Opposing protests clash in downtown Minneapolis
Minnesota safety officials are asking that protesters participating in scheduled demonstrations this weekend stay orderly and peaceful.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobsen and Major General Shawn Manke with the Minnesota National Guard discussed measures the state is taking at a news conference on Friday afternoon.
"While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated," Jacobsen said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz earlier this month issued a warning order to prepare the National Guard in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in south Minneapolis earlier this month. Manke said members have been mobilized, though they will not be used unless needed.
Manke said the National Guard was in a similar state of preparedness during last weekend's protests against ICE.
An ICE officer shot a man after allegedly being attacked by men with shovels during an arrest operation on Wednesday night, three U.S. officials told CBS News. Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara said protesters at the scene in the hours after the shooting crossed the line. Police officers were struck by rocks, fireworks, ice chunks and snowballs, according to O'Hara.
Here's the latest on the ICE surge in Minnesota
- Heated exchanges between opposing protests erupted outside Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday afternoon. Aerial footage showed several physical altercations between protesters.
- A Minnesota federal judge on Friday ordered limits on the tactics that federal law enforcement are permitted to use in their handling of the ongoing protests in Minneapolis over the Trump administration's surge of immigration resources to the city.
- The Justice Department is investigating Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, over an alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News on Friday.
- More than two dozen U.S. House Democrats convened in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday for an unofficial Congressional hearing on the conduct of ICE and other federal agents in the state.
- Protesters have been showing up to the Whipple building, where federal agents are headquartered, for more than a week. At times, demonstrators and federal law enforcement have clashed multiple times.
Minnesota National Guard on standby
The Minnesota National Guard posted on social media that they are on standby and ready to assist local law enforcement and public safety agencies.
The post also said if members are activated, they will be wearing reflective vests to help distinguish them from other agencies in similar uniforms.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobsen and Major General Shawn Manke with the Minnesota National Guard discussed measures the state is taking at a news conference on Friday afternoon. Manke said members have been mobilized, though they will not be used unless needed.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz earlier this month issued a warning order to prepare the National Guard in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
Clashes between opposing protests seen in downtown Minneapolis
Protesters arrived at Minneapolis City Hall early Saturday afternoon.
Minneapolis Police were on scene to clear protesters out of the road and steer them back to the permitted area.
Heated exchanges have erupted between opposing protests outside City Hall. Aerial footage over the scene has shown several physical altercations between protesters.
Conservative activist Jake Lang organized an anti-Islam protest in front of City Hall. Lang was met with a counterprotest set up by the People's Action Coalition Against Trump. Lang was charged with assaulting an officer, civil disorder and other crimes in connection with the Jan. 6 riot before President Trump pardoned him.
Protesters moved from in front of City Hall to a separate part of downtown Minneapolis. Crowds blocked the street and prevented the flow of traffic.
Police officers on the scene worked to clear a nearby street and threatened crowd control measures around 1:40 p.m. before protesters started moving.
St. Paul Federation of Educators to join day of action
The Saint Paul Federation of Educators released a statement that the Executive Board agreed to support the Day of Action.
The Day of Action is scheduled for Friday in response to Operation Metro Surge. Minnesotans are urged to not go to work, school or go shopping.
According to the SPFE, the three demands for the day of action are:
- ICE must leave Minnesota now.
- The officer who killed Renee Good must be held legally accountable
- No additional federal funding for ICE in the upcoming budget
The federation said in part,
"We find ourselves at a moment in time — yet again — that demands we stand in our values to protect the lives of our students and their families. Our union has never backed down from challenging and difficult choices. The importance of all of us standing together in community to show our families and our nation that we will hold the line for what is right cannot be understated."
Another legal expert weighs in on DOJ investigation into Walz, Frey, calls it a "stretch"
Law expert weighs in on federal investigation into Walz, Frey
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are under federal investigation over an alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
One of the sources, a U.S. official, said the investigation stems from statements that Walz and Frey have made about the thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks.
Subpoenas are likely to be issued in the probe, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
Professor David Schultz, a First Amendment law expert with Hamline University and University of St. Thomas School of Law, said he doesn't expect the investigation to hold much water.
Schultz explained that public comments from both Walz and Frey fall under protected speech, noting that the bar would be incredibly high if the federal government is attempting to argue that either of them have verbally encouraged a "real overt act of obstruction."
"There's no case on record, let us say in the modern history of the First Amendment, that has taken mere criticism to be equivalent to obstruction of justice," Schultz said, adding that it's no surprise to him that President Trump is using the DOJ to further complicate life for Walz and other Minnesota officials.
Safeguard document helping families prepare in case of ICE arrest
Families impacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests are worried about the safety and well-being of those left behind.
Scarlett, A 2-year-old girl, is living in a haven in Minnesota thanks to a Delegation of Parental Authority form.
Minnesota safety commissioner on weekend protests: "We want to be there to be helpful"
Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobsen says his agency and other state officials are aware and prepared for the planned protests this weekend.
"We want to be there to be helpful. We want to be there to keep the peace and, again, let's be Minnesotans. Let's be those who want to do this the right way, to demonstrate, to share your opinions, to share your values, to share your thoughts, but to do it in a way that doesn't incite violence, that doesn't bring anymore harm," Jacobsen said in a news conference on Friday afternoon.
That includes one that could come through downtown Minneapolis, as well as a counter protest planned in the same area.
