Hundreds Chase Off Far-Right Activists in Tense Minneapolis Immigration Protest
Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis chased a small group of far-right activists away on Saturday. The confrontation happened near a neighborhood with many immigrants. It stoked tensions in a city still on edge after a federal immigration agent killed Renee Good ten days ago.
Protesters Force Retreat
Waving signs and screaming chants, the anti-ICE crowd gathered downtown near City Hall. They called for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents to leave Minneapolis. Around 1 p.m. local time, scores of them moved forward. They forced about ten far-right demonstrators against the outside of the municipal government center within minutes.
Some in the crowd tossed water balloons. The balloons soaked the right-wingers as wind chill temperatures hit -4°F. Police maintained their distance as the dueling protests played out.
Activists Hounded to Hotel
About an hour after the rallies began, the tiny contingent of right-wing activists quickly walked a few blocks away. They went to a hotel. Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters hounded them, screaming obscenities and telling them to get out of the city. A few scuffles broke out, but there was no serious violence.
Jake Lang organized what he called an “anti-fraud” rally. Lang is an online right-wing activist. President Donald Trump pardoned him and more than 1,500 others after their criminal convictions related to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. At no point could the crowd hear Lang's voice.
The counter-protest was organized by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump.
Political Context and Community Fears
President Trump has repeatedly invoked a scandal around the theft of federal funds intended for social-welfare programs in Minnesota. He uses it as a rationale for sending thousands of immigration enforcement agents into Minnesota. The president and administration officials have repeatedly singled out the state's community of Somali immigrants.
"We're here to support our Somali neighbors, they asked for their white allies to show up for them," said Laura, 56. Like all protesters interviewed, she asked that her last name not be used. She fears retribution by the federal government. "I'm here to exercise my First Amendment right because my neighbors can't, they're too afraid to leave their house."
Lang has made anti-Muslim and antisemitic comments. He has said he wants to secure the U.S. for white Christians. He has been present at small pro-ICE rallies in Minneapolis this week. He has targeted Somali immigrants, the vast majority of whom are Muslim.
ICE Presence and Fatal Shooting
Some 3,000 agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol have descended on Minneapolis and St. Paul in recent weeks. An ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three. She drove away after being ordered by ICE agents to exit her vehicle.
The officer who shot Good was positioned in front of her car on the left. The Department of Homeland Security has said he was hit by the car and feared for his life. However, videos show the agent remaining on his feet. They raise questions about how much contact the car made with him.
Political Fallout
The situation has set Minnesota’s Democratic leadership at odds with President Trump. The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
