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Live, down to earth, unscripted interviews that aim to connect, inform and entertain. Real people share real stories with MPR News host Nina Moini. It’s journalism that doesn’t take itself too seriously and puts people first.
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This weekend, ICE agents broke through the front door of a U.S. citizen and detained him at gunpoint. Photos spread online of the man being led from his home with little clothing to protect from the freezing cold. We have details on that story.Protesters interrupted a church service Sunday at a church where one pastor leads the St. Paul ICE Field Office. The U.S. Department of Justice is now investigating for potential violations of two laws. We talked with an expert about the FACE Act and the KKK Act. We learned about Camp East Montana, the ICE detention center where a Minnesota man died last week.And State Senator John Hoffman sat down with politics editor Brian Bakst for his first interview since being attacked in June.
Immigrant and legal rights groups are calling for the federal government to close the nation’s largest immigration detention center. Three people have died in custody at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. That includes Victor Manuel Diaz, who was arrested in Minneapolis and died at the detention center on Jan. 14. ICE officials believe his death was a suicide, according to a press release, but it's under investigation.Attorneys in Minnesota said many of their clients who have been taken into ICE custody recently have been sent to Camp East Montana, sometimes within hours of arrest. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Washington Post reporter Douglas MacMillan, who has been covering the detention center since before it opened in August.
The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul on Sunday.Dozens of protesters entered Cities Church. One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, leads the St. Paul ICE field office. Leading the protest was civil rights lawyer and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. The Department of Justice said it is looking at violations of what’s called the FACE Act. It’s also looking to at the possibility of charging journalist Don Lemon, who was reporting on the protest, with the KKK Act. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Jane Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota, to explain these two federal laws.
Federal immigration agents forced open a door and detained a U.S. citizen in his Minnesota home at gunpoint without a warrant, then led him out onto the streets in his underwear in subfreezing conditions, according to his family and videos reviewed by The Associated Press.ChongLy “Scott” Thao told the AP that his daughter-in-law woke him up from a nap Sunday afternoon and said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were banging at the door of his residence in St. Paul. He told her not to open it. Masked agents then forced their way in and pointed guns at the family, yelling at themMPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Sahan Journal reporter Katelyn Vue, who had a chance to talk to Scott.
We're following a second shooting by a federal agent in Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security said the man who was shot and wounded in the leg was fleeing agents. It led to protests with chemicals deployed by law enforcement last night. President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to what he said would put an end to protests in the state. We learn the legal ins and outs of the Insurrection Act.And the family of Renee Macklin Good, the woman who was killed by an ICE officer last week, has hired a lawyer for an independent civil investigation of her death. Plus, we learn about how businesses and a church are responding to the flood of ICE agents to Minnesota.
Renee Macklin Good's parents, siblings and widow have hired the same law firm that represented the family of George Floyd. Their civil attorney Antonio Romanucci said his firm is launching a civil investigation into Good’s death after she was shot and killed by an ICE agent in south Minneapolis last week. Lauren Bonds is the executive director of the National Police Accountability Project. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what the family's legal path could look like.
President Donald Trump threatened on social media Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to stop resistance to ICE activity in Minnesota. United States presidents have used the act about 30 times in the past, according to NPR. The most recent was in 1992. That year, President George H.W. Bush invoked the law to quell riots in Los Angeles after four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. Trump has talked before about using the law to support immigration enforcement. For perspective on the law, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with University of Minnesota law professor Ilan Wurman, who specializes in Constitutional law and presidential power.
Since federal immigration enforcement began in December, mutual aid networks have popped up across the state to support immigrant families. A church in south Minneapolis has been a hub for delivering groceries. DHH church serves primarily Hispanic families. But their community has grown. In total, they’ve delivered 12,000 boxes of groceries over about six weeks. They have more than 20,000 families registered to receive food. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Senior Pastor Sergio Amezcua.
On Wednesday a federal agent shot and wounded a man who the Department of Homeland Security said was fleeing federal officers in north Minneapolis. DHS said the officer fired a defensive shot because he was "ambushed and attacked" and feared for his life. That happened exactly a week after the deadly shooting of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE agent in south Minneapolis. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with MPR's Estelle Timar-Wilcox to cover what is known about the shooting, and Dymanh Chhoun, a multimedia journalist at Sahan Journal, who spent the evening in north Minneapolis as protests erupted following the shooting. Also hear from Democrat State Sen. Bobby Joe Champion was also on the scene last night and live streaming what he saw.
