Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Minnesota have raised concerns about the agency’s tactics and impact on local communities. Over the past two weeks, ICE agents detained four students-ages 5, 10, 17, and 17-from the Columbia Heights school district, sparking fear among families and educators as reported by district officials. The detentions, which occurred while the students were on their way to or from school or at home wiht their parents, are particularly sensitive given the families’ pending asylum claims and a recent escalation of tensions following a fatal shooting involving an ICE agent earlier this month.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have detained four students from the Columbia Heights school district in northern Minneapolis, Minnesota, including a 5-year-old and a 10-year-old, over the past two weeks, according to local authorities. The arrests have sparked fear and concern among families and educators in the community.
Superintendent Zena Stenvik announced at a press conference that the 5-year-old was apprehended with his father at their home after returning from preschool. “The sensation of safety in our community and around our schools is shaken, and our hearts are broken,” Stenvik said.
Stenvik detailed that agents have been observed patrolling neighborhoods, surrounding schools, and following school buses, leading to the detention of students at various times throughout the day. The case highlights growing anxieties within immigrant communities about increased ICE activity.
Also detained were a 17-year-old high school student arrested while on his way to school, a 17-year-old female student arrested with her mother last week, and a 10-year-old girl taken into custody while walking to school with her mother two weeks ago. All of the families have active asylum cases and none had outstanding deportation orders.
ICE has not commented on the specific detentions. However, one day before the arrests became public, Border Patrol Chief Gregg Bovino told reporters that ICE would continue operations in Minneapolis despite ongoing protests, stating the agency is focused on detaining undocumented individuals with criminal histories.
Tensions between the administration of President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, have escalated in recent months following a shooting involving an ICE agent in early January that resulted in the death of Renee Good, 37. Both sides have filed complaints in various courts, disputing the actions of federal agents and local authorities during operations.
