The Minneapolis City Council is slow-walking the renewal of liquor licenses for two local hotels over alleged safety concerns related to housing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
The two hotels, the Depot and the Canopy hotels, were both targeted by anti-ICE agitators last month, resulting in a standoff between demonstrators and state police.
The council first debated the licenses in early February and voted to delay renewing the license until Tuesday&#8217;s meeting. The Minneapolis officials then voted 11-2 to proceed with an investigation, further delaying the renewal process until Thursday, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-city-council-liquor-license-renewal-ice-hotels/">according</a> to CBS News.
“It’s our job as council members to do what we can to further investigate and address those concerns and public safety is one of the No. 1 things that we do as a body,” Aurin Chowdhury, the chair of the city council, said, per <a href="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/minneapolis-city-council-delays-liquor-license-renewal-two-hotels/89-4d475103-2614-4478-b1d7-a364d89e8f9f">Kare 11</a>.
A lawyer for the city, however, warned that too much delay could lead to legal consequences, CBS News reported.
&#8220;Not respecting staff input and opinion here could have tremendous legal and financial impact,&#8221; council member Elizabeth Shaffer said.
Shaffer explained that the holdup could give the wrong message that Minneapolis &#8220;is not a safe place to do business,&#8221; according to CBS.
When asked whether housing ICE at the hotels was a reason to deny a liquor license, city attorney Quinn O&#8217;Reilly replied &#8220;no,&#8221; the news outlet reported.
&#8220;As we advised previously, there needs to be connection between licensed activity and identifying concerns,&#8221; O&#8217;Reilly said. &#8220;So who stays at the hotel, there&#8217;s no nexus between the license activity, which is the serving of alcohol and the activity that which we are concerned.&#8221;
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the hotels as &#8220;economic engines for our city,&#8221; according to CBS.
&#8220;Revoking their licenses doesn&#8217;t just hurt the venue — it hurts the workers, vendors, and nonprofits that rely on these spaces to keep running,&#8221; he said.
Daily Wire reporter Brecca Stoll reported from the Canopy last month as anti-ICE protestors banged drums and shouted.
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Protestors have gathered outside the Canopy Hilton Hotel where they think ICE is staying and are banging instruments.
One sign says “WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE AND WE’LL DO IT AGAIN.” <a href="https://t.co/WJMlJ85mKX">pic.twitter.com/WJMlJ85mKX</a>
— Brecca Stoll (@breccastoll) <a href="https://twitter.com/breccastoll/status/2009792842802352425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Since then, the Trump administration has ended the massive immigration operation, known as &#8220;Operation Metro Surge,&#8221; White House border czar Tom Homan announced last week.
“I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that the surge operation conclude,” Homan said during a press conference in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Homan also emphasized that it doesn&#8217;t mean the Trump administration is backing down from its mass deportation efforts.
“A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue through the next week,” Homan said. “We have a lot of work to do across this country to remove public safety risks who shouldn’t even be in this country and to deliver on President Trump’s promise for strong border security and mass deportation. Law enforcement officers drawn down from this operation will either return to the duty station or be assigned elsewhere to achieve just that.&#8221;

