ICE surge after Renee Good killing triggers Twin Cities walkouts, new warrantless raid lawsuits, and impeachment push against Noem
After the fatal shooting of Renee Good, ICE intensified "Operation Metro Surge" across the Twin Cities—carrying out neighborhood raids and arrests that protesters say have disproportionately targeted Somali residents and that sparked large marches, school and business walkouts, reports of U.S. citizens detained, and pepper‑spray confrontations. Multiple immigrants have filed federal lawsuits challenging detentions and at least one habeas petition alleges a warrantless battering‑ram home entry, while Minnesota lawmakers and other members of Congress have backed an effort to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of constitutional violations and misconduct tied to the surge.
📌 Key Facts
- Federal immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities intensified after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, with DHS and ICE significantly ramping up street‑level operations — including more neighborhood sweeps and use of unmarked vehicles — and officials describing roughly 100 agents deployed and DHS saying 'hundreds more' officers were arriving.
- ICE’s 'Operation Metro Surge' (begun Dec. 1) led to multiple arrests across the region — ICE reported 12 arrests of noncitizens with criminal histories (including one identified as a Somali gang member) and additional detentions, and DHS said it found a high rate of suspected fraud in its Minnesota visa reviews (citing roughly 95,000 pending applications statewide and ~6,500 listing Somalia).
- Multiple people detained in the operations have sued federal authorities: at least 11 immigrants filed lawsuits in December challenging detention (claims include asylum eligibility, pending visa applications, or naturalization eligibility), and four filed federal suits soon after being arrested.
- Several incidents raised concerns about U.S. citizens being swept up or mistreated: bystander and AP video show ICE/Border Patrol using pepper spray to disperse crowds in Minneapolis (including in Cedar‑Riverside), local leaders released video of a U.S. citizen taken into ICE custody, and Gov. Tim Walz formally asked DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to review reports that U.S. citizens were detained.
- A contested, warrantless home raid occurred when agents used a battering ram to enter the north Minneapolis residence of Liberian national Garrison Gibson; his attorneys filed a federal habeas petition alleging a Fourth Amendment violation, and a judge ordered DHS not to transfer him while the government responds.
- Community backlash has been large and sustained: thousands marched in Minneapolis, student walkouts occurred (e.g., Maple Grove and planned Roosevelt High actions), Education Minnesota demanded ICE stay away from schools after classroom and dismissal disruptions, more than a dozen restaurants temporarily closed, and police detained and cited dozens during some protests.
- DHS leadership and the White House defended the operations and released selected video; Secretary Kristi Noem publicly framed the Minneapolis shooting in language such as 'domestic terrorism,' while the White House press secretary defended ICE and President Trump made anti‑Somali remarks — developments that prompted an impeachment effort against Noem supported by some Minnesota lawmakers who say her actions violate the Constitution and public trust.
- Legal and transparency issues persist: ICE body‑worn cameras are not universally used in Minneapolis (the program is not enterprise‑wide), raising uncertainty about federal video evidence; legal experts note an ICE officer could claim supremacy‑clause protections that complicate state prosecution; immigration lawyers warn of Fourth Amendment and civil‑rights claims tied to the raids and detentions.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota is home to approximately 35,000 Liberians, making it one of the largest Liberian communities in the United States.
Why Liberians in Minnesota Have Newfound Hope — International Institute of Minnesota
Liberian immigration to Minnesota was largely driven by civil wars in Liberia from 1989-1997 and 1999-2003, as well as Ebola outbreaks in 2014-2015, leading to grants of temporary protected status.
Why Liberians in Minnesota Have Newfound Hope — International Institute of Minnesota
ICE administrative warrants, unlike judicial warrants, do not authorize entry into private residences without consent, but ICE agents may still use force in certain circumstances during enforcement actions.
The Difference Between Judicial and Administrative Warrants — Motion Law Immigration
In fiscal year 2025, ICE reported a record high of over 61,000 individuals in detention, with a significant increase in enforcement actions including arrests and use of force incidents.
U.S. Immigrant Detention Grows to Record — Migration Policy Institute
North Minneapolis has seen demographic shifts from 2010 to 2020, with an increase in the proportion of Black residents and immigrants, contributing to population changes in neighborhoods affected by immigration enforcement.
2020 Minneapolis demographic changes by neighborhood dashboard — City of Minneapolis
ICE surges in immigrant communities are often linked to increased enforcement against fraud and criminal activities, with recent operations in Minnesota targeting areas with high rates of suspected immigration fraud.
