MPR News
How a Lake Street small business is navigating ICE’s presence
- Title
- How a Lake Street small business is navigating ICE’s presence
- Runtime
- 1:41
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- As ICE activities escalate in Minneapolis, some small businesses have closed, out of concern for their employees or after staff have been arrested by federal agents. Just earlier this week on Lake Street, federal agents used tear gas outside Wrecktangle Pizza. Blocks away, Lito’s Burritos is trying to navigate this new reality.
Owner Miguel Hernandez says the influx of federal agents is scary. He was born in the U.S., but he's worried for his immigrant staff, even those who have legal status. Hernandez doesn't want to close. Lito’s opened just opened two months ago, and he said it would be financially difficult to close down so soon.
But more than the money, he doesn’t want to see cultural spaces like his business erased. He said he's proud to work on Lake Street, a longtime home for immigrant businesses.
He and many other small businesses are working with organizing groups and volunteer networks to keep watch for ICE in their neighborhoods,...
- Title
- Federal agent shot man in leg in north Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- A federal officer shot a person in the leg in north Minneapolis on Wednesday evening after allegedly being attacked during an arrest.
In a city of Minneapolis press conference later that night, police Chief Brian O’Hara said the incident began on Interstate 94 and ended up in front of the house in the Hawthorne neighborhood.
This is the second shooting of someone in Minneapolis by an ICE agent in the past week. The fatal shooting of Renee Macklin Good occurred one week prior on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
This is a developing story. For updates, visit mprnews.org
Video by Ben Hovland and Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Gov. Tim Walz condemns 'campaign of organized brutality' by federal government in address
- Runtime
- 5:59
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Gov. Tim Walz is expected to share an update on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Minnesota.
For ongoing coverage, visit https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/14/ice-enforcement-shooting-in-minnesota-latest-wednesday
- Title
- Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez says ICE is terrorizing families meeting basic needs
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minneapolis city council member Jason Chavez of ward 9 was in his ward yesterday when two people were detained by ICE. One was a woman who was pulled from her car and carried by agents into their vehicle.
Chavez spoke with MPR News photojournalist Ben Hovland after the agents left the scene in south Minneapolis and things had calmed down. Hovland asked the council member about how he’s feeling about the escalation of federal presence in the ward he represents.
Video captured by Ben Hovland and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Woman dragged out of car by ICE, carried away in south Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 0:54
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- On Tuesday, Jan. 13, a woman in south Minneapolis was stopped by ICE, pulled from her car and carried by agents into their vehicle. As she was being carried the woman told agents she was on her way to see a doctor. She also said that she is autistic and needed accommodations, but the agents did not relent.
Federal agents also detained an elderly man, who could be seen with blood on his face when he was put into a federal vehicle. ICE agents then deployed tear gas, stun grenades and pepper balls as they left the scene.
Video and photos captured by Ben Hovland and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- ICE used private data to intimidate observers
- Runtime
- 2:58
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- The day before Renee Macklin Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, a St. Paul couple were observing ICE agents in St. Paul.
Noah and Judy Levy were told agents were staging at a nearby parking lot. They got in their car and followed when eight SUVs filled with masked and armed men peeled out of the parking lot. After failing to shake the observers, the agents halted their caravan in the middle of traffic and surrounded observers’ cars, threatening them with arrest for impeding law enforcement.
Agents took photos of Levy and other observers’ license plates. Then a masked agent walked up to Judy Levy’s passenger side window and greeted her by name. The couple continued following the caravan and the ICE vehicles turned on Levy’s street.
To read more about federal agents accessing private data to track and intimidate, head to mprnews.org.
Story by Jon Collins
Interview video captured by Anne Guttridge
...
- Title
- Ellison says Minnesota suing feds to end ICE surge
- Runtime
- 33:41
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her held a press conference to announce a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
In a statement, Ellison said he’s also seeking a temporary restraining order, citing the immediate harm the state and cities are facing.
Federal officials said Monday that more than 2,000 immigration arrests have been made in Minnesota since the enforcement surge began in December.
On Sunday, DHS officials announced they are sending hundreds of additional immigration enforcement officers to the state.