Anti-ICE protestors converge inside the lobby of the Hilton

Minneapolis Officials Refuse To Stop Targeting Hotels That Housed ICE Agents

Hotel

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Minneapolis

The end is near for the Trump administration&#8217;s &#8220;Operation Metro Surge&#8221; in Minnesota.
After more than 4,000 arrests, many of the thousands of ICE and Border Patrol personnel sent to the Twin Cities from other areas of the country will soon return to their home offices, White House border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday.
Homan came to the decision with the support of President Donald Trump after seeing &#8220;success&#8221; with the operation, which has led to a significant drop in criminal illegal immigrants roaming the streets, &#8220;unprecedented levels of coordination&#8221; from local officials, and a decrease in anti-ICE agitator activity, he said. It also resulted in federal authorities tracking down 3,364 missing migrant kids who previously crossed the border alone.
&#8220;I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that the surge operation conclude,&#8221; Homan said during a press conference in Minneapolis.
But it doesn&#8217;t mean the Trump administration is backing down from its goal of carrying out a historic mass deportation campaign, he said. It also doesn&#8217;t mean ICE is leaving for good.
&#8220;A significant drawdown has already been underway this week and will continue through the next week,&#8221; Homan said. &#8220;We have a lot of work to do across this country to remove public safety risks who shouldn&#8217;t even be in this country and to deliver on President Trump&#8217;s promise for strong border security and mass deportation. Law enforcement officers drawn down from this operation will either return to the duty station or be assigned elsewhere to achieve just that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING: HOMAN announces that he and Trump have agreed to end ICE&#8217;s &#8216;Operation Metro Surge&#8217; In Minnesota
ICE will still have a &#8220;footprint&#8221; in the Twin Cities that will include teams to prioritize arresting criminal illegal immigrants and violent agitators <a href="https://t.co/DOzHmoXbJk">pic.twitter.com/DOzHmoXbJk</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2021954564791140736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;For those who say we are backing down from immigration enforcement or mass deportations, you are simply wrong, look at the data,&#8221; he said.
While the drawdown continues, &#8220;a small footprint of personnel will remain&#8221; temporarily &#8220;to close out and transition full command and control back to the&#8221; local ICE office. That includes teams deployed to quell street violence and agents investigating fraud.
Homan also said he&#8217;s directed the &#8220;strategic&#8221; placement of officers near local jails in Minnesota to ensure they&#8217;re able to swiftly receive illegal immigrants that local authorities must release.
&#8220;Federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done. I will also remain on the ground for a little longer to oversee the drawdown of this operation and ensure its success,&#8221; Homan said.
Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis last month to assume control over the operation, replacing Border Patrol&#8217;s Gregory Bovino. Bovino was known for his showy operations, where he waltzed around the Twin Cities flanked by burly federal agents and conducted aggressive roving patrols.
Homan came in and changed all of that, instructing federal agents to prioritize hardened criminals before nabbing anyone whose sole crime is being in the country illegally. The former ICE chief, however, made clear from the start that it didn&#8217;t mean that illegal immigrants without rap sheets were off the table.
Homan passionately emphasized that point during Thursday&#8217;s presser.
&#8220;I hear all the hate about you should arrest everybody. We are, but we&#8217;re prioritizing those who are the biggest threat to our community, the rapist, the murderers, the child molesters. That’s the right thing to do, but I’ll say it again. Present Trump made a promise of mass deportation, and that’s what this country’s gonna get,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re in this country illegally, you&#8217;re not off the table,&#8221; he said.

Border Czar Tom Homan Speaks To The Press In Minneapolis

Trump To End ICE’s ‘Operation Metro Surge’ In Minnesota, Homan Says

Donald Trump

Immigration

Minnesota

Politics

Tom Homan

Minneapolis Live Blog

LIVE UPDATES: Minnesota AG Spars With Republicans In Fiery Senate Hearing

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Tim Walz

Trump Administration

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons revealed Tuesday that police in Minnesota arrested dozens of anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis overnight, signaling a massive change in support from local authorities after the arrival of White House border czar Tom Homan.
Lyons made the revelation at a House Homeland Security hearing while being questioned by Republican Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, who attributed the change in local authorities finally supporting ICE to the recent arrival of Homan after weeks of leaving them to fend off violent agitators themselves.
President Donald Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis last month to replace Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino — known for his aggressive and sweeping immigration raids — after the fatal shootings of two anti-ICE activists.
Bovino&#8217;s tactics, along with sanctuary laws and anti-ICE &#8220;rhetoric on the Left &#8230; created the perfect storm&#8221; for a surge in attacks on ICE agents, McCaul explained.
&#8220;Your officers are not trained to effectuate crowd control; they are trained to move and surgically go in to remove these dangerous, violent criminals from the United States of America. I&#8217;ve called for de-escalation after the two deaths, the two shootings that took place. I believe that these roving patrols should be done at the border rather than in the major cities of the United States,&#8221; McCaul said while addressing Lyons.
Since Homan&#8217;s arrival in Minneapolis, he has held meetings with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and local police chiefs. Those meetings have resulted in “unprecedented” cooperation from local authorities in Minnesota, leading to a &#8220;drawdown&#8221; of 700 federal agents that Homan announced last week.
&#8220;And what has been done since Mister Homan came into the job &#8230; We now have targeted law enforcement operations, he’s returning to the original mission of ICE. He is working with state locals to do the crowd control. He is getting them to honor the ICE detainers. He is also getting the body cameras put on them and the roving patrols, in his words, to me should be done at the border, not in major cities,&#8221; McCaul said.
McCaul then asked Lyons how things have changed on the ground in Minneapolis since Homan&#8217;s arrival.
&#8220;So we’ve seen a de-escalation in the fact that the protests, while they still go on, have subsided, and ICE has been allowed to do their targeted intelligence-driven enforcement operation. Just last night, local authorities arrested 54 protesters at the local level, where ICE officers did not have to be engaged,&#8221; Lyons said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcCaul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMcCaul</a> says he believes Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino&#8217;s presence in Minneapolis &#8220;escalated the situation&#8221; in Minneapolis.
With Homan&#8217;s arrival, McCaul says order has been restored.
Acting ICE Director responds, saying that since Homan&#8217;s arrival, protests have… <a href="https://t.co/dajDyOQBBn">pic.twitter.com/dajDyOQBBn</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2021260654787572114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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White House Border Czar Tom Homan Speaks To Media At White House

The Homan Effect: Local Minnesota Police Finally Begin To Arrest Anti-ICE Agitators

