LIVE UPDATES | ICE in Minnesota: Feds claim ICE is being 'stalked' by observers, protesters

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota continues on Thursday, with updates provided by ICE officials, Vice President JD Vance and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

This comes as the Trump administration claims the State of Minnesota is not cooperating with federal immigration officials. However, Minnesota officials argue otherwise. State prison leaders say they always coordinate with ICE when releasing inmates. 

Watch FOX 9 live in the player above. For additional coverage, including of live events, watch the player below. 

Find live updates on ICE operations in Minnesota below. 

1:35 p.m. - Vice President Vance speaks on ICE operations in MN

Vice President JD Vance came to Minnesota for a round table and then showed his support for ICE employees. He said state and local officials, along with protesters, are making it harder for ICE to enforce immigration laws. 

He called for cooperation with ICE from local and state officials, and said the "chaos would go way down" in the Twin Cities. 

Vance said right now, he does not believe the Insurrection Act is needed. But if things get worse, "that would be a real problem." President Donald Trump has threatened to institute the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.

Vance said ICE's focus is on Minneapolis, which has more people who are in the United States illegally and where more ICE officials are getting "assaulted." 

Local officials have blamed ICE's tactics for escalating protests in the Twin Cities. When asked about this, Vance said they are doing "everything they can to lower the temperature" and they would appreciate state and local officials to come "halfway." He said this is the consequence when a local government makes the decision to not cooperate with immigration enforcement operations. 

"We're seeing this level of chaos only in Minneapolis," Vance said, noting they believe this problem is unique to Minneapolis because local and state governments have decided not to cooperate with federal officials. 

Vance said he has not spoken with Gov. Tim Walz on this trip to Minnesota. 

Read more about his visit here. 

12:50 p.m. - AG consumer alert for crowdfunding for people impacted by ICE activity in MN

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued an alert for people donating to crowdfunding efforts to help people impacted by ICE activity in Minnesota, and people fundraising money and goods to help others. Ellison's office is reminder people to do their research before donating on sites like GoFundMe to ensure the cause is authentic and will go to the cause you are intending to donate to. 

Those fundraising through GoFundMe and social media, the AG's office is reminding people there are laws and duties that could be triggered by the activity. Raising money to benefit a specific named individual, business, or family is not "charitable" under the law, according to a press release. 

You can read additional tips here.

Noon - Cities Church responds to arrest of protesters

Attorneys representing Cities Church in St. Paul, which was interrupted on Sunday by anti-ICE protesters, released a statement following the arrests of several people involved. 

READ MORE: Minnesota church protest: Activists to be released from custody, supporters say

Statement from Renee Carlson, General Counsel for True North Legal:

"The Constitution and federal law protect people who gather in peace to worship God, which was exactly what Cities Church was doing January 18. Families go to church for hope, not fear. I know from personal experience that Cities Church is about loving its neighbors and serving the city. The church’s actions speak louder than the words of the people who shattered the peace of the church. The First Amendment does not allow premeditated plots or coordinated actions to violate the sanctity of a sanctuary, disrupt worship, and intimidate small children. There is no ‘press pass’ to invade a sanctuary or to conspire to interrupt religious services. The Constitution protects citizens from threats against fundamental rights by the government, but it also requires government to protect those same rights when they are jeopardized by private actors. True North Legal is proud to represent Cities Church and is grateful that the Justice Department for taking violations of religious liberty seriously."

Statement from Doug Wardlow, Director of Litigation for True North Legal:

 "The First Amendment protects the God-given rights of every American to assemble and to worship God. It does not give anyone the right to invade a church and terrorize worshippers. That’s a federal crime: the FACE Act prohibits intimidating or interfering with people worshipping in a church. It is outrageous that, instead of doing their jobs and protecting Minnesotans’ rights, state officials like Keith Ellison choose to mock the invasion of a church.  Thankfully, the U.S. Department of Justice acted decisively by arresting those who coordinated and carried out the terrible crime. The arrests and the prosecutions to follow will help ensure that mob aggression like Cities Church experienced will not be repeated in any other house of worship. We are thankful for the Justice Department’s swift action, and we are exploring all legal options to protect the church and prevent further invasions."

11:30 a.m. - BCA releases details on Jan. 14 ICE shooting

The Minnesota BCA is investigating the shooting by a federal officer on Jan. 14. Here's the full press release: 

"According to the BCA’s preliminary investigation, federal officers were pursuing a vehicle when it crashed into a snowbank on the 600 block of 24th Avenue North just before 7 p.m. on Jan. 14. The adult male driving the vehicle then ran to a nearby home. The pursuing federal officer caught up to him in front of the home and an altercation took place. Another adult male from the home also became involved in the altercation. Based on the BCA’s preliminary investigative information, a broom may have been involved in the altercation. At some point, the federal officer fired his handgun, striking one of the males.    

"Minneapolis police officers and Hennepin County medics were called to the scene. The male who was shot, Julio Sosa-Celis, 24, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot to the leg and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The federal officer was injured and transported to a hospital for treatment. The other male at the home was taken into custody by federal officers on the scene.

"BCA crime scene personnel and agents with the BCA’s Force Investigations Unit responded to begin their investigation. FBI investigators were also on scene conducting their own investigation of the incident.