Read more:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/12/latest-monday-on-ice-shooting-in-minneapolis
- Title
- Demonstrators protest ICE through art in Minneapolis' Powderhorn Park
- Runtime
- 0:36
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Thousands marched through the cold and snow Saturday in Minneapolis' Powderhorn Park neighborhood to protest the killing of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE officer last week. Among them were artists and puppeteers from local theater In the Heart of the Beast, bringing creatures and characters of all sizes.
"It's a way to be creative and joyful, even when in moments of extreme fear and pain," said Jessie Merriam, one of the operators of a massive bird puppet.
For more coverage of the ICE protests in the Twin Cities, visit mprnews.org.
Story, video capture and photos by Alex V. Cipolle | MPR News
Video edited by Payton Whaley | MPR News
- Title
- Video from ICE agent’s cell phone who shot and killed Renee Macklin Good released
- Runtime
- 0:54
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Multiple news outlets posted footage Friday from the perspective of the ICE agent who shot Renee Macklin Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
The Department of Homeland Security vouched for and reposted the video on social media. It shows the agent, Jonathan Ross, interacting with Macklin Good. She tells the agent, “That’s fine dude, I’m not mad at you.”
A person who appears to be her wife heckles the agent as he films the car’s license plate. An MPR News analysis of the video indicates it is consistent with videos recorded by bystanders.
Video obtained by Alpha News and submitted to MPR News. Edited by Andy Kruse. Thumbnail photo by Ben Hovland.
- Title
- Minnesotans start the new year on the national stage.
- Runtime
- 4:06
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minnesotans are shaken and reeling from another traumatic week in the national spotlight. Gov. Tim Walz called off his reelection bid, fraud allegations boiled over, and the surge of immigration enforcement took a tragic turn, ending in the death of Renee Macklin Good.
MPR News’ correspondent Dan Kraker tries to make sense of it all.
Story by Dan Kraker, video by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Ellison, Moriarty to speak on ICE shooting investigation
- Runtime
- 31:36
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty are expected to speak shortly with reporters about the killing of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE agent Wednesday in Minneapolis.
More on this story:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/09/minneapolis-removes-barricades-on-portland-avenue-where-renee-good-was-killed-by-ice-agent
- Title
- Walz speaks to the press as protests follow ICE fatal shooting
- Runtime
- 1:30:01
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Protests are planned Thursday around the Twin Cities in response to an ICE agent killing a woman in Minneapolis Wednesday. Gov. Tim Walz is expected to speak late this morning on the state of the case.
More on this story:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/08/minneapolis-protests-continue-after-renee-good-shoot-and-killed-by-ice-agent
- Title
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz quotes ‘1984’ in aftermath of fatal shooting of woman by ICE agent
- Runtime
- 2:16
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says it is no longer part of the investigation into the killing of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
Authorities had previously said the BCA would be working jointly with the FBI on the investigation. On Thursday, the BCA said the FBI reversed course and that the federal agency would be the sole investigative unit.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz questioned on Thursday whether the investigation of the shooting by an ICE agent could be fair and impartial with only the FBI in charge.
“It feels now that Minnesota has been taken out of the investigation. It feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome” with the FBI solely in charge, he said, adding that President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “have told you things that are verifiably false.”
Story by MPR News Staff
Video captured by Josh Sauvagea...
- Title
- Minneapolis schools cancel classes after Border Patrol descends on Roosevelt High
- Runtime
- 1:13
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minneapolis Public Schools on Jan. 7 canceled classes district-wide for the remainder of the week “due to safety concerns,” following the killing of a woman Wednesday by an ICE agent. The district said it was acting “out of an abundance of caution.”
The move came after officials at Roosevelt High School said armed U.S. Border Patrol officers came on school property during dismissal Wednesday and began tackling people, handcuffed two staff members and released chemical weapons on bystanders.
Story by Elizabeth Shockman
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
Thumbnail photo by Kerem Yücel
- Title
- Minneapolis schools cancel classes after Border Patrol descends on Roosevelt High
- Runtime
- 1:13
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minneapolis Public Schools on Jan. 7 canceled classes district-wide for the remainder of the week “due to safety concerns,” following the killing of a woman Wednesday by an ICE agent. The district said it was acting “out of an abundance of caution.”