Local Minnesota Police Finally Arresting Anti-ICE Agitators, ICE Chief Reveals

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is causing “tragedy after tragedy” in Minneapolis, claimed Democrat City Council Member Aisha Chughtai after describing the <a href="https://x.com/dhsgov/status/2019578762262647130?s=46">arrest</a> of a &#8220;woman&#8221; who &#8220;was our neighbor” early Thursday morning. That &#8220;woman,&#8221; however, was Kyle Wagner — a cross-dressing man known publicly as “Antifa Kyle,” who allegedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-nab-crossdressing-antifa-terrorist-who-threatened-to-kill-ice-officers-in-minneapolis?utm_content=16784587&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter&amp;utm_source=iterable">threatened</a> “to assault, kill, and doxx officers” in Minneapolis.
“This morning, you know, so early, dozens of my neighbors were woken up because ICE agents broke down an apartment building’s door, and two dozen agents went in and arrested a woman that was our neighbor and it’s just — we’re continuing to experience tragedy after tragedy,” said Chughtai, the &#8220;first Muslim woman&#8221; to serve on the Minneapolis City Council, according to a <a href="https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/city-council/members/ward-10/about-aisha-chughtai/">government website</a>.
The Democrat city council member failed to disclose that the “woman” was cross-dressing, self-proclaimed “Antifa Kyle,” and that law enforcement was carrying out an arrest warrant.
Chughtai told the council she had been on the scene. Her afternoon remarks were a follow-up to earlier remarks she made on social media platform <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/aishaforward10.com/post/3me4gge6shc2p">Bluesky</a>.
“I’m on the scene at Franklin and 1st. A convoy of about a couple dozen ICE/HSI agents broke the entryway into an apartment building at 6am. No warrant presented. Less than 24 hours ago, Tom Homan announced the end of large convoys in Minnesota… B*LLS*IT.”
The Daily Wire contacted the Department of Justice regarding Chughtai’s claim that the arrest was made without a warrant and obtained both a copy of Wagner’s arrest warrant and a court-presented video showing Antifa Kyle spitting on a federal agent.
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The Daily Wire obtained a copy of ANTIFA Kyle’s arrest warrant as well as a video of appearing to spit on an agent.
This is the “woman who was our neighbor” that Chughtai described. <a href="https://t.co/AwhyXvMhIM">pic.twitter.com/AwhyXvMhIM</a>
— Brecca Stoll (@breccastoll) <a href="https://twitter.com/breccastoll/status/2019888906204741690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Wagner’s arrest follows a series of alarming social media videos. After the killing of Alex Pretti, Wagner posted a video encouraging his followers to take up arms on the streets of Minneapolis.
“Show up ready to go. Not talking about peaceful protests anymore,” Wagner said, calling on people to “march … with guns” and saying, “the Second Amendment is the only thing that’s going to keep you f*cking protected from literal f*cking Nazi gunmen.”
“Get your f*cking guns, and stop these f*cking people,” he added.
Wagner then made a subsequent video requesting “large sums of money” from his followers. He told his audience the link to his Venmo was in his Instagram profile and that the money would go to his emergency freedom and defense fund.
“I’m not going to tell you what I’m spending my money on,” Wagner added. “I’m not gonna tell you why I need you to give me large sums of money right now. I just want you to understand that this is an actual guerrilla war in our streets now. They’re using live ammunition to kill our citizens. I need everyone to show up, fully prepared — whatever that means to you — to whatever degree you can.”
In other videos, Wagner was seen wearing women’s clothing. Clad in a red spaghetti-strap dress, hoop earrings, and heeled boots, he said, “I do this all year, all the time. I do this for me … I like to get real clean and pretty and go out and shoot pool or get dinner and go dance.”
Council Member Aisha Chughtai did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for an updated comment on the arrest.

Kyle Wagner

Democrat Cries ‘Tragedy’ After Watching ICE Arrest Antifa-Linked Suspect Accused Of Wanting To Kill Cops

Antifa

Crime

U.S.

