St. Paul orders ICE to stop using city lots
The City of St. Paul sent a cease-and-desist letter on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, directing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop staging enforcement operations in city-owned parking lots. The action cites city rules and the separation policy and follows recent immigration enforcement activity in the Twin Cities.
📌 Key Facts
- City of St. Paul issued a cease-and-desist to ICE on Dec. 19, 2025
- Order targets ICE’s use of St. Paul–owned parking lots for staging operations
- Move follows heightened ICE activity and ongoing local scrutiny of enforcement tactics
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, St. Paul, MN had a population of 308,000 people with racial composition of 53.2% White, 17.9% Asian, 16.2% Black or African American, and 3.5% other races.
St. Paul, Minnesota Population 2025 — World Population Review
About 8.4 percent of Minnesota's residents are foreign-born, with significant Somali and Hmong immigrant communities in St. Paul.
Immigrants in Minnesota — American Immigration Council
From 2020 to 2024, over 81,000 new Americans moved to Minnesota, making immigration the primary driver of population change.
Immigration became the leading component of population growth in Minnesota this decade — Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
In a 2025 ICE sweep in Minneapolis-St. Paul, nearly half of all immigrants were found to have committed some form of immigration fraud following a massive arrival uptick from Somalia.
Bombshell ICE sweep in Minneapolis-St. Paul finds 50% of immigrants had committed immigration fraud after massive arrival uptick from Somalia — New York Post
In 2025, ICE arrested more than 400 illegal aliens in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge, including individuals convicted of serious crimes such as pedophilia and rape.
ICE Arrests the Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens Including Pedophiles, Rapists, and Violent Thugs — Department of Homeland Security
In 2020, 61% of murder victims in Minnesota where race was known were Black, despite Blacks comprising about 7% of the state's population.
The demographics of crime in Minnesota, with updated 2022 data — Center of the American Experiment
Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, in Minnesota are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born individuals.
MCLA Message on Undocumented Immigrants — Minnesota.gov
ICE operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 2025 are targeting the Somali community due to reported criminal activity and immigration fraud.
Homan: ICE targeting Minneapolis, St. Paul because of criminal activity — The Hill
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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