January 11, 2026
ICE rams door, uses pepper spray in Minneapolis raids
Federal agents force entry with administrative warrant lacking legal authority
🛂Immigration✊Civil Rights⚖️Justice
Federal immigration agents used pepper spray and physical force against protesters in Minneapolis during enforcement operations targeting the Somali community in December 2025. On December 9, ICE officers deployed chemical irritants on crowds in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood after activists confronted them while they checked identifications. Video footage captured an ICE vehicle hitting a protester and agents kneeling on a woman's back in the snow before dragging her. Witnesses said she was pregnant. On December 15, another confrontation occurred near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue, where ICE used pepper spray and a Taser on observers. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara criticized ICE for using "questionable methods," and city police left scenes to de-escalate. Thousands marched on December 20 to denounce ICE's "Operation Metro Surge." The Trump administration deployed roughly 2,000 agents to the Twin Cities in what DHS called the "largest immigration operation ever" launched in the region.
On December 9, 2025, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers used pepper spray on crowds in Minneapolis's heavily Somali Cedar-Riverside neighborhood during an enforcement operation. Activists confronted ICE officers who were checking identifications as part of Trump administration's immigration crackdown targeting the Somali community.
Video footage showed an ICE vehicle hitting a protester on December 9. In another incident, an ICE officer was filmed kneeling on a woman's back in the snow before dragging her. Witnesses at the scene reported she was pregnant and yelled that she couldn't breathe. ICE stated no arrests were made in the neighborhood that day.
On December 15, 2025, another tense confrontation erupted in south Minneapolis near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue when residents confronted ICE agents. Federal agents used pepper spray on some people, causing others to help clear their eyes. A federal agent also deployed a Taser on an observer. DFL State Representative Aisha Gomez, who was present, confirmed federal agents used chemical agents against the crowd.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara publicly criticized ICE tactics after the clashes, stating city police were called for assistance but left to de-escalate the situation. He said "other law enforcement agencies" might be using "questionable methods." Minneapolis police and Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies arrived for crowd control, though the Sheriff's Office stated they did not use force or chemical irritants.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin offered a different account, stating protesters "threw rocks, chunks of ice, assaulted officers and used pepper spray on ICE agents first," claiming agents acted in self-defense. This contradicts witness accounts and video evidence showing federal agents initiating force.
On December 20, 2025, thousands of protesters braved sub-freezing temperatures to march down Lake Street from Mercado Central to Karmel Mall, denouncing ICE and its "Operation Metro Surge" in Minnesota. The protest was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee.
The enhanced ICE enforcement actions followed recent comments by President Trump specifically targeting Somalis in Minnesota. The operations represented a significant escalation of immigration enforcement in the predominantly Somali neighborhoods of Minneapolis.
🛂Immigration✊Civil Rights⚖️Justice
People, bills, and sources
Jonathan Ross
ICE agent (shooter)
Renee Nicole Good
Shooting victim
Jacob Frey
Minneapolis Mayor
Tim Walz
Minnesota Governor
Kristi Noem
DHS Secretary
JD Vance
Vice President
Tom Homan
Border Czar
Ilhan Omar
U.S. Representative (D-MN)
What You Can Do
1
civic action
Report illegal forced entry to House Judiciary Committee
Administrative immigration warrants don't authorize forced entry into homes. ICE agents ramming doors on Sunday violated federal law. Demand congressional oversight of illegal entry practices.
Hi, I'm calling to report illegal forced entry by ICE agents in Minneapolis. On Sunday, Jan. 11, ICE agents rammed a door and entered a home using an administrative warrant. Administrative warrants don't authorize forced entry under federal law. I want the Judiciary Committee to investigate illegal entry practices and hold hearings on ICE violations of Fourth Amendment protections. Thank you.
2
civic action
Demand DOJ Civil Rights Division investigation of Renee Good shooting
The Civil Rights Division was told not to investigate Good's death. Demand Attorney General accountability for blocking civil rights investigations of federal agent shootings.
Hi, I'm calling to demand a Civil Rights Division investigation of the Renee Good shooting. The Civil Rights Division was told prosecutors would not investigate Good's death. This is unacceptable. I want a full civil rights investigation of the Jan. 7 shooting and an explanation for why the division was blocked from investigating. Thank you.