Bombshell ICE sweep in Minneapolis-St. Paul finds 50% of immigrants had committed immigration fraud — New York Post
In 2025, at least 20 deaths occurred in ICE custody, the highest since 2004, amid reports of overcrowding and medical neglect in detention facilities.
2025 is the deadliest year to be in ICE custody in decades — NPR
📰 Source Timeline (29)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 14, 2026
1:37 AM
Minneapolis family demands judicial warrant as federal agents bust door during raid
New information:
- ICE used a door-breaching battering ram to enter the north Minneapolis home of Liberian national Garrison Gibson after his family demanded to see a judicial warrant, then arrested him inside.
- Gibson has a final removal order from 2009 but has lived under ICE supervision in Minnesota for roughly 15 years, with a past drug conviction that his attorney says has been cleared and with recent, routine ICE check-ins already scheduled.
- His legal team filed a federal habeas petition within 24 hours, arguing the raid violated the Fourth Amendment because agents had no judge‑signed warrant; a federal judge has ordered DHS not to move him from Freeborn County Jail while DHS attorneys prepare a response.
- Immigration attorney Marc Prokosch is on record calling the forced entry an 'egregious violation of the Fourth Amendment' and warning that any American should be terrified by battering‑ram tactics used in a home with a 9‑year‑old inside.
January 13, 2026
10:22 PM
Effort to impeach Kristi Noem backed by Minnesota lawmakers
New information:
- The surge operations, including those that led to student walkouts and business shutdowns, are explicitly referenced by impeachment sponsors as examples of Noem 'violating the Constitution while ruining — and ending — lives.'
- Rep. Robin Kelly connects the Minneapolis killing of Renee Good and broader Metro Surge tactics in Chicago, Charlotte, Los Angeles and Minneapolis to the core impeachment charges: obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust and self‑dealing.
- Minnesota Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum are now on record supporting impeachment, with McCollum calling Noem’s deployment of "unprofessional, poorly trained, masked immigration agents" a danger to public safety.
1:49 AM
Minneapolis woman calmly resists ICE demand for ID, birth country
New information:
- Provides concrete video evidence of Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis surrounding a woman walking near the 24 Somali Mall and repeatedly demanding her place of birth and ID.
- Identifies the bystander who filmed and shared the incident, Nimco Omar, and includes her first‑person account of masked agents jumping out of a car and 'verifying' whether she was a citizen.
- Reinforces DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s statement that 'hundreds more' federal law‑enforcement officers are arriving in Minnesota, without clarifying total force levels.
January 12, 2026
7:35 PM
LIVE UPDATES | ICE protests: Maple Grove High School students hold walkout
New information:
- Maple Grove High School students staged a walkout at about 1 p.m., with several dozen students leaving class and carrying anti‑ICE signs; another rally was scheduled at Roosevelt High in Minneapolis.
- More than a dozen Twin Cities restaurants voluntarily closed on Monday — and some planned to stay closed Tuesday — citing safety concerns amid the growing ICE presence.
- New physical security barriers were installed Monday morning at the Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul, which has become a focal point for ongoing ICE protests.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly defended ICE and labeled Renee Good a 'lunatic,' declaring the shooting justified and condemning Minneapolis protesters.
- Communities United Against Police Brutality held a news conference responding to Good’s killing and the expanding federal presence.
2:04 PM
ICE intensifies Twin Cities operation after killing of Renee Good, protests
New information:
- Reports that ICE has further ramped up operations in the Twin Cities after Renee Good’s death, increasing street‑level activity in specific Minneapolis corridors beyond what was previously described.
- Additional on‑the‑ground detail about how agents are now operating — including broader use of unmarked vehicles, more frequent neighborhood sweeps, and patterns of stops that advocates say are casting a wider net than the stated ‘Worst of the Worst’ targets.
- Expanded coverage of protest tactics and police‑federal interactions, including new accounts from organizers about surveillance, intimidation, and fears that aggressive enforcement is aimed at chilling dissent rather than just apprehending specific suspects.
January 11, 2026
8:33 PM
Sec. Noem defends narrative of Minneapolis ICE shooting after new video released
New information:
- Homeland Security released a cell‑phone video showing roughly three minutes before the shooting, with Renee Good’s Honda Pilot blocking the road while ICE officers stand together down the block.
- In the video, other vehicles — including dark‑tinted SUVs parked near an ICE squad truck — are able to pass despite Good’s vehicle being sideways in the street, and there is no sign of a stuck ICE vehicle in the three minutes before shots are fired.
