Anti-ICE protesters arrested in Minnesota after throwing items at officers, refusing to disperse
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Minnesota police began arresting anti-ICE agitators outside a hotel on Monday after authorities said the demonstration escalated and was “no longer considered peaceful,” prompting officers to declare an unlawful assembly.
Demonstrators were outside the SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel in Maple Grove, Minnesota, where they believed U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was staying.
President Donald Trump announced that Bovino and several of his agents would leave Minneapolis as part of a change in leadership in carrying out the immigration crackdown, as a bipartisan review of the immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis intensified after agents recorded an American Border Patrol activity over the weekend.
Border Czar Tom Homan is now expected to lead efforts in the province.
LEAVITT SAID TRUMP TALKED TO WALZ, DEMANDED MINNESOTA TO ‘WORK PEACEFULLY TOGETHER’ WITH ICE: ‘LET COPS BE COPS’
Demonstrators stand against law enforcement during a protest outside the SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn by Marriott hotels in Maple Grove, Minnesota, on Monday, January 26, 2026. (AP)
Maple Grove police said officers responded to reports of a protest at the hotel on Monday and that the protest escalated when agitators allegedly began throwing objects at officers and damaging property.
Authorities said several people who refused to leave were arrested after police declared the gathering unlawful and ordered it to disperse.
“The Maple Grove Police Department respects and supports the right of individuals to peacefully assemble and express their views. Our priority remains the safety and security of all residents, visitors and property in our community,” a police department spokesperson said in a statement to KSTP. he said.
“At this point, the activity was no longer considered peaceful. Individuals participating in criminal activity were not protected under the First Amendment and could be arrested,” the spokesperson added.
ICE RESISTERS Clashed With FEDERAL AGENTS AT MINNEAPOLIS HOTEL, AGENTS USED WHITE GAS AND FLASHBANG
Maple Grove police officers stand during a protest outside the SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn by Marriott hotels in Maple Grove, Minnesota, on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP)
Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and Hennepin Public Order Group responded to the scene to assist Maple Grove officers.
The move to pull Bovino from Minneapolis comes after Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old U.S. citizen killed by Border Patrol agents, faced backlash over false claims that he intended to “massacre” law enforcement officers; It’s a characterization the White House has distanced itself from the president.
Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents while recording federal immigration operations in Minneapolis on Saturday. Pretti, a critical care nurse, appeared to be trying to tend to a female agent who was pushed to the ground and beaten when she was sprayed with an irritant. An agent was seen removing Pretti’s gun from his waistband before other agents fired several shots, killing him.
Some reports indicated that Bovino had been relieved of his duties as Border Patrol “commander general” and would return to his old job as chief patrol agent in El Centro, California, but Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said he “has not been relieved of his duties” and remains “an essential part of the President’s team.”
Law enforcement officers stand during a protest outside the SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn by Marriott hotels in Maple Grove, Minnesota, on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP)
Bovino also reportedly had access to her social media accounts due to her public comments.
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The White House also sought to distance itself from comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, who labeled the man a “future assassin.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she “did not hear the president describe Pretti that way.”
Pretti’s shooting follows recent unrest over the ICE-involved killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis earlier this month.
