotans in a lawsuit against the federal government. John Boehler is policy counsel at the ACLU of Minnesota and he joined Minnesota Now to talk about what's next.

Thursday morning top immigration official Tom Homan announced the surge of federal agents in the state is coming to a close. We have more on what he said, plus reaction from Governor Tim Walz on what recovery is needed.St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her shares her reaction to today's announcement and next steps for the city. Plus, we hear from a Minnesotan who has been in hiding as a result of the surge in the second installment of our new series. Some asylum seekers are seeing their cases get fast-tracked. We check in with a local immigration attorney representing some of these individuals on what this could mean for them. Plus, we hear from a Duluth curler who just won silver at the Winter Olympics.The Minnesota Music Minute was “Little Girl Blue” by Tina Schlieske.

Duluth's Olympic curlers Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin claimed silver medals in Milano Cortina during their debut in the mixed doubles event, falling to the Swedish team 6-5 in the gold-medal match.  This is the first time the U.S. has earned a medal in the event and only the third time that the U.S. has brought home a medal of any sort in Olympic curling. Thiesse is the first U.S. woman to medal in curling at the Olympics.  Both Cory and Korey knew each other from Duluth Curling Club and started playing together in 2022.  Korey Dropkin joined MPR News host Nina Moini from Italy.

A new book from Minnesota children's author V.T. Bidania looks at the profound impacts of war and displacement through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl. “A Year Without Home” follows Gao Sheng and her family as they live through the wars in Laos and Vietnam during the 1960s and 70s. Eventually, they are forced to escape their beloved home in Laos and make their way to refugee camps in Thailand. Written as verse, the story is a break from Vong's other novels. It is her middle grade debut. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

In a new series, Minnesota Now is airing the voices of people who have been hiding in their homes due to fear of arrest, detention, or deportation during Minnesota's ICE surge. We asked them to send us voice memos for three days in a row, describing how they are spending their days. A Somali immigrant who we are calling Z told us about her days in hiding. She has been working a nonprofit job from her apartment, which she shares with a beloved cat. MPR News is not using her full name for her safety. This series will continue on Minnesota Now on Thursday and next week. Listen at noon to hear more voices or check our podcast feed.

The Trump Administration announced Thursday morning it is ending what it calls Operation Metro Surge, which sent thousands of federal immigration officers to Minnesota. Throughout the last two months, Minnesota Now has checked in with Minneapolis immigration attorney David Wilson. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the end of the surge and what he's seeing in the courts.

The Trump administration announced Thursday that it is ending what it called “Operation Metro Surge.” At its height, the more than two-month long immigration enforcement action brought 3,000 federal officers to the state. MPR News reporters Estelle Timar-Wilcox and Dana Ferguson joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the announcement and the response from state and local leaders.

Lawyers sued for access to the Whipple Federal Building, where those detained by ICE are being held — and a judge allowed them in. What they learned about the conditions inside. Plus, the case of a teen girl who was detained at a hotel, alone, with ICE agents. Fraud is still a focus for lawmakers in D.C. A University of Minnesota professor who testified on the topic in support of immigrant communities in the state details why he decided to speak out.And a ProPublica investigation takes us inside the Dilley detention center in Texas, where some Minnesotans have been sent after being detained.Then, we launch a new series featuring the voices of Minnesotans who have been in hiding as a result of the federal surge. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Porcelain” by Lucia Sarmiento.

A family detention center in Dilley, Texas, has been under a spotlight since 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from Columbia Heights, and his father were sent there last month after being detained by federal ICE agents. It's believed several other Minnesota children and their families have been sent there as well. Detention centers have been difficult to access during the second Trump administration. But a ProPublica reporter was able to go inside and speak to several children. Reporter Mica Rosenberg shared more about her story, “The Children of Dilley” on Minnesota Now.

New court filings give an inside look at the conditions inside the Whipple federal building, where many ICE detainees are being held in Minnesota. Lawyers from the non profit organization, Advocates for Human Rights, visited the facility early Monday after a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to let them inside. In a lawsuit, the attorneys allege that DHS is not allowing detainees to have access to legal counsel.  Reporter Matt Sepic has been following this story and joined Minnesota Now.

A family detention center in Dilley, Texas, has been under a spotlight since 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from Columbia Heights, and his father were sent there last month after being detained by federal ICE agents. It's believed several other Minnesota children and their families have been sent there as well. Detention centers have been difficult to access during the second Trump administration. But a ProPublica reporter was able to go inside and speak to several children. Reporter Mica Rosenberg shared more about her story, “The Children of Dilley” on Minnesota Now.

A subcommittee of the U.S. Senate judiciary committee held a hearing Tuesday titled “Somali Fraud in Minnesota – The Tip of the Iceberg.”It's likely a reference to a former federal prosecutor's assessment that there was widespread fraud in state programs. President Donald Trump has also attacked the state's Somali communities with a series of sweeping and racist comments, using fraud as the reason for a surge of immigration agents in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Professor Eric Schwartz spoke out about the impact of the surge on immigrants in Tuesday's hearing and spoke with host Nina Moini about why he decided to do so.

Gov. Tim Walz says he spoke Tuesday with Trump administration leaders, and he believes an end to the surge of federal agents in the state could be days away. We'll have an update. Plus, details from a U.S. House committee hearing over ICE and Border Patrol actions in Minnesota.Every day, volunteers wait outside the Whipple Federal Building with phones and warm layers for people being released from detention. We checked in with the group's founder. We have an update on 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, who are back together but still living in uncertainty. Twin Cities chef Ann Ahmed is back from taking her employees to visit her home country of Laos. We heard about her trip. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Blood Moon” by Poliça and our Song of the day was “Fear Met Me” by LaSonya Natividad.

When you go to one of Chef Ann Ahmed's restaurants, you are immersed in southeast Asian cuisine. Chef Ann is Laotian-American, and her three restaurants in the Twin Cities reflect her roots. Now, she's helping her employees understand the culture and cuisine she grew up with by guiding them on a trip to Laos. Monty Luthongxay is a server at Chef Ahmed's restaurant Khaluna and joined her on the trip. Both Luthongxay and Ahmed joined MPR News host Nina Moini for a conversation about visiting Laos.

Thousands of Minnesotans have plugged into opportunities to help their community with food, legal help, rent help, and more as the immigration operation in the state continues. One group, Haven Watch, has been running for just a few weeks, supporting people released from detention at the Henry Whipple Federal Building. Natalie Ehret is the founder of Haven Watch. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the outpouring of support for the organization and to share what she's seen on the ground outside of the Henry Whipple Federal Building.

Members of Congress questioned the leaders of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tuesday. MPR News immigration reporter Sarah Thamer listened in for details about the now two-month-long surge of agents in Minnesota and joined MPR News host Nina Moini for an update.

Duluth's Olympic curling stars Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin earned a silver medal in Italy Tuesday. It was their mixed-doubles debut for Team USA. They took home the United States' first medal in the event.MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox was at a watch party at the St. Paul Curling Club during their competition, and she joined MPR News host Nina Moini with the details.

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.