Border Patrol chief vows Minnesota enforcement 'won’t quit' as protests spread in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Large-scale protests swept across Minneapolis on Friday, January 23, as residents rallied against intensified immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
Despite mounting public opposition, the federal official overseeing the effort said detentions would continue.
Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino reiterated that agents would not scale back operations, even as demonstrators flooded streets, public spaces and businesses throughout the city.
Protests erupt across Minneapolis as federal officials vow to continue enforcement
Protests unfolded throughout Minneapolis as residents braved subzero temperatures to oppose the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and expanded federal immigration operations in their communities.
Demonstrations took place downtown, at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, outside government buildings and inside the Timberwolves’ NBA arena, where crowds gathered to call for ICE to withdraw from local neighborhoods.
Some businesses joined what organizers described as an “economic blackout,” temporarily closing their doors in solidarity with the movement.
The demonstrations came as Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official directing the crackdown, rejected calls to halt or reconsider enforcement operations. Speaking at a news conference earlier Friday, Bovino said federal agents would continue detaining individuals they identify as criminal offenders. “We’re going to take them off the streets wholesale,” Bovino said. “It’s on. We won’t quit.”
The enforcement campaign has drawn intense criticism for detaining legal residents, US citizens and children, including a widely publicized case in which a 5-year-old boy and his father were taken into custody in their Minneapolis driveway as the child returned from preschool and later transported to a family detention facility in Texas. Bovino defended the agency’s conduct, saying agents are “experts in dealing with children.” The child is the fourth student from his school district to be taken into ICE custody in the past two weeks, according to Columbia Heights Public Schools.
Tensions have also intensified following the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent. Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that an FBI agent assisting with the investigation has resigned. The agent had initially opened a civil rights inquiry before being instructed to reclassify it as an investigation into an alleged assault on the officer involved.
Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that an FBI agent assisting with the investigation has resigned. The agent initially opened a civil rights inquiry but was later instructed to reclassify it as an investigation into an alleged assault on the officer involved.
Tensions have also intensified following the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renée Nicole Good by an ICE agent, an incident that has sparked widespread protests and scrutiny.
Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that an FBI agent who had opened a civil rights inquiry into the shooting resigned after being instructed to reclassify the probe as an investigation into an alleged assault on the officer involved. The agent’s departure highlights internal conflict over how the case has been handled amid ongoing public criticism.
As immigration enforcement expanded, Maine became the latest state targeted, with DHS reporting over 100 arrests this week. Among those detained was a corrections officer recruit with no prior criminal record, according to local officials.
Immigration crackdown: Toddler flown to Texas despite court order
Amid the broader enforcement campaign, criticism has intensified over the detention of a two-year-old girl, who was taken into ICE custody, which has intensified criticism of federal enforcement tactics.
The toddler was taken into ICE custody with her father in Minneapolis on Thursday, January 22, and flown to Texas, despite a court order requiring her immediate release, according to court filings and the family’s attorney.
The child was later returned to her mother in Minnesota while her father remains in custody, underscoring growing concerns about federal immigration tactics.
The child was returned to her mother on Friday, January 23 afternoon, while the father, identified as Elvis Tipan-Echeverria, remains in custody. “The child is out of detention as of this afternoon, and recovering from this horrific ordeal,” said family attorney Kira Kelley.
According to the family’s legal filings, federal agents detained the father and daughter after pursuing their vehicle during what DHS described as a “targeted enforcement operation.” The affidavit alleges agents entered the family’s driveway without a warrant and broke a vehicle window while the child was inside. DHS disputes aspects of that account, saying the father refused lawful commands and that agents acted to ensure the child’s safety.