"BCA crime scene personnel could not complete their work the night of this incident due to safety concerns. They recovered a plastic shovel and photographed the scene before having to end their normal processing and leave due to the dangerous activity of a crowd that had formed nearby. Following additional investigation by the BCA, it was determined that a follow-up search warrant should be executed. On Jan. 21, BCA personnel recovered a broom, a shell casing and a bullet while executing that warrant. BCA agents have not been permitted to speak with the federal officer involved in this incident and have not been provided with information, including the officer’s identity or whether the officer was wearing a body camera. The FBI has communicated that they do not intend to share any results of their initial investigation with BCA agents.    

"The BCA requests anyone who captured video of the incident or has other firsthand information that they believe may be helpful to the investigation to send it to the BCA at bca.tips@state.mn.us.

"The BCA investigation will continue to the fullest extent possible while meeting the investigative standards required by Minnesota law. When the investigation is complete, the BCA will present its findings without recommendation to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review."

10 a.m. - MN Department of Corrections speaks on ICE detainers

The Minnesota Department of Corrections showed video of its staff transferring inmates into ICE custody, disputing a claim that they were swept up in Operation: Metro Surge. 

9 a.m. - ICE operations update from feds: ‘Stalked’ by ‘extremists’

Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations leader Marcos Charles held a news conference to discuss immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Displayed at the press conference was a TV with scrolling mugshots, which DHS titled "Worst of the Worst." No names were provided on the screen, only information on the country they're from and the crimes DHS says they committed. 

Charles said DHS has arrested more than 10,000 people who are in the country illegally in Minnesota over the past year, and more than 3,300 people in the U.S. illegally since the launch of Operation Metro Surge. Charles blamed Minnesota's sanctuary policies on the people who have been arrested being in the state, and said protesters are protecting criminals. Charles asked the state of Minnesota to honor immigration detainers, and asked the state to work with them, not against them. 

He said the state Department of Corrections is cooperative with ICE detainers, but claims counties are not honoring detainers. County sheriffs have previously addressed "inaccurate" statements from DHS officials. 

READ MORE: MN sheriff says ICE was too busy in Twin Cities to pick man accused of sex crime

Bovino said ICE is working hard to take criminals off the street. He spoke about working with ICE agents on Wednesday, saying throughout the shift it was a "running battle" with "extremists" while conducting "targeted" operations to arrest people in the U.S. illegally. He said officers were "stalked" by constitutional observers and protesters, calling them "violent mobs of rioters."

"Our very last stop at a gas station was met with violence. Individuals that perpetrated violence against our Border Patrol agents, forcing us to take action," Bovino said, noting they used "less lethal" devices against the "agitators and rioters."

He said situations like this are unsafe for law enforcement and prevent them from their mission of taking criminals off the streets. 

Bovino said DHS conducts legal, ethical and moral operations in Minnesota, adding they did not detain a 5-year-old in Columbia Heights, and he'd need more information on the incident. Columbia Heights schools said a 5-year-old boy was used as "bait" and was detained along with his father. The incident went viral on social media. Three other students from the district have also been detained. 

READ MORE: ICE detains 5-year-old boy, 3 other students in Columbia Heights

Bovino said "several thousand" federal officials are in Minnesota currently but would not provide an exact number.

When asked about entering homes without a judicial warrant, Charles said they do not break into people's homes. They enter when needed with administrative arrest warrants or judicial warrants. He would not share how many homes they've entered using force. 

"We don't break into anybody's homes. We make entry in either a hot pursuit with a criminal arrest warrant or an administrative arrest warrant," Charles said. 

When asked when the surge will end and how long they'll be in Minnesota, Bovino said they will continue conducting the mission. They won't put a date or timeline on this – the mission will continue until there is no one who is in the country illegally left in Minnesota. 

"This mission is ongoing until there are no more of those criminal illegal aliens roaming the streets of Minneapolis," Bovino said.

8:30 a.m. - Arrests made in protest at St. Paul church

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday said authorities have made two arrests in connection to the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul on Sunday.

READ MORE: St. Paul church protest: Twin Cities activists arrested

Bondi says activist and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong has been arrested. Bondi accused her of playing a "key role" in "organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul." It's unclear if Armstrong has been formally charged.

Chauntyll Louisa Allen was also taken into custody. It's unclear if Allen has been formally charged. 

On Sunday, activists from the Racial Justice Network staged a protest at the church against Pastor David Easterwood, who they said is also the acting ICE field office director in Minnesota. The DOJ said it would investigate, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said on Jan. 20 arrests would be coming soon.

Meanwhile, activists call for the pastor at a St. Paul church to resign over a possible conflict with being in ICE leadership enforcement.

7:20 a.m. - Federal officials to provide updates

Federal officials will be in Minnesota on Thursday to provide updates on the ICE surge. 

At 9 a.m., Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations leader Marcos Charles will hold a joint news conference on operations in Minneapolis.

Then, Thursday morning, Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Minneapolis to speak about ICE operations and hold a round table. The timing of this event is unclear, but you can watch it live in the player above and here.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Corrections is expected to hold a news conference on ICE detainers at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. 

7 a.m. - Feds must honor constitutional rights, Sen. Latz says

Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) released a statement Thursday morning, saying federal authorities must honor constitutional rights of all Minnesotans, even detainees. 

Here's his full statement: 

"Every Minnesotan, regardless of immigration status, has rights outlined in our Constitution that include the right against unreasonable search and seizure, the right to due process, and the right to seek counsel. Federal agents and officials swore an oath to honor and uphold our Constitution, and I’m calling on them to do so," said Sen. Latz. "If federal partners are violating this oath and depriving Minnesotans of these rights, they must be held accountable to the full extent of the law."

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