The move came after officials at Roosevelt High School said armed U.S. Border Patrol officers came on school property during dismissal Wednesday and began tackling people, handcuffed two staff members and released chemical weapons on bystanders.
Story by Elizabeth Shockman
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
Thumbnail photo by Kerem Yücel
- Title
- Thousands gather to mourn Renee Good, Minneapolis woman shot and killed by ICE agent
- Runtime
- 0:40
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Just hours after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, thousands gathered to remember her.
Good, 37, was behind the wheel of a parked Honda Pilot near the corner of 34th Street and Portland Avenue South, when an ICE officer yelled at her, “Get out of the car. Get the f— out of the car.” Moments later, as she appeared to be driving away, another ICE officer fired into the vehicle, not far from the front bumper. Good died soon after.
Her death quickly became the focus of controversy. ICE called the shooting an act of self-defense, alleging Good had attempted to run over agents with her car. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has disputed that saying, “That is bull—. This was an agent recklessly using power … that resulted in someone dying, getting killed. The narrative that this was done in self-defense is a garbage narrative.”
For more coverage visit mprnew...
- Title
- Vigil held for woman killed by ICE agent in south Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 1:02:55
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- A vigil is being organized at the scene where 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed Wednesday morning in south Minneapolis.
ICE officials say the Good was shot after attempting to run over agents with her car. Witnesses dispute ICE’s version of what happened. Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz challenged that narrative. As he pleaded for peace, Walz said he’s issued a “warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard” for possible action.
More on this story:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/07/ice-agents-present-at-scene-of-possible-shooting-in-south-minneapolis
- Title
- Mayor Frey speaks after ICE agent kills woman in south Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 38:15
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- ICE officials say the woman was shot and killed Wednesday morning in south Minneapolis after attempting to run over agents with her car. Witnesses dispute ICE’s version of what happened. Mayor Jacob Frey and other city officials are expected to speak to reporters shortly.
More on this story:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/07/ice-agents-present-at-scene-of-possible-shooting-in-south-minneapolis
- Title
- ICE agent shot and killed woman in south Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 2:16
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- In a video obtained by MPR News, federal agents are seen firing shots inside a vehicle in south Minneapolis near 34th Street and Portland Avenue on Jan. 7.
Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the agent shot a 37-year-old woman and that she has died. The woman has not been named.
Federal authorities said an ICE agent, “fearing for his life” killed a protester during a confrontation Wednesday in south Minneapolis.
MPR News has authenticated the validity of the video.
For more coverage of this event, visit mprnews.org/
Video courtesy Caitlin Callenson
Video edited by Payton Whaley | MPR News
- Title
- ICE agent shot and killed woman in south Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 2:17
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- In a video obtained by MPR News, federal agents are seen firing shots inside a vehicle in south Minneapolis near 34th Street and Portland Avenue on Jan. 7.
Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the agent shot a 37-year-old woman and that she has died. The woman has not been named.
Federal authorities said an ICE agent, “fearing for his life” killed a protester during a confrontation Wednesday in south Minneapolis.
MPR News has authenticated the validity of the video.
For more coverage of this event, visit mprnews.org/
Video courtesy Caitlin Callenson
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Gov. Tim Walz faces questions after announcing end of campaign
- Runtime
- 47:05
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will elaborate on his departure from the Minnesota governor's race.
After making his announcement to end his bid for a third term in the governor's office, Walz uncharacteristically did not take questions regarding his abrupt decision. Walz plans to speak on the state's new paid family leave program, but will likely face a wide range of questions following the decision.
Read more coverage here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/06/reshuffled-minnesota-governors-race-after-walz-exit-will-pose-challenges-for-both-parties
- Title
- ICE says an agent shot and killed protester in south Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 2:46
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- A person was shot in south Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, near 34th Street and Portland Avenue.
The shooting was confirmed by federal authorities who said an ICE agent, “fearing for his life,” killed a protester during a confrontation Wednesday in south Minneapolis.
But Emily Heller witnessed the shooting and described the scene differently.