The following is an edited transcript excerpt of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1906-libs-in-minneapolis-create-their-own-border-patrol?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
* * *
Liberals in Minnesota have had it with ICE raids and Border Patrol, so they’ve decided to take matters into their own hands with a novel plan to keep the people they don’t want out of their communities.
They are, quite literally, creating a system to control who comes and goes.
In the middle of the road at 32nd and Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, activists erected a makeshift roadblock, turning the intersection into a roundabout. Cars slowed as drivers noticed. Some honked, others asked questions. One man even brought food for the people standing watch.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Minneapolis roadblock created as safety measure against ICE, residents say" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kpxvfub-gHA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Credit: @WCCO &#8211; CBS Minnesota/YouTube.com
When asked how it felt to see a community checkpoint in his neighborhood, one local shrugged it off. It felt “fine,” he said. He didn’t have any trouble with people “helping out.”
<blockquote>Wade Haynes has been standing at that corner twice a day for one reason: to stand up against ICE activity and “keep his community safe.” He chose that corner. Others chose other intersections. He found it inspiring. “Wow,” he said. “We’ve got folks out there who are kind of taking care of us, looking out for us.”</blockquote>
Taking care of them? Looking out for them?
Some might say policing their communities.
And the way they’re doing it is by erecting structures in the street on the corners — stopping points. Some might even call them “borders,” staffed by people who check to make sure that only the right people get into the community, and that the people they don’t want stay out.
Many people, including some on the Right, have questioned President Trump’s tactics in Minneapolis. But you can’t argue with results — and the results of the Minneapolis raids are that Trump got anti-ICE liberals to invent Border Patrol.
That’s the beautiful part.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1906-libs-in-minneapolis-create-their-own-border-patrol?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
Trump actually trolled the Minneapolis Left into reinventing everything they claim to oppose: border patrol, wall checkpoints, cops, enforcement. “We need our own ICE to deport these ICE agents,” they cry, without a trace of irony.
This is what always seems to happen when utopians on the Left — of all stripes — dream up their perfect society.
They start by declaring that society as it exists is no good:
<blockquote>We’ve got markets. We’ve got people making money. We’ve got private property. We’ve got exploitation — we don’t want any of that, man! 
So what are we going to do? We’re going to move to a commune. A farm in the middle of nowhere. It’s going to be beautiful — not like this city, not like this town. We’re going to live together in harmony. Some people are going to grow the food. Some people are going to bake the bread. Some people are going to watch the kids. It’s going to be amazing. We’re going to have a diversity of labor.</blockquote>
Oh, you mean we’re going to have a market economy?
<blockquote>Well, yeah, but this time it will be perfect. And we’re all going to take care of each other, man.</blockquote>
Oh, you mean like police?
<blockquote>Yeah, man.</blockquote>
And so, without realizing it, they invent society as it has always existed — just with the assumption that this time, they’ll do it right.
<blockquote>That’s the problem with our society, they say. We just didn’t do it right.</blockquote>
And now, in Minneapolis, they’ve reinvented Border Patrol.
It’s so beautiful.
So I say: take them at their word.
Yes, we do need people to keep our communities safe. 
Yes, we do need checkpoints to keep the people we don’t want out. 
Yes, we do need a group of people to take care of the community.
If that’s what they believe, then flood Minneapolis with even more ICE agents, Mr. President.