- The video shows Good waving toward the ICE squad truck before an officer gets out; Tapper presses Noem on her earlier claim that agents were pushing out a stuck vehicle when Good attacked them.
- On CNN, Sec. Noem sticks to her narrative that officers had been helping a stuck vehicle and that Good was blocking the road, yelling and impeding operations, but does not reconcile that claim with the absence of any visible stuck vehicle in the released clip.
- Noem reiterates that Good "weaponized her vehicle" and calls her conduct domestic terrorism, while critics point out the mismatch between her early description — a mob attacking agents trying to free a vehicle — and what’s visible on the tape.
5:01 PM
Minneapolis ICE shooting: Could the officer face charges? Legal expert weighs in
New information:
- Hamline law and political science professor David Schultz explains that ICE officer Jonathan Ross is unlikely to have 'absolute immunity' but could invoke supremacy-clause immunity that makes state prosecution difficult.
- Schultz says Minnesota prosecutors would have to show Ross was not acting in his official capacity, but as a purely private individual, to overcome supremacy-clause protection.
- The piece corrects Vice President J.D. Vance’s public claim that Ross enjoys 'absolute immunity,' noting that such immunity typically covers judges, legislators and prosecutors, not line law‑enforcement officers.
12:14 AM
Thousands march in Minneapolis to protest ICE after shooting
New information:
- Reports that thousands of people marched in Minneapolis to protest ICE following the fatal shooting, indicating one of the largest street demonstrations so far in this enforcement cycle.
- Specific march route and targets (federal buildings/ICE facilities) and the character of the protest (peaceful, heavily policed, key chants/demands).
- Additional quotes and demands from organizers linking the shooting, the 2,000‑agent ICE ‘surge,’ and school/community disruptions, sharpening the protest movement’s message.
January 10, 2026
2:22 PM
Minneapolis ICE shooting: 30 detained as Hilton Canopy Hotel protests escalate overnight
New information:
- Reports that a crowd of several hundred gathered near the Canopy by Hilton in downtown Minneapolis around 8 p.m. and later moved to the Depot Renaissance Hotel, where property damage occurred.
- Minneapolis police say more than 30 people were detained and cited over the course of the night after declaring an unlawful assembly around 10:15 p.m.
- Police allege protesters threw snow, ice and rocks at officers, squad cars and other vehicles in the roadway.
- MPD says some protesters tried to force their way into the Canopy Hotel through an alleyway entrance around 9:45 p.m.
- Officers responded to a separate incident at 8:30 p.m. involving a vehicle driven onto a sidewalk near the hotel by a 'belligerent and possibly intoxicated' woman, though no building damage was found.
January 08, 2026
8:58 PM
Education Minnesota demands ICE stays away from schools
New information:
- Education Minnesota President Monica Byron issued a statewide statement demanding that ICE operations be kept away from Minnesota schools, saying their presence near schools ‘endangers children, educators and families.’
- The union ties its demand directly to ICE’s fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis and to a Roosevelt High School incident where an educator was detained and students were pepper‑sprayed during dismissal.
- Education Minnesota says ICE activity is disrupting teaching and learning, noting Minneapolis Public Schools canceled classes for the rest of the week and that students are experiencing ‘ongoing fear and emotional harm.’
- The Minneapolis Federation of Educators alleges Border Patrol/ICE deployed pepper spray near Roosevelt and ‘abducted’ a staff member assisting with safe dismissal, who was later released.
- DHS counters that agents were pursuing a U.S. citizen who allegedly rammed a government vehicle, led a 5‑mile reckless chase ending in the school zone, and that another individual who identified as a teacher assaulted a Border Patrol agent while a crowd threw objects and paint at officers and vehicles.
January 07, 2026
11:49 PM
Some ICE agents wear body cameras...but not everywhere
New information:
- ICE’s body‑worn camera program began with pilots in select cities in 2024, and Minneapolis was not among the initial rollout locations.
- ICE updated its body‑worn camera policy in 2025 under the Trump administration, stating that full implementation depends on available appropriations and acknowledging cameras are not yet enterprise‑wide.
- The Department of Homeland Security has not said whether the ICE agent who fatally shot a driver in south Minneapolis was wearing a body camera, leaving uncertainty about federal video evidence beyond bystander footage.
- A federal judge in Chicago has ordered immigration agents operating there to wear body‑worn cameras unless exempted by policy, and in a separate border‑patrol case, body‑cam footage led DOJ to drop "domestic terrorism"‑framed charges against a motorist accused of ramming agents.
