Anti-ICE protesters hound tech workers after mistaking them for federal agents in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Amid the chaos sparked off by anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests in Minnesota, five tech employees said they were accosted by a mob after being mistaken for federal agents.

As the men tried to leave a restaurant after lunch, anti-ICE protesters shouted at them and attempted to block their exit.

The protestors refused to believe them when they explained they were not ICE agents. A video of the incident was quickly shared by the news portal Alpha News.

Tensions toward ICE agents in the city have been running high, especially after the death of 37‑year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

The incident, along with subsequent shootings, has intensified public anger and protests.

Anti-ICE crowd mistakes civilians for agents

According to Alpha News, two software engineers say they were wrongly identified as ICE agents and confronted by an anti-ICE crowd during a lunch outing in Minneapolis.

The media house obtained video of the incident and spoke with one of the victims, software engineer Lee, about the situation.

Lee said the two were eating lunch at Clancy’s Deli, near 38th Street and Grand Avenue South.

One of the men received a message from an anti-ICE Signal chat. The alert came from a channel labeled “SW Minneapolis Rapid Response” and claimed that undercover ICE agents were dining at the restaurant.

“My friend was shocked,” Lee said. “He’s on the [anti-ICE] side politically. He lives nearby. He’s eaten there before. And suddenly he’s seeing messages saying we’re ICE.”

According to Lee, protesters soon arrived and surrounded the restaurant. As the men tried to leave, they were shouted at and had whistles blown in their ears. 

When Lee insisted they were not undercover federal agents, the crowd did not seem to believe him. “Do I look like an ICE agent?” one of them asked.

A woman in the crowd replied, “Yeah, you look like a f**king ICE agent,” as protesters continued to shout and blow whistles.

Lee told Alpha News that those involved held different political views, but said the encounter caused some to reconsider their positions. 

“One of us is pro-ICE, one anti-ICE, others on the fence,” he said. “After this, I think some of them are rethinking everything.”

Civilians caught between federal agents and demonstrators

This is just one example of how immigration enforcement and protests are affecting everyday people in Minneapolis.

In other cases, families have been caught between federal agents and demonstrators. On January 14, a family returning from a youth sports event found themselves trapped amid protests and federal law enforcement activity.

A tear gas canister was deployed near their vehicle, filling the SUV with gas and sending at least two children, including an infant, to the hospital with breathing problems, according to local officials. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said officers were responding to crowds of what it described as “rioters and agitators” and did not intend to target the family.