The shooting happened a day after the Department of Homeland Security announced that “the largest DHS operation ever is happening right now in Minnesota.”
Story by MPR News Staff
Video captured by Ben Hovland | MPR News
Video edited by Anne Guttridge | MPR News
Thumbnail photo by Ben Hovland | MPR News
- Title
- Lively remarks from Gov. Tim Walz take aim at GOP
- Runtime
- 2:22
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- After an event highlighting Minnesota’s new paid family leave program, Gov. Tim Walz ripped into the state’s local and national Republican leadership and President Donald Trump as he answered reporter questions about his future.
“I don’t think any governor in history has had to fight a war against the federal government,” Walz said, noting federal actions against the state as well as Trump’s personal attacks on the Somali community and his sharing of baseless conspiracy theories, including one he shared online suggesting Walz was responsible for the killing of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a close Walz friend.
Walz made clear he felt unbound now since he would not be seeking reelection and that he would pursue an aggressive legislative agenda in his final year while defending his own record of lawmaking.
Story by Dana Ferguson
Video captured by Josh Sauvageau
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
Thumbnail ...
- Title
- Gov. Tim Walz drops reelection bid for third term
- Runtime
- 7:15
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minnesota DFL Gov. Tim Walz abruptly reversed course Monday, announcing he would no longer be seeking reelection. He was previously seeking an unprecedented third four-year term.
The announcement came after prolonged scrutiny of the governor's handling of pervasive fraud in state-run aid programs. Walz spoke from a prepared statement in the Capitol building but did not take any questions from press.
For more coverage of Walz's decision and the 2026 election, visit https://www.mprnews.org/
Video captured by KARE11
Video edited by Payton Whaley | MPR News
Thumbnail photograph by Kerem Yücel | MPR News
- Title
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ends reelection campaign amid unrelenting fraud attention, Trump clashes
- Runtime
- 2:32
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz abruptly reversed course Monday and ended his campaign for a third term. He defended his administration’s work to fight fraud and attacked Republicans in Minnesota and Washington for “political gamesmanship” that he said hurt that effort.
Walz was seeking an unprecedented third four-year term but in recent months has dealt with staggering reports of fraud in state-run social service programs. While the governor had frozen some at-risk funding and stepped up efforts to detect fraud sooner, the near-daily drip of fraud allegations — which drastically escalated in recent weeks — had consumed the political discussion.
In his statement Monday, Walz said he had no regrets about the decision and that he's confident another Democrat will win the governor’s office in November.
Story by Brian Bakst | MPR News
Video captured by KARE11
Video edited by Anne Guttridge | MPR News
Thumbnail photo by Kerem Yüc...
- Title
- Transportation enthusiasts take ‘One Last Ride’ on Northstar Commuter Rail
- Runtime
- 2:26
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Streets.mn held an event called “One Last Ride” on Dec. 26, inviting people to take the Northstar Commuter Rail ahead of its final scheduled run on Jan. 4.
Northstar is Minnesota’s first and only commuter line. Opened in 2009, the 40-mile line stretches between downtown Minneapolis and Big Lake, a northwestern Twin Cities suburb.
In August, the Metropolitan Council voted to discontinue train service and transition to commuter buses. Metro Transit reports the Northstar corridor will increase from 40 train trips per week to nearly 400 weekly bus trips.
Story by Feven Gerezgiher. Video captured by Feven Gerezgiher and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Kaohly Her sworn in as first woman, Hmong American mayor of St. Paul
- Runtime
- 1:30
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kaohly Her was sworn in as the 56th mayor of St. Paul on Jan. 2 at St. Catherine University. She is the first woman and first person of Hmong ancestry to hold the title.
Her, 52, was born in the mountains of Laos. When she was still young, her family fled war, ending up in the United States as refugees, first in Illinois and Wisconsin and later Minnesota.
With Her’s swearing-in, women now control the top of the city’s political power structure. She’ll work with a City Council made up entirely of women.
Story by Peter Cox, video by Anne Guttridge, thumbnail photo by Ben Hovland
- Title
- Minnesota child care providers say viral video was political, unsafe
- Runtime
- 3:45
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Somali child care providers in Minneapolis are on edge after a viral video by right-wing content creator Nick Shirley claimed to expose fraud in Minnesota’s child care centers.
