12:53 am - February 5, 2026
Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were following their vehicles on Tuesday in Minneapolis, escalating tensions during the ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. At least one person wearing anti-ICE messaging was handcuffed face-down on the ground, according to an Associated Press photographer who witnessed the arrests. The incident comes amid growing anxiety in Minneapolis-area schools, where education leaders report students and parents living in fear of immigration sweeps.
The arrests occurred in south Minneapolis after activists followed federal agents through the city. According to Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, agents detained the activists because they hindered efforts to arrest a man who is in the country illegally. Officers stopped their vehicles and ordered activists out of a car at gunpoint, also threatening reporters at the scene with pepper spray.
Minneapolis Immigration Enforcement Tactics Shift
Federal agents in the Twin Cities have recently changed their approach to immigration enforcement, conducting more targeted arrests at homes and neighborhoods rather than staging in parking lots. The convoys have become harder to locate and less aggressive in their public presence. Meanwhile, alerts in activist group chats have shifted from reporting detainments to simply tracking sightings of federal vehicles.
The heightened enforcement follows the departure of high-profile Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and the arrival of Trump administration border czar Tom Homan. These leadership changes came after the fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti, which became the second local killing of a U.S. citizen in January during Minneapolis immigration enforcement operations.
Growing Concerns About Impact on Schools
Governor Tim Walz described the current atmosphere as “more chilling” than previous weeks, particularly noting the shift toward schools and children. “There’s less smoke on the ground,” Walz said, referring to tear gas and other irritants previously used against protesters, “but I think it’s more chilling than it was last week because of the shift to the schools, the shift to the children.”
Education leaders held a news conference alongside the governor to address mounting fears. Brenda Lewis, superintendent of Fridley Public Schools in suburban Minneapolis, reported being followed twice by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents since speaking publicly on January 27. Additionally, school board members have discovered ICE vehicles parked outside their homes.
Lewis, who is a U.S. citizen, described seeing SUVs with tinted windows, multiple masked occupants, and out-of-state license plates. She now conducts neighborhood patrols near schools with a security guard. “Students are afraid to come to school, parents are afraid to drop them off,” Lewis said. “Staff are coming to work wondering if today will be the day something happens in one of our buildings.”
Schools Implement New Safety Measures
The Fridley district, which serves Somali and Ecuadorian families, has responded by adding security personnel, adjusting drop-off procedures, and increasing mental health support for students. Tracy Xiong, a social worker in the Columbia Heights district, said she has been coordinating grocery deliveries to school families and finding volunteers to drive children to school.
However, a federal judge last month placed limits on how officers can treat motorists who follow them but do not obstruct their operations. The judge ruled that safely following agents “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop.” Nevertheless, an appeals court subsequently set that order aside.
Federal Investigation Targets Local Officials
Tuesday marked the deadline for Minneapolis to produce information for a federal grand jury as part of a U.S. Justice Department request for records. The investigation seeks evidence of any effort to obstruct the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. City officials have denounced the probe as a politically motivated bullying tactic.
“We have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, but when the federal government weaponizes the criminal justice system against political opponents, it’s important to stand up and fight back,” said Ally Peters, spokesperson for Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey. Peters confirmed the city was complying with the subpoena but did not provide details. Other state and local offices run by Democrats also received subpoenas, though their deadlines remain unclear.
Court Rulings on Detained Individuals
In separate legal proceedings, U.S. Magistrate Judge David Schultz ordered that a man charged with squirting apple cider vinegar on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar remain in jail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar argued that “we simply cannot have protesters and people — whatever side of the aisle they’re on — running up to representatives who are conducting official business, and holding town halls, and assaulting them.”
Additionally, another judge ordered the release of two Venezuelan men accused of assaulting an ICE officer, but federal officials quickly took them back into custody. Alfredo Aljorna and Julio Sosa-Celis face charges related to an incident on January 14, when Sosa-Celis was shot in the thigh by the officer. The men deny the assault allegations, and neither video evidence nor three eyewitnesses supported the officer’s account of being struck with a broom and snow shovel.
The situation in Minneapolis remains fluid as immigration enforcement operations continue. Authorities have not indicated when the heightened enforcement activities might end or whether additional legal challenges to the operations are expected.
