This summer, Pablo Kalaka took a step back from what used to be a barren wall on the outside of Bro-Tex. After 15 days of work, he'd completed a mural designed to honor the immigrant experience. 

It's why he was shocked watching the news on Tuesday as images flashed across his phone showing federal officers and protesters clash during what turned out to be a workplace immigration raid. After two days of silence, ICE confirmed on Thursday that federal law enforcement detained 14 undocumented people on "immigration violations." 

Kalaka's mural, titled "If Only I Were a Bird," depicts a mother and her child trying to find a safe place to cross a border wall. They carry with them a backpack with a house and items significant to various South American cultures. 

"With my mural is they [people] can see human beings in this predicament," Kalaka said, "through the mural, they are not numbers. They are not political statements. They are human beings, as you and me, with kids just trying to pass a wall and have life." 

At the time of WCCO's interview with Kalaka, no information had been released about the purpose behind the federal operation earlier this week. 

Minnesota State House Rep. Leigh Finke, whose district includes the St. Paul neighborhood where Bro-Tex is, alluded to the mural during a press conference Wednesday morning called by immigrants' rights organizations.  

"The owners of this building [Bro-Tex] welcomed this project, this portrait of immigrant safety and travel," Finke said.

The mural is one of dozens commissioned under the St. Paul "Chroma Zone" project, designed to bring some beauty to industrial areas of the city. Kalaka said that Bro-Tex ownership was eager to have the mural on their wall after another business turned him down. He said that other business was concerned about the politics involved.

"More than ever, it's an issue here, so we need to talk about it," Kalaka said.

On Thursday, more than 48 hours after the operation that left multiple protesters injured, ICE stated that the 14 people detained did not have legal status. The agency also said that an individual with prior domestic abuse charges and an individual who illegally re-entered the country were among those detained. 

"These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets, and threaten American communities," an ICE spokesperson said in part. 

Autumn Boos, a marketing director for Bro-Tex, provided WCCO with a statement indicating that the paper distribution business is still in operation. 

"We have no information to share regarding the events at our facility on November 18. Bro-Tex continues to operate and remains focused on serving our customers' needs," Boos said.