Since then, some centers have reported harassment and vandalism.
Yesterday, in response to the video, the Trump administration announced a freeze on federal funding for child care in Minnesota.
Video by Feven Gerezgiher and Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Life after ‘Love is Blind’ with Daniel and Taylor Hastings
- Runtime
- 2:45
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Daniel and Taylor Hastings were the only couple to get married during #loveisblind season eight, which featured singles from the Twin Cities. While they have been married since March 2024, they were not able to publicly share their relationship until the show aired in early 2025. They renewed their vows in a ceremony with 400 guests in May 2025.
Daniel and Taylor dropped by the MPR News studio to chat with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about life after “Love is Blind.”
Video captured by Alex Simpson and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Life after ‘Love is Blind’ with Daniel and Taylor Hastings
- Runtime
- 18:05
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Daniel and Taylor Hastings were the only couple to get married during “Love is Blind” season eight, which featured singles from the Twin Cities. While they have been married since March 2024, they were not able to publicly share their relationship until the show aired in early 2025. They renewed their vows in a ceremony with 400 guests in May 2025.
Daniel and Taylor dropped by the MPR News studio to chat with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about life after “Love is Blind.”
Video captured by Alex Simpson and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- New forest skating trail is now open in Baxter, Minnesota
- Runtime
- 1:35
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Unlike a frozen lake or smooth rink, the Northland Arboretum forest ice skating trail has curves, hills and occasional bumps.The trail in Baxter winds through snow-covered pine trees and fields in a loop just under half a mile long.
The idea for creating a skating trail started a couple of years ago. The Northland Arboretum already maintains 13 miles of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. In a 2023 survey, community members said they wanted more opportunities to use the trails for other activities. One suggestion was forest ice skating.
Northland Arboretum executive director Trevor Pumnea says that people who come to try the trail in the first few weeks shouldn't expect perfection. It’s opening several weeks ahead of schedule, due to pressure from area residents eager to test it out. Eventually, the Arboretum staff hopes to add more amenities, including skate rentals, lights and music. For now, the trail gives people a chance to get outside and...
- Title
- Melissa Hortman’s desk in Minnesota House will be a ‘reminder of what we’ve lost’
- Runtime
- 2:59
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Six months ago on June 14, Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and their golden retriever Gilbert were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. The former speaker of the house was the top Democrat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
In the aftermath of Hortman’s assassination, House staff put up a tribute to the longtime lawmaker. Her photo sits atop the late lawmaker’s desk in the Minnesota House, alongside a bouquet of red roses and a gavel. Her colleagues, friends and some strangers filled the chamber’s entryway with signs, photos, flowers and stuffed animals meant to honor Hortman, Mark and Gilbert.
The memorial is meant as a reminder of the lawmaker who routinely encouraged colleagues to disagree without being disagreeable. It will remain in place in the chamber through 2026.
Story by Dana Ferguson, video by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Feds bring new charges tied to 'staggering' Minnesota Medicaid fraud
- Runtime
- 2:24
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Federal prosecutors on Thursday unveiled more charges in a widespread, ongoing investigation of “staggering, industrial-scale” Medicaid fraud in Minnesota that’s likely to reach into the billions of dollars.
At a press conference unveiling the latest charges, Thompson suggested that fraud might have siphoned at least half of the $18 billion spent in Minnesota since 2018 in the 14 Medicaid programs viewed as high risk for abuse, although the dollar amounts tied to prosecutions so far are closer to $300 million.
Responding to questions, Thompson said there was no indication that any of the money fraudulently obtained went to directly fund terrorism. While some money might have made it indirectly to the terror group al-Shabab, there is “no indication that defendants were sending money to terrorist organizations or supporting terrorist organizations in that way,” he said.
To read more on this story, follow the link in our bio.
S...
- Title
- Twin cities residents enjoy a sunrise skate on Bde Maka Ska
- Runtime
- 0:33
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- On Wednesday morning, over half a dozen ice skaters could be seen zooming across Bde Maka Ska’s frozen surface in Minneapolis.
