MPD reports 30 protesters taken into custody and released after unrest in downtown Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA:  At least 30 people were detained, cited and released during demonstrations in downtown Minneapolis on Friday night, January 9, Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) said on Saturday morning. 

Police said that a crowd of several hundred people gathered around 8 pm near the Canopy Hotel on the 700 block of Third Street South before moving to the Depot Renaissance Hotel on Third Avenue South.

Authorities reported property damage at the second location as the crowd shifted through the downtown area.

Objects thrown and officer hurt during standoff 

MPD said officers responded around 8.30 pm to a report of a vehicle being driven toward a building. Officers found a vehicle parked on the sidewalk, though no visible damage was observed. As officers investigated, a crowd formed around them.

Additional officers were dispatched, allowing police to exit the area. One officer sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention. Police did not specify how the officer was injured but said demonstrators threw snow, ice and rocks at officers, police vehicles and other cars throughout the night.

Around 9.45 pm, demonstrators returned to the Canopy Hotel, where police said some individuals forced their way into the building through an alley entrance. Soon after, police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse.

While the main group eventually cleared out, police said smaller groups continued moving through downtown.

Others remained near the Canopy Hotel, prompting additional dispersal orders and further detentions. MPD said that at least 30 people were detained, cited and released with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Sen Amy Klobuchar questions federal presence in Minnesota

The protests unfolded amid mounting political scrutiny over the Trump administration’s expanded federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

Democratic Sen Amy Klobuchar said that there were now more US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota than the combined forces of the Minneapolis and St Paul police departments.

“That feels completely out of balance,” Klobuchar said.

According to city data, St Paul employs about 800 police personnel, including more than 550 sworn officers, while MPD reported having 579 sworn officers as of January last year.

Multiple law enforcement officials said that the Trump administration initiated a large-scale deployment of hundreds of Department of Homeland Security agents to the Twin Cities beginning on Sunday.

Federal officials later said the operation could involve roughly 2,000 agents from ICE’s deportation branch and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

HSI agents participating in the 30-day surge are expected to investigate alleged fraud cases, building on inspections conducted last month at dozens of sites across the Minneapolis area.

Senators seek broader investigation into the killing of Renee Good

Klobuchar and fellow Minnesota Democratic Sen Tina Smith have also urged the Justice Department to broaden the federal investigation into the killing of Renee Good.

In a joint letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, the senators requested that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) be included in the FBI-led probe.

The BCA said that it was initially slated to assist but was later informed that the US Attorney’s Office reversed course, leaving the investigation solely in federal hands.