December 23, 2025
4:25 PM
Gov. Walz talks ICE targeting U.S. citizens in Minnesota: Watch live
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and faith leaders to address the ongoing ICE operation in the Twin Cities.
- The briefing will focus not only on ICE targeting the Somali community but explicitly on U.S. citizens who have been swept up in the enforcement effort.
- FOX 9 identifies two previously reported cases as context: a U.S. citizen known as Mubashir arrested in Cedar-Riverside and detained in Bloomington until his status was verified, and another U.S. citizen arrested downtown and held for more than 24 hours.
December 17, 2025
10:21 PM
Minneapolis police chief criticizes ICE tactics after clash with protesters
New information:
- Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara publicly criticized ICE tactics following a clash with protesters in Minneapolis.
- The chief’s remarks add an official MPD stance to ongoing federal immigration operations and local protest response.
- Article indicates a call for different tactics/coordination during future federal operations (as characterized in the report).
December 16, 2025
12:00 AM
St. Paul woman in turmoil after ICE detains husband unexpectedly
New information:
- ICE detained 35-year-old Senegalese citizen Hadarane Demba Ka at a gas station while he was driving to work in Hudson, Wisconsin.
- His wife, Nadia Ka, says he is on a path to citizenship and has no criminal history beyond minor traffic and parking infractions.
- Ka’s recent employment includes work at Norflex (Hudson) and prior placements in St. Paul schools via Zen Educate, which said it verifies immigration status.
- His car was found still at the gas pump; ICE has not provided specific reasons for the detention.
December 11, 2025
12:17 AM
Minneapolis ICE surge: Citizen's detainment sparks alarm
New information:
- Video shared by Minneapolis leaders shows a U.S. citizen being taken into ICE custody in Cedar-Riverside on Tuesday.
- Gov. Tim Walz formally asked DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to review the arrests of American citizens in Minnesota tied to Operation Metro Surge.
- FOX 9 reports observers in Minneapolis have been pepper‑sprayed by ICE; AP video shows agents using pepper spray to disperse a crowd blocking vehicles.
- Rep. Brad Tabke says more than 250 observers in Shakopee are monitoring ICE activity and assisting affected community members (groceries, escorts).
- Article cites Cato Institute analysis that over 70% of ICE arrests involve people without criminal records, fueling community concern (contextual data point).
12:12 AM
Walz tells Noem to 'respect the Constitution' after ICE agents detain US citizens
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz sent a formal letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urging a review of ICE operations in Minneapolis and to 'respect the Constitution.'
- Walz’s office cited reports that some U.S. citizens who refused to move back were allegedly pushed, handcuffed, transported to federal facilities, and held in isolation for hours.
- Walz encouraged Minnesotans to continue exercising their rights while avoiding escalation and recording interactions only when safe and lawful.
- Article includes new Trump remarks criticizing Minnesota’s Somali community and Gov. Walz amid the ongoing ICE operation; DHS response pending.
December 10, 2025
10:39 PM
Gov. Walz urges Noem to review Minnesota ICE arrests after reports of detained U.S. citizens
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz publicly urged DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to review Minnesota ICE arrests after reports that U.S. citizens were detained during the operations.
- The governor’s request adds a state-level call for scrutiny to ongoing federal enforcement actions in the Twin Cities.
5:44 PM
ICE agents pepper spray crowd after allegedly detaining U.S. citizen in Minneapolis
New information:
- ICE agents used pepper spray to disperse a crowd blocking vehicles during an enforcement action in Cedar-Riverside.
- Council Member Jamal Osman says agents detained a 20-year-old U.S. citizen named Mobashir, transported him to a Bloomington detention center, then released him without transportation.
- AP video corroborates the pepper-spray confrontation as agents checked identifications in the neighborhood.
12:04 AM
Federal agents use pepper spray on crowd in Somali neighborhood of Minneapolis amid Trump crackdown
New information:
- Federal agents used pepper spray on a crowd in a Somali neighborhood of Minneapolis during an enforcement action on Dec. 9, 2025.
- This Minneapolis incident is a separate use-of-force episode from the St. Paul (Bro‑Tex) operation previously reported, indicating continued, city‑wide enforcement under the Trump administration’s crackdown.
December 09, 2025
5:59 PM
ICE operations in Minnesota: What cities are saying
New information:
- Additional Twin Cities cities (Edina, Bloomington, Burnsville, Golden Valley) issued statements outlining that they do not ask about immigration status, are not notified of ICE operations, and only enforce state/local laws.
