Governor Walz sends letter to Kristi Noem after ICE actions in Minnesota
Activists confronted a group of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in the largely Somali neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside in Minneapolis, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.
(AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)
DULUTH, Min & MINNEAPOLIS — Federal agents have used pepper spray to disperse a crowd in a heavily Somali neighborhood in Minneapolis.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center, speaks during a press conference Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, in Minneapolis.
(AP Photo/Tom Baker)
It happened Tuesday, December 9, 2025 during identification checks conducted amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on the Somali community. The community has been on edge since President Trump announced the end of Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in the state.
It’s unclear how many people have been detained or asked for documents. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials says no arrests were made Tuesday but provided no further details.
Following those actions plus other ICE and Border Patrol Action in Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz wrote a letter to Homeland Defense Secretary Kristi Noem.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz expresses frustration with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans over the federal government shutdown during a news conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.
(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
The letter asked for Noem to do four things. They include review the circumstances surrounding all recent arrests,, clarify legal standard under which citizen observers may exercise their rights to document ICE, ensure that ICE agents receive clear guidance and training on respecting civil rights and Reassess the broader “surge” enforcement strategy.
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FULL LETTER:
Dear Secretary Noem,
The forcefulness, lack of communication, and unlawful practices displayed by your agents will not be tolerated in Minnesota. I write today with serious concern regarding the multiple arrests of United States citizens during recent ICE operations in Minneapolis. Reports indicate that some citizens were documenting federal activity, while others were going about their daily lives.
This troubling pattern raises serious concerns, not only about due process and the rights of U.S. citizens, but also about trust between Minnesota communities and federal authorities. According to documented accounts, Sue was asked to move back from the scene; when she declined, she was physically pushed, handcuffed, transported to a federal facility, held in isolation for hours, and told she would be charged with “obstruction.” Mubashir was chased, tackled, handcuffed, and detained despite repeatedly stating his citizenship and offering to show identification.
Minnesota has long stood as a place where civic engagement and community oversight are valued. Residents who document law-enforcement activity, including immigration enforcement, play an essential role in transparency, accountably, and safeguarding the civil liberties of all in Minnesota. Detaining citizens for exercising these rights sends a deeply disturbing signal about how those very rights are being eroded.
Considering the serious constitutional and humanitarian implications, I urge you to take the following actions:
1. Immediately review the circumstances surrounding all recent arrests and whether agents possessed a judicial warrant authorizing detention, search, or seizure at the location in question. Any federal agents that acted unlawfully should immediately be placed on administrative leave.
2. Clarify, publicly and directly, the legal standard under which citizen observers may exercise their rights to document and bear witness to the aggressive federal law enforcement actions, particularly in public spaces.
3. Ensure that ICE agents operating in Minnesota receive clear guidance and training on respecting the civil rights of U.S. citizens and residents, regardless of appearance or immigration status, before conducting raids, detentions, or arrests.
4. Reassess the broader “surge” enforcement strategy.
Our state’s safety and community trust depend not only on effective law enforcement, but on justice, fairness, and respect for civil liberties. We cannot allow public trust to be further damaged by detaining citizens under unclear or questionable circumstances.
Sincerely,
Tim Walz
Governor of Minnesota