Federal Agents Descend On Minneapolis For Immigration Enforcement Operations

Minneapolis Liberals Invent Their Own Border Patrol

Border Patrol

Communism

Democrats

Leftists

Michael Knowles

Opinion

Alex Pretti died amid a breakdown of public order in Minneapolis, where local authorities — just as they did in 2020 — allowed unrest to steadily escalate without effective intervention.
We’ll never know exactly what went wrong in the chaotic melee of organized harassment, noise, and obstruction of federal agents by bodies and vehicles in Minneapolis. But the circumstances were there, day after day, that made serious injury or death inevitable at some point. If not Pretti, then someone else.
Senior federal officials made assertions about Pretti’s intent before waiting for the full facts. Meanwhile, the national media instantly presented him as a hapless observer expressing his free speech rights, ruthlessly gunned down by out-of-control agents. A more complicated picture emerged later, with <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/new-video-appears-to-show-alex-pretti-interaction-with-ice-officers-over-a-week-before-his-death/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!1YWglO78AoKLMmCbIp5LYqidTnqAKyS7FBZyDlg1tU-Sndjw0XJyRSPD1VXk0ps5dvD4NajfhN3cuENrujMsSSHEfFA$">video</a> of Pretti some days earlier spitting on a DHS car and kicking out the taillights. Independent reporting also revealed national <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/us-news/heres-whos-really-behind-the-minneapolis-ice-resistance-movement/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!1YWglO78AoKLMmCbIp5LYqidTnqAKyS7FBZyDlg1tU-Sndjw0XJyRSPD1VXk0ps5dvD4NajfhN3cuENrujMsTAbAYVE$">funding</a> and <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/minnesota-signal-gate-did-lt-134523155.html__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!1YWglO78AoKLMmCbIp5LYqidTnqAKyS7FBZyDlg1tU-Sndjw0XJyRSPD1VXk0ps5dvD4NajfhN3cuENrujMsMiUYchA$">organization</a> of the supposedly organic and local anti-ICE protests.
Politicians in Washington opportunistically pounced on this premise to attack DHS funding.
With the chaos on the ground, it’s easy to lose track of the big picture. The strategy of the Left, led by its most extreme activists but now supported by mainstream elected officials, is to neuter or end enforcement of immigration law inside the country.
Gone are the days of Bill Clinton, who signed a 1996 law that increased penalties for entering the United States illegally and made it easier to deport illegal aliens. Even Obama mostly accepted his duty to enforce United States immigration law, admitting that he couldn’t wave a magic wand and allow every illegal alien to stay.
Joe Biden’s presidency changed all that. Emboldened by their success under Obama with DACA and other measures to weaken enforcement, and unrestrained by Biden’s out-to-lunch management, Left-wing activists went to town.
Catch-and-release at the border, unlawful mass parole, and billions of taxpayer dollars to grease the machinery brought millions into the country over four years.
Back in office, Trump quickly shut down the open border. Things got stickier when it came to interior enforcement to carry out the deportations ordered by immigration judges after due process. In states where local law enforcement honored ICE detainers, criminal aliens could be picked up safely inside government facilities. In “sanctuary” jurisdictions — which include many major United States cities — it was extremely difficult.
The Trump administration chose to go in hard, with high-visibility arrests in resistant Democrat-run cities that energized his base voters but made uncomfortable viewing for many Americans who want law enforcement but don’t like seeing how it sometimes must be done.
The legacy media would have you believe that the Pretti shooting changed people’s minds in Washington and led Democrats to call for defunding ICE — and even some Republicans question continued funding without certain changes. But don’t be fooled — even before Minneapolis, immigration activists and the politicians they elected did not accept the deportation of any foreign national, whatever the law said or the courts decided.
If you asked the protesters in Minneapolis whether any alien should ever be deported from the United States, and if so, for what reasons, I doubt they would admit to any. “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.wpaonline.org/black-female-leaders-in-the-criminal-justice-reform-movement/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!1YWglO78AoKLMmCbIp5LYqidTnqAKyS7FBZyDlg1tU-Sndjw0XJyRSPD1VXk0ps5dvD4NajfhN3cuENrujMsDWhzCXI$">Abolitionists</a>” on the Left want to end criminal justice as we know it, and that includes immigration law.
Minnesota politicians like Tim Walz and Jacob Frey speak of all migrants as “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/minneapolis-protests-and-the-role-of-state-controlled-national-guard/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!1YWglO78AoKLMmCbIp5LYqidTnqAKyS7FBZyDlg1tU-Sndjw0XJyRSPD1VXk0ps5dvD4NajfhN3cuENrujMsBZuKjpA$">neighbors</a>,” and “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/doj-launches-investigation-into-walz-frey-for-allegedly-impeding-law-enforcement-minnesota-minneapolis-ice-shooting-renee-nicole-good__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!1YWglO78AoKLMmCbIp5LYqidTnqAKyS7FBZyDlg1tU-Sndjw0XJyRSPD1VXk0ps5dvD4NajfhN3cuENrujMssic7YgU$">fellow Minnesotans</a>,” as if those are attributes conveyed simply by physical, and not legal, presence. They do not accept a distinction between legal and illegal aliens.
Indeed, that is now the underlying philosophy of the “progressive” Left. They believe everyone should be allowed to enter the country and apply for asylum, and that even those unqualified should not be deported. They want all the “newcomers” to be able to tap into federal welfare programs. (And if they commit fraud to get benefits to which they are not entitled, we should go easy on them because to prosecute non-Europeans for crime is “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.ilcm.org/latest-news/targeted-ice-enforcement-of-somali-community-in-minnesota-is-racist-and-islamophobic/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!1YWglO78AoKLMmCbIp5LYqidTnqAKyS7FBZyDlg1tU-Sndjw0XJyRSPD1VXk0ps5dvD4NajfhN3cuENrujMspQSBMJc$">racist” or “Islamophobic</a>”).
In Minneapolis, hundreds of people, led by well-funded political activists, are deliberately pushing the envelope of free speech beyond protest into physical action.
What is their goal? It is not to be heard, because everyone knows their views. It is not to have a conversation, because they are aware that the tactical-level agents they confront have no authority to stop operations.
The goal is to intimidate the federal government to stop enforcing laws in Minneapolis — to nullify federal law. The physical confrontations are designed to provoke a reaction — ideally not lethal, but some photogenic verbal or violent response to elicit sympathy. Whistles, screaming, throwing objects, blocking roads, and insulting armed officers at close range are orchestrated mayhem with a purpose.
In Minneapolis, the tactics may have worked, for now. President Trump may have concluded that the political benefit of urban confrontations is outweighed by the risk of defections from vulnerable Republicans and the alienation of swing voters marinating in mainstream media.
Political reality often outweighs objective truth and black-letter law. Trump’s border has been a massive success. And while the battle over interior enforcement isn’t over, in Minneapolis, the open-borders Left won a skirmish.
* * *
Simon Hankinson is a senior research fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center and author of “The Ten Woke Commandments (You Must Not Obey)” from Academica Books.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
This article has been edited for clarity.

