Minneapolis council meeting erupts over ICE divestment resolution
A Minneapolis City Council meeting devolved into a public shouting match Thursday as members debated a resolution urging European financial institutions to divest from companies that enable the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, along with a separate resolution calling on the Trump administration to end an executive order on Cuba. The clash began while Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer had the floor, with Council Members Aurin Chowdhury and LaTrisha Vetaw arguing off‑mic before Vetaw openly challenged Council President Elliot Payne’s handling of the meeting and accused colleagues of "tantrums" because votes weren’t going their way. Chowdhury later said she’d been called a "f--king child" while chairing a previous meeting and accused other members of bullying her, prompting Payne to call a recess. After the break, Council Member Pearl Walker delivered an emotional speech criticizing colleagues for focusing on ICE and Cuba while gun violence continues in North Minneapolis, saying she has been "ICE'd [her] whole damn life." Despite the infighting and questions about why the council is weighing in on international issues with Minneapolis facing its own crises, both resolutions ultimately passed, underscoring deep rifts over decorum, priorities, and how the body engages with federal immigration policy in the wake of Metro Surge.
📌 Key Facts
- The Minneapolis City Council debated and approved two resolutions: one urging European financial institutions to divest from companies enabling DHS/ICE, and another urging the Trump administration to end its Cuba executive order.
- During the debate, Council Members Aurin Chowdhury and LaTrisha Vetaw clashed, with Vetaw accusing colleagues of "tantrums" and Chowdhury saying she had been called a "f--king child" while chairing a previous meeting.
- Council President Elliot Payne recessed the meeting after the dispute escalated, and Council Member Pearl Walker later blasted the focus on ICE over local violence, saying she has been "ICE'd [her] whole damn life."
📊 Relevant Data
From 2020 to 2024, immigration accounted for 94 percent of Minnesota's net population growth.
New Americans Drive Minnesota's Population Growth and Labor Force — Minnesota Women's Press
In Minneapolis, Black residents comprise 18.8% of the population but were 83% of shooting victims in 2022, compared to White residents who are 60.3% of the population but only 9% of victims.
Gunfire disproportionately claiming Black victims in Minneapolis, new data show — Star Tribune
The rate of violent crime among Black Minneapolis residents is 27 times higher than among White residents, with Black individuals responsible for 88% of homicides where the race of the offender was known, despite comprising 18% of the population.
Maligning Minneapolis — City Journal
77% of individuals detained by ICE in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge have no criminal records.
February 12, 2026 Press Release — Minnesota Attorney General
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