Federal agents pulled up outside Minneapolis City Hall on Monday afternoon, a city council member said, with unmarked vehicles filling police-only parking stalls and edging into a downtown bike lane. The sighting landed in the middle of an already tense month, as a stepped-up federal immigration presence across the Twin Cities has drawn protests, emergency briefings and fresh scrutiny from the courts.
What Council Member Jason Chavez Posted
In a Facebook post, Council Member Jason Chavez said federal agents were parked at City Hall and that their vehicles were sitting in police-only spaces and partially blocking a bike lane. The post included photos Chavez says show the vehicles staged near downtown government offices. The original post is available on Jason Chavez’s Facebook page.
Why This Matters
Downtown appearances by federal officers have become particularly sensitive, as the stepped-up deployment has disrupted schools, businesses and city operations, according to the city’s public briefings for residents. City officials say they are tracking enforcement activity and pushing for more transparency and accountability from federal agencies. The city has published statements and resources about the surge on the City of Minneapolis website.
Partial Pullback, But Most Agents Stay
Federal officials have announced what they describe as a partial pullback. Border Czar Tom Homan said about 700 ICE and CBP officers would be withdrawn, while roughly 2,000 would remain assigned to what they call “Operation Metro Surge,” according to reporting by the Associated Press. The drawdown has not quieted public concern. Local leaders say the remaining deployment is still reshaping daily life downtown and raising questions about where agents are staging operations and whether public property is being used as a base.
Judge Limits Some Tactics
A federal judge in Minnesota has already placed limits on certain tactics used during enforcement operations, ruling that agents cannot detain or use chemical agents against peaceful protesters without probable cause. The order followed complaints that officers had detained bystanders and used crowd-control tools while carrying out enforcement actions. The Washington Post reported on the ruling and its implications, and advocates say the decision is one of several legal efforts underway to impose more oversight on the operation.
City Leaders and the Wider Fallout
City leaders have repeatedly condemned the surge. Mayor Jacob Frey has called for ICE to leave Minneapolis and has pressed for more accountability from federal authorities, according to a city statement. The deployment has also been linked to high-profile deadly encounters that intensified public anger earlier this month, including the Jan. 7 killing of Renée Good. Coverage in The New York Times details that incident and the backlash that followed…