US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING

How The Left Turned Minneapolis Into A Test Case For Nullifying Immigration Law

Heritage Foundation

Federal authorities arrested <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crossdressing-antifa-leader-who-incited-violence-in-minneapolis-kicked-off-venmo-instagram">Kyle Wagner</a>, a crossdressing Antifa &#8220;terrorist&#8221; who allegedly threatened &#8220;to assault, kill and doxx officers&#8221; in Minneapolis, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Thursday.
&#8220;The Justice Department with @ICEgov HSI arrested a self-identified anti-ICE Antifa TERRORIST in Minneapolis today. Conspire and threaten to assault, kill and doxx officers, and you’ll find yourself in federal custody facing the full force of justice,&#8221; Blanche said in an X post.
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The Justice Department with <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICEgov</a> HSI arrested a self-identified anti-ICE Antifa TERRORIST in Minneapolis today. Conspire and threaten to assault, kill and doxx officers, and you’ll find yourself in federal custody facing the full force of justice. <a href="https://t.co/xGvKs5IpCH">pic.twitter.com/xGvKs5IpCH</a>
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2019438401762513052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Following the fatal shooting of anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Wagner allegedly told his followers to take up arms and attack law enforcement.
“Show up ready to go. Not talking about peaceful protests anymore,” Wagner said, calling on people to “march…with guns” and saying “the Second Amendment is the only thing that’s going to keep you f*cking protected from literal f*cking Nazi gunmen.”
“Get your f*cking guns, and stop these f*cking people,” he added.
Wagner was also seen in videos wearing women&#8217;s clothing. In one video, he traded his tactical wear for a red spaghetti-strap dress, hoop earrings, and heeled boots.
“I do this all year, all the time,” he said. “I do this for me … I like to get real clean and pretty and go out and shoot pool or get dinner and go dance.”
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BREAKING: Antifa leader in Minneapolis Kyle Wagner has been taken off <a href="https://twitter.com/instagram?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@instagram</a>. Earlier today he was taken off <a href="https://twitter.com/Venmo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Venmo</a>.
He had been using the platform to incite violence against ICE agents, raise money to fund riots. Nice to see reason prevail. <a href="https://t.co/ErZJNpkykR">pic.twitter.com/ErZJNpkykR</a>
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentScher/status/2015892824504332303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The self-described Antifa member also begged his followers for cash.
“My link to my Venmo is in my bio,” he said. “It’s an emergency freedom and defense fund.”
“I’m not going to tell you what I’m spending my money on,” Wagner added. “I’m not gonna tell you why I need you to give me large sums of money right now. I just want you to understand that this is an actual guerrilla war in our streets now. They’re using live ammunition to kill our citizens. I need everyone to show up, fully prepared — whatever that means to you — to whatever degree you can.”
His Venmo account was soon flooded with supporters who sent notes reading “For protecting women and children” and “Give them hell.”
Wagner&#8217;s Instagram account was subsequently deleted, and he was also removed from Facebook and TikTok.

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Feds Nab Crossdressing Antifa ‘Terrorist’ Who Threatened To Kill ICE Officers In Minneapolis

Feds Nab Crossdressing Antifa 'Terrorist' Who Threatened To Kill ICE Officers In Minneapolis

Department of Justice

Pam Bondi

The Minneapolis City Council refused to renew the liquor licenses for two downtown hotels, the Canopy by Hilton and the Renaissance Hotel at the Depot, after a contentious debate over reports that the hotels may be housing ICE agents. 
The council voted to hold the licenses for another cycle, delaying a final decision until a future meeting after public comment. Earlier this week, city council member Aisha Chughtai argued that automatically renewing the licenses would go against public safety.
“These are two hotels that have contracts with the federal government that allows for housing of federal agents as they are coming in and while they are here during their stay,” she said. 
“Now, let’s talk about why a liquor license renewal is attached to ICE agents staying at a hotel. What we’re seeing happen in real time in hotels that have these types of contracts with the federal government is at night when agents come back from their like being out and about and you know beating people up and separating families and abducting people for fun all day. They drink heavily at the bar and have weapons on them … that is a like real danger to public safety in our community, and so necessitates us having further conversations to try to figure out how we can ensure greater public safety for the residents we serve.” 
During the discussion, council members asked city attorney Quinn O’Reilly to explain the council’s legal obligations regarding liquor license renewals. O’Reilly said the request for renewals was sent to the council for approval because city staff had determined both hotels were in compliance with all liquor licensing laws and regulations, making them eligible for renewal under existing rules. 
Following that explanation, several council members pushed back in favor of immediately renewing the licenses. 
Council member Warren said, “This just smells real discriminatory to me. I booked hotels, and they just asked me when I’m checking in, when I’m checking out, and how can I pay … our downtown business district has suffered enough disenfranchisement through all of the closing of buildings, buildings selling for pennies on the dollar. We don’t have time to be playing around in people’s faces with foolishness.” 
Council member Vetaw echoed Warren’s concerns, adding she did not understand why the council would not go ahead and renew the licenses that met legal requirements. 
Committee chair Aurin Chowdhury, who brought forward the motion, said extensive constituent outreach and concerns about worker and public safety drove the decision. “When there are hotels that are a part of our beloved hospitality community, putting them in danger, putting their workers in danger, I think that accountability is 100% warranted,” Chowdhury said. She added that by not immediately renewing the liquor license, the council is “nation-leading right now.” 
“It’s wild to me that multi-million, billion dollar corporations in hospitality can just like sit aside and not answer for it.”
Another council member warned that it wasn’t just the hotels that would suffer from this damage, but the very constituents the council works to protect. 
“Both hotels are now losing a lot of money … I just want you to remember how much they [hotels] have suffered. And really, it’s their employees because they’re laying people off. So the very people that we try to protect are getting laid off because of the damage and the problems that are befalling these hotels by the protesters.” 
When Chowdhury moved the council to a vote, five council members voted to renew the license, and nine council members did not vote for renewal. 
After the vote, council member Jamal Osman asked to add remarks to the record, defending the protesters. “I do want to thank the people that we’re calling agitators. They’re fighting for our people. They [are] out there in the cold, sniffing a gas, dealing with all kind of stuff. People die and lost their lives because of us. Because of us immigrants. Someone like me, someone like Chavez (another council member) &#8230; These people are our heroes.” 
The council will meet again on February 17th, after a public comment period, to revisit its decision.