- FOX 9 cites approximately 100 federal agents deployed to Minnesota as part of the operations, with several reported raids in various cities.
3:54 AM
4 immigrants arrested in Minneapolis ICE roundup sue feds, fight detention
New information:
- Four immigrants arrested since Operation Metro Surge began Dec. 1 filed federal lawsuits in Minnesota challenging their detention.
- A total of 11 immigrants have filed lawsuits in December; nearly all challenge detention, with at least three facing deportation.
- Plaintiffs cite asylum eligibility, a pending visa application, or eligibility for naturalization as grounds.
- Abdul Dahir Ibrahim (of Shakopee), ordered removed in 2004, was arrested Nov. 29; DHS publicized his arrest and referenced prior Canadian convictions; he awaits a hearing on a status-renewal application.
- Mahamed Cabdilaahi Awaale, who came from Somalia in 2022 after family violence, is seeking asylum.
- Plaintiffs come from Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Honduras, Egypt, and Mexico.
December 05, 2025
12:50 PM
ICE: 12 criminal illegal aliens arrested in Minneapolis operation, including Somali gang member
New information:
- ICE states 12 noncitizens with criminal histories were arrested in a Minneapolis operation.
- Among those arrested, ICE says one individual is identified as a Somali gang member.
1:24 AM
ICE arrests several individuals in Twin Cities during 'Operation Metro Surge'
New information:
- ICE conducted 'Operation Metro Surge' beginning Dec. 1 and arrested 12 people in the Twin Cities for alleged immigration violations.
- One arrestee is described as a Twin Cities gang member; others have convictions including child sexual abuse, domestic abuse, assault, and DUI.
- Arrestees are from Somalia, Mexico, and El Salvador.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly responded alongside faith leaders following President Trump’s comments about Somali immigrants.
12:41 AM
DHS claims half of visas in Minnesota are fraudulent, total number not shared
New information:
- DHS says a targeted operation in Minneapolis–Saint Paul found approximately half of the cases it investigated were fraudulent.
- Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin specifies case types reviewed: naturalization, H‑1B visas, marriage fraud, and the Ukrainian humanitarian parole program.
- DHS cites more than 95,000 pending immigration applications/petitions in Minnesota, with about 6,500 listing Somalia as country of origin.
- DHS did not provide totals behind the 'half' figure or information on resulting criminal charges; FOX 9 has requested data.
December 03, 2025
5:30 PM
Trump targeting Somali community: How many Somalis live in Minneapolis?
New information:
- Census-based estimate: about 33,521 people of Somali descent live in Minneapolis.
- Twin Cities metro estimate: more than 83,000 people of Somali descent; statewide about 107,000 (lower statewide estimate ~76,000; metro ~64,699).
- Foreign-born Somali Minnesotans: roughly 41,000, with about 87% naturalized citizens.
- Somalis comprise about 2.26% of the Twin Cities metro population and 1.88% of Minnesota’s total population (using the higher estimate).
5:13 PM
LIVE UPDATES: ICE operations in Minneapolis reportedly starting Wednesday
New information:
- FOX 9 reports immigration enforcement operations are beginning in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
- A deportation-flight protest rally is scheduled for 11 a.m. at MSP Airport.
- A 3 p.m. community response/press event is planned to denounce the targeted ICE deployment.
- Includes new on‑the‑record Trump quotes saying he does not want Somali immigrants in the U.S.
5:11 PM
Trump's remarks, threats spark fear in Minnesota’s Somali community
New information:
- Minneapolis and St. Paul city officials say they received credible reports that as many as 100 federal agents will be deployed to the Twin Cities this week to target the Somali community.
- Local business impact: a Karmel Mall cafe owner reports customers staying away out of fear of ICE activity.
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem made comments at a cabinet meeting regarding visas that could affect the Somali community (context for potential federal policy shifts).
December 02, 2025
8:35 PM
LIVE UPDATES: ICE reportedly targeting Somalis in Minneapolis
New information:
- City officials held a news conference where MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said the department does not collaborate with ICE on immigration enforcement or share information for that purpose.
- President Trump, in a cabinet meeting, said he does not want Somali immigrants in the U.S., accused Somalis of defrauding Minnesota, and criticized Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar.
- FOX 9 recorded two men being questioned by ICE in Minneapolis on Tuesday afternoon and asked to produce passports.
- Gov. Tim Walz posted on X that he welcomes fraud investigations but called indiscriminate targeting of immigrants a political stunt.