'ICE needs to get off our streets': Dems call for Trump to end federal enforcement in Minnesota

ST PAUL, MINNESOTA: Democratic lawmakers on Friday, January 16, demanded that the Donald Trump administration remove Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from Minnesota. 

Their appeal came amid rising unrest in Minneapolis, where people took to the streets and clashed with law enforcement after a second shooting involving an ICE agent and a Venezuelan migrant.

 The clashes follow a fatal incident earlier this month in which an ICE agent officer shot Renee Nicole Good to death during a federal immigration enforcement operation.

Good was an American citizen, not an immigrant.

Democrats criticize Trump at 'shadow hearing'

Rep Ilhan Omar and Rep Pramila Jayapal led the hearing that included a group of House Democrats and two Minnesotan Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. 

The politicians criticized the Trump administration’s deployment of ICE agents and its actions in the state during a “shadow hearing” and a news conference held in Minneapolis on Friday, January 16. 

Omar, who has repeatedly faced attacks from President Trump, said the administration is “operating outside the bounds of law.”

“ICE needs to get off our streets. They are causing confusion, chaos and fear,” Klobuchar said during the hearing. 

Many other Democrat lawmakers came to St Paul to question ICE actions and listen to local officials and community members.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey testified as a witness during the shadow hearing.

“This is not about immigration. This is about sowing chaos on the streets of Minnesota,” Frey said. “We in Minneapolis are suffering the brunt of it right now.”

The mayor added that once federal agents leave, “we will have peace, we will have safety and order will be restored.”

White House rejects criticism of ICE

Prior to the "shadow hearing", White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had called out the Democrats for wanting to abolish ICE.

She said, "Democrats do not want our borders secured, and they do not want criminal illegal aliens deported from our country. That's why Democrats have dangerous sanctuary policies in place that block local and state law enforcement from working with the Administration to remove violent illegal aliens."

Leavitt also said, "That's why Democrats demonize and put a target on the backs of federal law enforcement officers who are simply doing their jobs to keep Americans safe. And that's why Democrats are recklessly calling to defund federal law enforcement and abolish ICE. Democrats will not keep the American people safe."

Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says ICE has arrested thousands of murderers and other dangerous criminals in Minnesota over the past five weeks.

The Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement in the state, deploying around 3,000 officers.

Homeland Security posted a CNN clip on X showing a poll in which many people said ICE makes cities less safe, while defending the agency by saying ICE has removed more than 2,500 violent offenders from Minnesota.