Minneapolis renews liquor licenses for ICE‑lodging hotels after legal review
The Minneapolis City Council renewed liquor licenses for the Canopy and The Depot hotels despite earlier threats to deny them over allegations they housed ICE agents, after Regulatory Services’ Jan. 28, 2026 review of security plans, code and labor‑standards history and 911/311 calls (Dec. 2025–Feb. 2026) found no ordinance "strikes" and only a corrected 2025 underage‑alcohol violation; public comments were evenly split 10‑10. Staff warned that alleged weapons in rooms and ICE presence fall outside liquor‑license criteria and that tying renewals to immigration policy would be legally vulnerable, while some council members signaled they might use other measures (such as blocking a hotel GM’s advisory‑board appointment) to register disapproval.
📌 Key Facts
- On Feb. 19, 2026 the Minneapolis City Council voted to renew liquor licenses for both the Canopy and The Depot hotels despite earlier threats to deny them over allegations they were housing ICE agents.
- Regulatory Services opened a deeper license review on Jan. 28, 2026, examining hotel security plans, code and labor-standards history, and 911/311 calls from December 2025 through February 2026; it found no ordinance 'strikes' or recent violations aside from a 2025 underage-alcohol compliance failure at The Depot that was corrected on re-check.
- City staff advised the council that alleged unsecured weapons in guestrooms and the presence of ICE agents fall outside the scope of liquor-license criteria and warned that conditioning renewals on immigration-related concerns would be legally vulnerable.
- Public comment to the city was evenly split — 10 submissions in favor of renewal and 10 urging denial — and council members (Aurin Chowdhury, Linea Palmisano and Jamal Osman) publicly debated whether liquor licenses should be used as a proxy punishment for hotels that host federal agents.
- Although the liquor licenses were renewed, the council is exploring other ways to signal disapproval of hotels that host federal agents, including potentially denying the Graduate Hotel’s general manager a city advisory-board appointment.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota cities have extremely broad power to deny liquor license renewals to promote the city's general welfare, provided the denial is not unreasonable, arbitrary, capricious, or fraudulent, according to Minnesota Supreme Court rulings.
Should Minneapolis deny liquor licenses to hotels that housed ICE agents? City Council debates it. — Star Tribune
During Operation Metro Surge, while DHS reported arresting over 4,000 criminal illegal aliens, investigations found that many arrestees had no criminal records, including women, children, and pregnant individuals detained at homes or immigration check-ins.
One day of civil cases filed provides snapshot of who's being detained during Operation Metro Surge — CBS News
Of the arrestees in Operation Metro Surge, only 23 were from Somalia, and none had ties to the social services frauds under investigation, despite the operation being reputedly focused on fraud in the Somali-American community.
Operation Metro Surge — Wikipedia
The majority of Somalis in Minnesota arrived as refugees fleeing the civil war in Somalia that began in the early 1990s, with resettlement facilitated by U.S. refugee programs and attracted by economic opportunities, education, housing, and welcoming social services in the state.
Somali and Somali American Experiences in Minnesota — MNopedia
Minnesota's foreign-born population grew 24.7% from 2013 to 2023, with the African-born population increasing by 78.8%, contributing to demographic changes in the state.
The Growth and Impact of Minnesota's Foreign-Born Workforce — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that the Minneapolis City Council ultimately voted to renew the liquor licenses for both the Canopy and The Depot hotels despite prior threats to deny them over allegedly housing ICE agents.
- Details that Regulatory Services opened deeper license reviews Jan. 28, 2026, examining security plans, code and labor‑standards history, and 911/311 calls between December 2025 and February 2026, finding no ordinance 'strikes' or recent violations beyond a 2025 underage‑alcohol compliance failure at The Depot that was corrected on re‑check.
- Reports that public comments submitted to the city were evenly split — 10 in favor of renewal and 10 urging denial — and quotes Council Members Aurin Chowdhury, Linea Palmisano and Jamal Osman staking out opposing views on using liquor licenses as a proxy punishment for ICE lodging.
- Notes that staff explicitly said alleged unsecured weapons in guestrooms and ICE presence fall outside the scope of liquor‑license criteria, warning the council that tying renewals to immigration politics would be legally vulnerable.
- Adds that, while the licenses were renewed, the council is still eyeing other levers — such as denying the Graduate Hotel’s general manager a city advisory‑board appointment — to signal disapproval of hotels that host federal agents.