Chanhassen council debates ICE raid; member plans local cooperation rules
Chanhassen’s city council will address a weekend ICE operation and protest after Council Member Mark Von Oven criticized the lack of coordination with local law enforcement, called for process, transparency and constitutional protections, and said he will draft locally focused rules for how the city should cooperate with federal immigration agents. DHS identified the targets as Marco and Edgar Chicaiza Dutan; ICE tried to arrest two construction workers on Avienda Parkway, one man was taken by ambulance for cold exposure and later released to ICE custody while the other stayed on a roof to evade arrest and Edgar’s attorneys are challenging his detention, and workers’ group CTUL — citing multiple recent actions at a D.R. Horton site — plans to press the builder to bar ICE from worksites unless agents present a judicial warrant.
📌 Key Facts
- Federal agents attempted to arrest two construction workers on Avenida Parkway in Chanhassen; one man was taken by ambulance for cold exposure (then released to ICE custody) while the other stayed on a roof until agents left; activists on scene provided warm drinks, food and blankets.
- DHS identified the arrest targets as Marco Chicaiza Dutan and Edgar Chicaiza Dutan, saying Marco is in the U.S. unlawfully and has a prior disorderly conduct conviction and that Edgar entered unlawfully in 2019; DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described suspects fleeing and climbing onto a roof to evade arrest.
- Court filings show Edgar Chicaiza Dutan’s attorneys are challenging his detention as unlawful.
- Chanhassen City Council Member Mark Von Oven criticized the lack of coordination with local law enforcement and called for process, transparency and constitutional protections during federal immigration operations; he said he will draft “locally focused” rules for how the city should work with federal agents to be discussed at a future council meeting.
- Workers’ group Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) says ICE has raided and harassed construction workers three times at a D.R. Horton site in Shakopee in 2026 and plans to visit the builder’s regional office to demand D.R. Horton keep ICE off construction sites unless agents present a judicial warrant, publicly condemn ICE escalations and urge the agency to pull back its Twin Cities operations, arguing the raids harm immigrant workers and the state’s construction economy.
📊 Relevant Data
Immigrants make up 7.7% of Minnesota's construction workforce, which is the 12th-lowest share in the U.S.
Immigrants Make Up Just 7.7% of Minnesota's Construction Workforce - 12th-Lowest in the U.S. — Eastern Progress
Immigrants accounted for 94% of Minnesota's net population growth between 2020 and 2024.
The economic contributions of New Americans in Minnesota — Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Immigrants contribute an estimated $26 billion to Minnesota's economy annually.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
Undocumented immigrants have substantially lower crime rates than native-born citizens and legal immigrants across a range of felony offenses.
Comparing crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and native-born US citizens in Texas — PMC (National Library of Medicine)
Ecuador's homicide rate reached 44.5 per 100,000 people in 2025, the highest in South America.
2025 Country Conditions: Ecuador — USCRI
ICE's Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, initiated in December 2025, involves deploying thousands of agents to arrest individuals with criminal convictions, including pedophiles, rapists, and violent offenders.
Chanhassen, Minnesota's population was 25,947 in 2020, with 84.4% White, 1.4% Black, 6.2% Asian, 3.7% Hispanic, and experienced a -0.8% change from 2020 to 2024.
Chanhassen city, Minnesota - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau
The share of jobs held by immigrant laborers in the construction industry increased from 19% in 2015 to 22% in 2024 nationally.
If Trump wants more deportations, he'll need to target the construction industry — North Dakota Monitor
ICE jobsite visits in Minnesota are causing construction workers, including those with legal status, to stay home, slowing projects and undermining efforts to combat wage theft.
ICE surge chills Minnesota construction industry, slows projects — Finance & Commerce
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Workers’ group CTUL says ICE has 'raided and harassed' construction workers three times at a D.R. Horton site in Shakopee in 2026 alone.
- CTUL plans to visit D.R. Horton’s regional office Wednesday to demand the builder keep ICE off construction sites unless agents present a judicial warrant.
- CTUL is pressing D.R. Horton to publicly condemn ICE escalations and call for the agency to pull back its Twin Cities operations, saying raids are harming immigrant workers and the state’s construction economy.
- DHS identified the arrest target as Marco Chicaiza Dutan; officials say he is in the U.S. unlawfully and has a prior disorderly conduct conviction.
- DHS said Edgar Chicaiza Dutan also entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2019; he was taken by ambulance for cold exposure and then released to ICE custody.
- Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the operation details, including two suspects fleeing and climbing onto a roof to evade arrest.
- According to court filings, Edgar’s attorneys are challenging his detention as unlawful.
- Council Member Mark Von Oven publicly called for process, transparency and constitutional protections during federal immigration operations and criticized lack of coordination with local law enforcement.
- Von Oven said he will draft “locally focused” regulations for how the city should work with federal agents, to be discussed at a future council meeting.
- New incident details: ICE tried to arrest two construction workers on Avienda Parkway; one man was taken by ambulance, the other stayed on a roof until agents left; activists provided warm drinks, food and blankets.