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Minneapolis City Council Refused To Renew Liquor Licenses For ICE-Linked Hotels

Protests

The so-called consensus surrounding “gender transitions” for minors begins to unravel, border czar Tom Homan announces a &#8220;drawdown&#8221; of federal immigration officers from Minneapolis, and talks teeter between Washington and Tehran while tensions with Beijing appear to be calming.
It’s Thursday, February 5, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Medical Groups Walk Back Support For Child Trans Surgeries</h2>
In the wake of a landmark detransitioner verdict, the support of transgender surgeries for minors appears to be crumbling. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the largest association of plastic surgeons in the world, said that available evidence does not support trans surgeries for gender-confused kids, and also said there was “insufficient” evidence for placing children on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. The statement was unique among major medical groups and associations. Essentially, all support these surgeries and treatments for minors despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocking-details-emerge-in-landmark-2-million-trans-malpractice-judgment?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Shocking+Details+Emerge+In+Landmark+%242+Million+%E2%80%98Trans%E2%80%99+Malpractice+Judgment">mounting</a> evidence that shows them to be harmful and irreversible. Following the ASPS, the American Medical Association, which wields major influence as the nation’s largest medical association, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-major-medical-group-reverses-course-on-trans-surgeries-for-minors?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Major+Medical+Group+Reverses+Course+On+Trans+Surgeries+For+Minors">reversed</a> course, too. The AMA told National Review that it “agrees” with the ASPS that “surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood.” The statement is a huge shift for the AMA.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Minneapolis Drawdown</h2>
Border czar Tom Homan has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homan-strikes-deal-in-minnesota-yanks-hundreds-of-immigration-officers">announced</a> a “drawdown” of hundreds of federal immigration officers from Minneapolis. Seven hundred federal immigration officers and agents left the Twin Cities area on Wednesday. Homan said the force reduction is the result of deals with “an unprecedented number of counties” to “allow ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets.” The reduction will leave 2,000 federal immigration agents in Minnesota, along with the teams working on fraud investigations. Homan insisted that the Trump administration isn’t “surrendering” its mass deportation campaign. “This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement. This is safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien,” said Homan.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Iran Talks Teeter On Scope Of Negotiations</h2>
Talks between Washington and Tehran may be on the verge of collapse after Iranian attacks on U.S. ships. Washington and Tehran are still on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+U.S.+Shoots+Down+Iranian+Drone+That+Threatened+Aircraft+Carrier">track</a> for a meeting on Friday. But it’s been a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-shoots-down-iranian-drone-after-it-aggressively-approached-uss-abraham-lincoln">messy</a> ride. The two sides were supposed to meet in Turkey, but Iran’s foreign minister said Wednesday that talks will now take place in Oman. There are also significant questions over the scope of the negotiations. Iran wants to focus on its nuclear program. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/02/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-at-a-press-availability/">told</a> reporters on Wednesday that in order for talks to “lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things” – such as Iran’s nuclear program, but also ballistic missiles, Iran’s sponsorship of terror groups across the region, and the treatment of the Iranian people.