The last of Minneapolis’ lakes iced over during the recent cold snap. Since then, skaters have flocked to Bde Maka Ska, where some of the city’s smoothest ice conditions are found. Based on recent satellite imagery, only a handful of lakes in the metro area show snow-free surfaces for possible skating.
According to their website, the Minnesota DNR does not measure the thickness of lake ice. Skaters enjoyed the frozen conditions at their own risk.
Video captured by Ben Hovland and Anne Guttridge. Video edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- ACLU Minnesota files lawsuit against ICE
- Runtime
- 2:07
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing a lawsuit that alleges its agents have violated the rights of Minnesotans who’ve been observing recent immigration operations in the state.
The ACLU of Minnesota and several law firms filed the suit Wednesday on behalf of six Minnesotans who say they’ve been detained or threatened by federal agents while lawfully observing ICE operations. The plaintiffs include Susan Tincher of Minneapolis who was detained when she confronted ICE agents who were making early-morning arrests of several of her neighbors.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.
Story by Estelle Timar-Wilcox. Video captured by Estelle Timar-Wilcox and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- While ICE agents call for backup, Minneapolis residents hurl insults and snowballs
- Runtime
- 2:04
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Two ICE agents were attempting to arrest a woman in a traffic stop north of Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue at about 1 p.m. on Dec. 15 in Minneapolis.
During the encounter, a Department of Homeland Security supervisor called Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office requesting assistance.
In videos shared with MPR News, the agents are seen using pepper spray, pepper balls and tasers on bystanders. One agent is seen wildly swinging a baton to keep protesters at bay before apparently getting hit by a colleague’s pepper spray. Witnesses say at least three people at the chaotic scene were arrested.
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not respond to a request for comment. The agency is reporting that at least 400 people have been arrested during the operation.
The Minneapolis City Council recently voted unanimously to strengthen the city’s separation ordinance, which bans Minneapolis police from assisting in ...
- Title
- ICE agents corner workers on roof for hours amid frigid temperatures
- Runtime
- 1:06
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Federal agents surrounded a construction site in Chanhassen, Minn., for hours Saturday while they waited for two workers in below-zero temperatures.
Minnesota State Rep. Alex Falconer (DFL-Eden Prairie) was on the scene and said ICE did not appear to know the men's names and seemed to be "just driving around doing a fishing expedition."
After several hours, one worker was brought down in a boom lift and taken into an ambulance. The second worker came down around 1 p.m. and left without being detained.
Story by Feven Gerezgiher. Video courtesy of Alex Falconer. Video edited by Payton Whaley.
- Title
- Four years after being dropped by the U of M, men’s gymnastics team has a home
- Runtime
- 2:46
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- University of Minnesota Men’s Gymnastics head coach Mike Burns had been with the program for 16 years when he was told in 2020 the university would be cutting funding for the team.
Burns tried to fight the decision. When he realized he wasn’t going to win, he decided to turn that fighting energy into keeping the program alive even though he was out of a job. Burns drove for Uber and made deliveries for Shipt to help pay his personal bills. The nonprofit arm of the club, Foundation Gymnastics, stepped up to fully fund the program, with a generous alumni base and fundraisers helping pay the bills of about $125,000 a year.
Initially, the club team was able to stay in their campus practice facility in Cooke Hall. But ahead of the 2024-2025 season, the gymnasts were kicked out. That season, the team drove 30-40 minutes, one-way, to various facilities around the metro to practice.
This school year, the team has found a new home in a 14,000 square fo...
- Title
- Austin, Minnesota’s romance bookstore brings the small-town charm
- Runtime
- 2:32
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Trish Marin’s romance-only bookstore Hey Darling is only the second of its kind in Minnesota. The bookstore in Austin, Minnesota has been open since Oct. 2024 and hosts regular book club and author events. Marin’s guest book at the entrance of the store has signatures from 20 different states and two different countries. Marin says this loyalty comes from romance readers seeing their genre on the margins of most mainstream bookstores.