Wednesday morning, people gathered at a vigil for Renee Macklin Good, a week after she was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. And the U.S. Department of Justice response to her death led six federal prosecutors in the state to resign. Owners of child care centers said they've faced safety concerns since the release of a viral video alleging daycare fraud. We talked with two in St. Paul who are asking the city for help.Plus, we talked to a Minneapolis city council member who is calling for an eviction moratorium during the ICE and Border Patrol operations. Social media feeds are full of videos of ICE encounters. Some are real and some are AI generated. We hear expert advice on how to tell the difference.
Childcare leaders in St. Paul said childcare centers are facing escalating safety threats. And now, they’re calling on the city to provide clarity on what officials and police can do to keep childcare settings safe. The escalation follows the release of a video in December by content creator Nick Shirley, making yet-proven claims about fraud at childcare centers. And now, the immigration operation is having an impact too. A spokesperson for St. Paul Police told MPR News in a statement that here have been no threats or incidents occurring at child care centers in Saint Paul.“The safety of our children is of the upmost importance to us. We encourage community members to contact us immediately if they suspect suspicious activity.”MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Maria Snider, the vice president of the Minnesota Child Care Association and a director of a child care center in St. Paul as well as Dawn Uribe, CEO and owner of Mis Amigos Preschool, which has four Twin Cities locations, including one in St. Paul.
With federal agents in the streets, some Minneapolis council members said residents are reporting they can’t safely go to work and pay rent. With increased federal law enforcement presence in the Twin Cities since December first, city leaders say the bills are piling up for people. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Minneapolis council member Robin Wonsley, who represents the eastern part of the city, to discuss this and other ripple effects of the immigration operation.
It's been one week since an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Macklin Good in south Minneapolis. Community members are keeping up a growing memorial at the intersection of 34th Street and Portland Avenue South. Local activists and faith leaders met there Wednesday morning for a three-hour vigil. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox, who was present at the vigil.
Minnesota Now continues to cover escalating encounters between immigration law enforcement and Minnesotans. We have team coverage from MPR News, tracking all aspects of this operation. Including an on-the-ground report from our journalists documenting ICE.We talked with people who have had various encounters with immigrations agents, including two observers who were detained for more than eight hours and a Somali American Uber driver who went viral for his confrontation with border patrol. We also heard from an expert from the ACLU about what to do if you encounter ICE. Plus, a woman shares her experience being pulled over by ICE and how an observer on the sidewalk helped her remain calm during the intense experience.
Minnesota Now spoke to Minnesotans who have had encounters with federal law enforcement. Listen to hear the stories of a mom pulled over by ICE on the way to drop kids off at school, a Somali Uber driver questioned by Customs and Border Patrol and observers who were detained for eight hours.
More and more Minnesotans are having escalating encounters with federal law enforcement agents.South Minneapolis residents Patty O'Keefe and Brandon Sigüenza had an encounter with ICE agents after observing the agents from their car and shared their experience. MPR News host Nina Moini then spoke to ACLU Minnesota attorney Ian Bratile about how to legally handle interactions with federal immigration agents.
On Minnesota Now this week, we're checking in with our journalists on the ground who are trying to get a handle on immigration operations. On Tuesday morning, ICE agents took two people into custody and used chemical irritants on a crowd in south Minneapolis. The incident occurred a block from where an agent killed Renee Macklin Good. MPR News photojournalist Ben Hovland was at the scene, and he joined host Nina Moini with more.
Minnesota Now is continuing to follow reports of ICE and Border Patrol agents stopping and detaining people in the Twin Cities region. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem more agents are being deployed to join at least two thousand who are already in Minnesota. MPR News photojournalist Ben Hovland shared what he saw as he reported in the field. Reporter Matt Sepic broke down a case where agents entered a home without a warrant signed by a judge. We talked to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. And we checked in with an attorney defending people who have been detained. Plus, an investigative journalist explained how ICE is using technology to track people. We also heard excerpts from Monday’s 9 a.m. show, MPR News with Angela Davis. A therapist shared insight for living through intense emotions and listeners called in with their experiences.
Immigration enforcement has ramped up in Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security says at least 2,000 ICE agents are in the state. In addition, Customs and Border Patrol agents are here arresting people. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said over the weekend that hundreds more agents would join them. As these agencies ramp up their activity in Minnesota, reports of detainments are almost too much to keep up with. David Wilson is an immigration attorney with Wilson Law Group. He joined Minnesota Now with Nina Moini to talk about what he’s seeing with immigration cases.
The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that federal agents have arrested more than 2,000 people in Minnesota since the start of December. MPR News has received many reports of encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents, along with questions about who will hold federal agents accountable for illegal activity, racial profiling and use-of-force incidents. After an ICE officer killed Renee Macklin Good last week, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz have told the agencies to leave. To find out what actions state and local leaders may take to limit ICE and Border Patrol activity in the region, MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
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