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Morning Brief: Doctors Pull Back On Trans Kids, Minnesota ICE ‘Drawdown,’ & Iran Talks Teeter

American Medical Association

Iran

Morning Wire

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United States

President Donald Trump admitted that his immigration enforcement efforts may need a &#8220;softer touch&#8221; following the two recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Trump made the statement during a Wednesday interview with NBC News&#8217; Tom Llamas, who asked what the president learned from the situation in Minneapolis.
“I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;But you still have to be tough. These are criminals. We’re dealing with really hard criminals.&#8221;
&#8220;But look, I’ve called the people. I’ve called the governor. I’ve called the mayor, spoke to him, had great conversations with him, and then I see them ranting and raving out there, literally, as though a call wasn’t made,&#8221; he said.
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Tom <a href="https://twitter.com/LlamasNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LlamasNBC</a>: “Mr. President, speaking of Minneapolis, what did you learn?”
Trump: “I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough. These are criminals. We’re dealing with really hard criminals. But look, I’ve called the people.… <a href="https://t.co/7316884uBM">pic.twitter.com/7316884uBM</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/2019144618093293796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Trump sent his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minneapolis last week to replace then-Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who was known for his aggressive and showy approach to immigration raids. Bovino has since returned to his role as the Border Patrol chief of the El Centro sector in California.
Homan took over the operation after the fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Homan has implemented a more targeted approach to enforcement by prioritizing the arrests of the worst criminals. While that&#8217;s the new focus in Minneapolis, the former ICE chief said during a press conference Wednesday that it doesn&#8217;t mean anyone whose sole crime is being in the country illegally is off the table.
Homan also announced a &#8220;draw down&#8221; of 700 federal immigration authorities from the Twin Cities following the brokering of a deal between an &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; number of local jurisdictions to allow ICE into jails.
“We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets, unprecedented cooperation. And I’ll say it again, this is efficient, it requires only one or two officers to assume custody of a criminal alien target rather than eight or ten officers going into the community and arresting that public safety threat,” Homan said.
“More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails, means less officers on the street doing criminal operations. This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement. This is safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien,” he said.
The &#8220;draw down,&#8221; he said, doesn&#8217;t mean the Trump administration is “surrendering” its mass deportation campaign.

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Trump Says Mass Deportation Campaign Could Use ‘Softer Touch’ After Minneapolis Shootings

The Department of Homeland Security says The New York Times denied a request to buy a full-page ad highlighting notable ICE arrests in Minnesota — and that no specific reason for the rejection was provided.
The ad would have included 30 mugshots of individuals arrested in Operation Metro Surge, specifically those with additional criminal convictions ranging from domestic violence to rape and homicide.
“These are some of the 10,000 criminals ICE law enforcement has risked their lives to arrest in Minnesota,” the proposed advertisement stated in all capital letters.
“Sanctuary cities like Minneapolis protect criminals instead of handing them over,” it continued, with a tagline that read, “ICE saves innocent lives.”
The Daily Wire reviewed January 26 emails between Homeland Security and a media placement service the department works with regarding the ad buy request, in which the agency wrote that the NYT said that they were &#8220;not able to accept the ad in its current form.” When the agency requested a letter on official letterhead explaining the reason the ad was not acceptable, that request was also denied and the agency was instead informed that feedback was usually provided through email.
The Times noted that it gets a high number of ads submitted daily, and each usually takes the paper &#8220;one or two business days to fully review.&#8221; As of this publication, Homeland Security has yet to receive a justification for the rejection. The Daily Wire also reached out to the New York Times for comment.
In recent weeks, Operation Metro Surge sent resources and personnel into the Minneapolis area, resulting in thousands of arrests, as anti-ICE protests have ratcheted up in the region. ICE operations have been underway nationwide throughout the country since President Donald Trump took office last January.
&#8220;The media&#8217;s blackout is undeniable: they refuse to report on the vital work ICE is doing to remove dangerous public safety threats—murderers, rapists, gang members, and child predators—from Minneapolis streets and communities nationwide,&#8221; Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;The New York Times won&#8217;t even run a straightforward ad showing the violent criminals that our brave law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to deport. The New York Times deliberate suppression of public safety information should outrage every American,&#8221; McLaughlin added. &#8220;When the press shields heinous offenders while ignoring or downplaying the officers protecting us, it betrays the public trust and endangers lives.&#8221;
The protests, which surged after the shootings of Alex Pretti, have Democrats calling for major reforms to be made to ICE and Border Patrol. The Daily Wire reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and numerous other Democrats want the Trump administration to switch from administrative to judicial warrants, which could seriously limit the number of arrests that ICE is able to make.
The New York Times has made headlines in the past over full-page ads it has chosen to run, including one from an 80-year-old man writing a letter titled &#8220;A PLEA FOR DONALD TRUMP TO RESIGN,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/grant-grissom-ad-new-york-times-trump-20250304.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia Inquirer</a>.
Last June, Walmart heiress Christy Walton asked Americans to &#8220;mobilize&#8221; in the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protests against Trump, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-christy-walton-ad-no-kings-nyt-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a> reported. That same month, The Onion took out an ad slamming Congress and the Trump administration, saying &#8220;Congress, Now More Than Ever The Nation Needs Your Cowardice.”
In 2007, MoveOn.org ran an ad during the Bush administration with &#8220;General Petraeus or General Betray Us?&#8221; as a criticism of the Iraq War.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Holds News Conference

New York Times Rejects Full Page Ad Buy From Trump Admin Highlighting ICE Arrests

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