The first romance-only book store to open in the U.S. was in 2016 — The Ripped Bodice in New York City. In Minnesota, Tropes & Trifles opened in Minneapolis in April 2024. Since 2016, more than a hundred have opened in the United States. According to Romancing the Data, a data analysis site, there were 139 brick-and-mortar romance-only stores in the U.S. as of Nov. 30, 2025.
Story by Sam Stroozas, video by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Author and activist john a. powell on 'The Power of Bridging'
- Runtime
- 1:23:49
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Scholar and author john a. powell returned to Minnesota on Dec. 2 to talk about his new book, “The Power of Bridging.” In a deeply divided world, what can be done to create a sense of belonging for everyone?
- Title
- Minnesota men's gymnastics team finds a home four years after being dropped by U of M
- Runtime
- 6:51
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Minnesota Men's Gymnastics head coach Mike Burns can tell you exactly when the University of Minnesota decided to cut his program. And that moment led to years of him and his athletes bending over backwards to keep their sport alive at the U of M.
Four years and a true team effort later, the gymnasts have found a new home at a 14,000-square-foot facility in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood. Each athlete pulls triple-duty: not just as a gymnast and a student, but as a contributing member of the team's operations.
Minnesota Now host Nina Moini caught up with Burns and the team to see the facility in action.
Story produced by Aleesa Kuznetsov, video captured by Anne Guttridge, video edited by Payton Whaley.
- Title
- Woman observing ICE arrested during early morning action in north Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 3:20
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- A 55-year-old woman who is an American citizen was arrested early Tuesday after confronting ICE officers over the arrests of three of her neighbors in the Willard Hay neighborhood of north Minneapolis. She’s the first reported observer arrested by ICE since the agency launched an immigration surge in the Twin Cities last Monday.
Susan Tincher was awakened a little before 6:30 a.m. by alerts on her phone that an ICE arrest was happening in her neighborhood. She walked over alone and asked one of the officers across the street from the home that was being raided if they were ICE. She said the officer told her to “get back.” Tincher refused, and said multiple agents approached her.
Tincher, a white woman in her mid-50s who stands 5’ 4” tall, insists she was just at speaking distance from the agent and said that she did nothing to “impede” their actions.
Susan’s husband Jim Tincher said he was shocked to be notified by neighbors that ...
- Title
- ICE watch volunteer stopped by federal agents
- Runtime
- 3:00
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Lucia Webb is a south Minneapolis resident who is just one of hundreds, and likely thousands, of Twin Cities residents volunteering to make ICE’s job in Minnesota as difficult as possible.
Wednesday was Lucia Webb’s second day doing ICE watch in Minneapolis. She’d followed federal immigration agents from south Minneapolis to a park-and-ride lot by the Veteran Administration Hospital’s light rail stop. That’s when her car was boxed in by four SUVs and surrounded by mostly masked federal agents.
ICE watch efforts have spread from cities like Chicago that were previous hotbeds of federal immigration enforcement, to Minnesota. Local groups put on regular trainings for volunteers: telling them how to stay safe and calm. The goal of these ICE watchers, as Webb told the agents, is to protect their neighbors.
Story by Jon Collins, video captured by Ben Hovland and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Minneapolis LGBTQ+ center celebrates first birthday
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Queermunity is an event venue, café and LGBTQ+ gathering space open to all ages in Uptown Minneapolis. The co-founders hosted a celebration for the center's first birthday on Nov. 22, highlighting that it has seen an estimated 30,000 visitors and hosted more than 350 community programs in the last year.
Co-founders Hilary Otey and Kayla Barth say before Queermunity, the neighborhood was missing a space for people of the LGBTQ+ community to form genuine connections without limitations on who could attend.
Proceeds from the celebration went towards filling Queermunity’s resource closet, which recently supplied a giveaway of gender-affirming gear on Transgender Day of Remembrance in November.
Video by Jo Larson
- Title
- South Minneapolis neighbors respond to ICE operation
- Runtime
- 1:21
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Nearly two dozen community members surrounded a house on the 3100 block of Park Avenue in Minneapolis when Homeland Security Investigations officers detained an East African man. The man was detained in an apparent immigration action on Thursday afternoon.
