Trump's Immigration Crackdown Sparks Tensions in Minnesota

Mon Jan 19 2026 05:51:57 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Protests against Trump's immigration policies escalate in Minnesota as local residents monitor ICE operations amid fears of racial profiling.

In Minnesota, tensions mount as local residents take to the streets to protest against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. With 1,500 troops on standby, concerns rise over the treatment of migrants, including those without criminal records. Amid rising protests, a federal judge has limited the methods that ICE agents can use against demonstrators, while the community grapples with the implications of Trump's aggressive deportation campaign.

With 1,500 troops reportedly on standby to deploy to Minnesota, tensions are rising in the state as protests continue against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. US officials claim they are targeting the worst of the worst, but critics warn that migrants with no criminal record, along with US citizens, are being detained indiscriminately.

It could be anybody, says Sunshine, a St. Paul resident, as she drives through her neighborhood. Using a pseudonym out of fear for her safety, she has taken up the cause, observing and tracking unmarked vehicles driven by ICE agents.

This week, as temperatures fell, protests intensified outside the federal building in Minneapolis, where ICE operations are concentrated. Residents are determined to hold federal agents accountable, asserting their legal right to observe and document their actions.

Minnesota's officials have urged protesters to remain peaceful, and for the most part, they have complied. However, there have been clashes; authorities have deployed tear gas and pepper balls at times to disperse crowds. A federal judge recently issued an order limiting ICE's crowd control tactics towards peaceful protesters. Judge Katherine Menendez stated that federal agents cannot arrest or use pepper spray against those observing their actions.

Trump has vowed to continue his mass deportation efforts in Minnesota, amidst public outcry following the fatal shooting of Renée Good, a local woman, by an ICE agent earlier this month. The circumstances surrounding her death remain contested, with Trump claiming self-defense on the agent's part, while local officials assert that Good was not a threat.

In response to increasing community awareness and activism, Sunshine narrates an encounter where ICE agents attempted to distract her from observing their activities. This is the game, but if they're doing this with me, they're not harming someone else, she explains.

The immigration crackdown initiated by Trump has triggered fierce backlash in Democrat-led cities, further intensifying the divide between state and federal authorities. Minnesota, home to a significant Somali immigrant community, has faced scrutiny as Trump accused some members of criminality without citing evidence.

As tensions escalate, activists like Sunshine remain committed to protecting their communities, questioning the actions of federal agents who they believe engage in racial profiling—a claim the Trump administration denies.