Judge orders release of ICE detainee once held in Minnesota jail
A judge ordered the release of an ICE detainee in Iowa who had previously been held in a Minnesota jail. The case comes after a St. Paul raid in which authorities found a warrant left outside the targeted residence, raising questions about how the operation was carried out.
📌 Key Facts
- A federal judge in Iowa ordered an ICE detainee released from custody, rejecting the government’s detention rationale.
- The man had previously been held in a Minnesota jail before ICE transferred him to the Iowa facility as part of broader enforcement actions.
- Advocates say the ruling reinforces earlier Minnesota and national decisions that DHS cannot rely on blanket ‘mandatory detention’ claims and must provide individualized justification or bond.
📊 Relevant Data
The total number of immigrants from Venezuela in Minnesota is approximately 2,003, representing a small fraction of the state's population of over 5.7 million.
Immigrants from Venezuela in Minnesota by City in 2026 | Zip Atlas — Zip Atlas
The Venezuelan immigrant population in the United States grew from about 21,000 in 2021 to an estimated 1 million in 2024, driven by political instability and economic collapse in Venezuela.
Most of the 1 million Venezuelans in the United States arrived within the last five years — Yahoo News
Undocumented immigrants, including those from Venezuela, have a lower drug crime arrest rate (135 per 100,000) compared to U.S.-born citizens (337.2 per 100,000) between 2010 and 2022.
Undocumented Immigrant Offending Rate Lower Than U.S.-Born Citizens — House.gov
Immigrants, including Venezuelans, are less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans, with incarceration rates lower for both legal and illegal immigrants from 2010 to 2023.
Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2023 — Cato Institute
Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational crime syndicate, has expanded operations in the United States, leading to arrests of its members by ICE, including in cases involving Venezuelan immigrants.
ICE Dallas arrests Tren de Aragua member — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ICE enforcement surges targeting Venezuelans are linked to concerns over gang activity, including Tren de Aragua, with over 7,000 gang members arrested nationwide in 2025-2026 as part of broader immigration enforcement.
MAKING AMERICA SAFE: DHS Arrested 7,000 Gang Members from American Streets in First Year — U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Venezuelan immigrants in the United States had a median household income of $64,000 in 2021, contributing to the economy through employment and taxes.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Immigrants in Minnesota, including Venezuelans, contribute approximately $26 billion to the state's economy annually through income generation and taxes.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
In St. Paul, Minnesota, immigrants accounted for over 62 percent of the population growth between 2014 and 2019, with foreign-born residents making up about 11 percent of the total population in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
New research shows immigrants in Saint Paul make up 35.3 percent of manufacturing workers — American Immigration Council
The Venezuelan exodus to Brazil has not led to a general increase in violent crime rates but has specifically increased violent crime rates in the municipalities of arrival, potentially due to geographic concentration.
Forced Migration and Violent Crime: Evidence from The Venezuelan Exodus to Brazil — Joint Data Center
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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