MPR News reporter Jon Collins and photojournalist Ben Hovland were accompanying a neighborhood ICE watch patrol through south Minneapolis when they received reports of the operation via several rapid response group chats.
The officers brought the man onto the porch for questioning, and eventually left the scene without arresting anyone.
ICE agents declined to answer questions about the nature of the enforcement action, and a spokesperson for ICE did not respond to requests for comment.
Video filmed by Jon Collins and Ben Hovland and edited by Anne Guttridge.
- Title
- What's the deal with fraud in Minnesota? The Feeding Our Future scandal, explained
- Runtime
- 11:19
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Fraud in Minnesota has become a flashpoint for incendiary comments about Somali-Americans by President Donald Trump, as well as a sticking point in the 2026 Minnesota gubernatorial election. It's also resulted in a fair bit of misinformation and disinformation in the news. To explain how we got here, MPR News correspondent Matt Sepic breaks down one of the largest fraud scandals in recent memory: Feeding Our Future.
Here's what we know, what we don't and what comes next.
To keep up with ongoing coverage, follow MPR News on socials and tune in on the radio and at www.mprnews.org.
Thumbnail image: Ben Hovland | MPR News
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0:00 Intro
0:31 When we talk about fraud...
2:02 Which programs did the fraudsters rip off?
2:48 How did they steal so much money?
4:39 How did this scheme come to light?
5:38 Why did money continue to flow?
6:57 How many people have been convicted?
8:02 How much money did the...
- Title
- Twin Cities leaders rally behind Somalis amid reports feds may target community
- Runtime
- 2:08
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- City leaders from Minneapolis and St. Paul stood firmly with the Twin Cities Somali community Tuesday following reports that the Trump administration plans to primarily target hundreds of Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the Twin Cities.
The Associated Press reports the enforcement operation could begin in the coming days and is expected to focus on people with final orders of deportation. The New York Times published a similar report.
At a press conference on Dec. 2, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he found the media reports of a potential push by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be credible, including the arrival of potentially 100 more federal agents.
Story by Peter Cox, video edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Minneapolis, St. Paul officials respond to reports of ICE operations targeting Somalis
- Runtime
- 59:05
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- City leaders from Minneapolis and St. Paul are holding a news conference Tuesday afternoon to respond to reports that the Trump administration is planning an operation targeting Somali immigrants.
According to reporting from the New York Times, the Trump administration is “launching an intensive immigration enforcement operation primarily targeting hundreds of undocumented Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, according to an official with knowledge of the operation and documents obtained by The New York Times.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and police chief Brian O’Hara, along with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, are set to make statements at 1 p.m.
Read more coverage here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/02/minneapolis-st-paul-officials-respond-to-reports-of-ice-operations-targeting-somalis
- Title
- Korey and Cory: Minnesotan curling partners earn ticket to 2026 Winter Olympics
- Runtime
- 1:31
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- In what curler Korey Dropkin describes as a "phenomenal marketing play," he and curler Corey Thiesse first teamed up as mixed doubles partners in 2022. They both, with different partners, missed the qualifying mark in the 2018 and 2022 Olympic trials. This year – together – they finally earned their tickets to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
Thiesse was born and raised in Duluth to a curling family, and Dropkin says his curling skills better developed when he moved to Minnesota for college – a state where he could be among many of the best in the sport. The pair give some of the credit for their success to Minnesota’s curling environment, and say competing together on the biggest stage in the world after years of paralleling each other is a dream come true.
Video captured by Grace Praxmarer and edited by Jo Larson
- Title
- Documentary 'All the Empty Rooms' examines the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings
- Runtime
- 12:18
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman has covered countless school shootings over his career. And he admits it has made him numb to the endless string of tragedies.
In his new documentary, "All the Empty Rooms," one goal was to allow himself and his viewers the chance to sit with the lives of children killed in mass shootings - and shock both himself and the nation out of that numbness - as he photographs their now empty bedrooms.
Hartman sat down with MPR News Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the documentary short, which is available to stream on Netflix on Dec. 1.
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0:00 Intro
1:13 How the idea started
2:24 Talking with parents
3:52 Photographing the bedrooms
6:14 Getting it made
8:01 Changing minds
11:13 Conclusion
