Immigration enforcement in Minnesota

MPR News is tracking federal immigration actions across Minnesota — from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and policy changes to community impact and your rights.

Resettlement agency head says new Homeland Security operation ‘terrifying’ refugee families
Immigration and refugee advocates in Minnesota say a new federal “reverification” effort has led to home arrests by armed agents, rapid transfers out of state and widespread fear among refugee families who are living in the U.S. legally.
‘I was flooded with fear’: Minnesotans describe their encounters with ICE, being detained
From an Uber driver to a school drop off, MPR News spoke with Minnesotans who were stopped or detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Should you call 911 on ICE? What can local police do, if anything?
Advocates say community members are rightfully concerned when masked, armed men show up at homes and businesses. Law professors say local police can investigate federal agents with some limitations.
Federal judge could rule restricting ICE enforcement this week
Six people detained or threatened by ICE officers are seeking an order preventing ICE officers from taking retaliatory actions toward people who observe or protest immigration enforcement officers.
Legal expert: New Minnesota lawsuit argues ICE violates state's rights
MPR News hosts Clay Masters and Nina Moini spoke with Jason Marisam, law professor at Mitchell Hamline, about the legal argument Attorney General Keith Ellison is making through the new lawsuit.
'A deep irony': Native American legal expert weighs in on racial profiling
According to a legal expert, ICE agents profiling Native Americans is one of the consequences of recent decisions by the Supreme Court around the use of ethnicity in immigration stops.
Joe Thompson, Minnesota's top federal fraud prosecutor, quits over ICE shooting probe
Thompson’s resignation comes after top Justice Department officials pushed the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate the widow of Renee Macklin Good, who was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross last week. Thompson also objected to excluding state investigators from the Good shooting investigation.
Woman dragged by ICE agents into unmarked car, private data being used to intimidate observers
This story includes live updates from Jan. 13, 2026: Aliya Rahman, a U.S.-born citizen, was dragged into an unmarked car and driven away while on her way to a doctor’s appointment. Joe Thompson, the U.S. Justice Department attorney best known for prosecuting social services fraud in Minnesota, resigned.