Minnesota ICE protests allegedly driven by outside actors, CEO warns

Violent clashes targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minnesota are not organic protest but driven by outside actors exploiting the chaos, according to a protest insider warning that the situation is rapidly spiraling.

Adam Swart, CEO of Crowds on Demand, told Fox News Digital that many of the agitators were funded by “shady interests” taking advantage of the chaos and conflict, adding that law enforcement concerns about escalating tensions were well-founded.

“I believe that many of the most aggressive and illegal actors targeting ICE are not organic protesters but are funded by shadowy interests who benefit from the chaos and conflict,” Swart said.

The warning comes amid days of unrest linked to ICE enforcement operations in and around the Twin Cities that have led to protests often marked by blocked federal vehicles, personal threats against agents and doxxing campaigns targeting ICE personnel and their families.

THE LOWER LEFT NETWORK WHO HELPED ALEX PRETTI HIM, THEN MADE HIM A MARTYR

Swart, who previously told Fox News Digital that his company refused to participate in the Minneapolis protests and called the unrest “illegal chaos,” said his company “won’t touch the Minneapolis protests with a 10-foot pole” because of what he described as unsafe and illegal tactics on city streets.

“It is illegal to block roads, obstruct federal agents, and threaten officials, and we do not participate in any type of illegal protest,” Swart said in an earlier interview, warning that the chaos could backfire and lead to increased enforcement rather than reform.

According to Swart, clashes between demonstrators and federal agents have turned into a self-sustaining cycle of escalation.

While agents used white gas and flashbang, icy counters clashed with FEDERAL AGENTS AT a MINNEAPOLIS HOTEL

A man, center left, next to a police officer in Minneapolis, holds a protester in a doorway during a noise demonstration in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP)

“When anti-ICE activists threaten agents personally, slander their families, and use their cars to block them, these actions cause agents to act more aggressively,” Swart said. “ICE acting aggressively causes people to act more aggressively towards ICE and the cycle continues.”

Swart called on President Donald Trump to adopt an immediate “ceasefire stance” in Minnesota; This is not to back down on immigration enforcement, but as a tactical reset to de-escalate tensions and prevent further harm to agents, protesters, and civilians.

He also outlined a series of policy recommendations that he said could narrow flashpoints; these include prioritizing the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants, ensuring that innocent undocumented immigrants can report crimes without fear of deportation, clarifying sanctuary city policies, requiring ICE to operate in clearly marked uniforms and vehicles, and limiting ICE’s role in crowd control.

Demonstrators gathered in St. Petersburg on Thursday, January 15, 2026. Bishop Henry Whipple protests U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in front of the Federal Building in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

While Swart condemned protesters interfering with federal operations, he also said there were examples of ICE using disproportionate force and warned that continued tensions risk turning Minnesota into a permanent flashpoint.

Swart’s comments come as the Trump administration shifts its response in Minnesota. The White House confirmed that border czar Tom Homan has been deployed to the state to oversee enforcement operations and assess the unrest.

Stepheny Price covers crimes including missing persons, murders and immigration crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.