Mpls council weighs liquor licenses for hotels hosting ICE
The Minneapolis City Council’s committee of the whole has opened a high‑stakes fight over liquor‑license renewals for the Canopy and The Depot hotels after allegations they housed ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge. At a Tuesday hearing, some members argued that a liquor license is a privilege that should be withheld from businesses they see as undermining public safety, while others warned that yanking or delaying licenses will hit hourly hotel workers who have already seen cancellations, reduced hours and planned layoffs tied to the controversy. City Attorney Quinn O’Reilly cautioned that, legally, any denial or conditions must be connected to the licensed alcohol service itself, not simply to the fact that the hotels rented rooms to federal agents. Protests have been staged outside both properties in recent weeks, and the committee debated whether to launch a formal investigation before voting. The full council is expected to decide the renewals on Thursday, making this a live test of how far the city is willing to go to punish downtown hotels for cooperating with ICE.
📌 Key Facts
- Liquor-license renewals for the Canopy and The Depot hotels are before the Minneapolis City Council, with a vote anticipated Thursday.
- Activists and some council members want the city to deny or delay the licenses because the hotels allegedly housed ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge.
- City Attorney Quinn O’Reilly told the committee there must be a clear connection between liquor‑licensed activity and any safety concerns to justify action, while Council Member Michael Rainville said the threat of license loss has already caused cancellations, reduced hours and planned layoffs at the hotels.
📊 Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge resulted in a $203.1 million economic impact on Minneapolis over one month, including $47 million in lost wages, $81 million in restaurant and small business revenue losses, and increased needs for food and shelter assistance affecting 76,000 people.
Operation Metro Surge results in 203 million impact — City of Minneapolis
As of the 2021 ACS 5-Year estimates, 14.8% of Minneapolis residents are foreign-born, with significant communities of Somali, Hmong, and Latino immigrants.
Demographics of Minneapolis — Wikipedia
In Minnesota, adjusted incarceration rates for Somali-born males aged 18-29 are approximately 5,030 per 100,000 compared to 2,450 per 100,000 for U.S.-born males, based on ACS data from 2006-2024.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
In Texas from 2012-2018, undocumented immigrants had lower felony arrest rates than native-born citizens, being over 2 times less likely for violent crimes, 2.5 times less for drug crimes, and over 4 times less for property crimes.
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