Minneapolis (Kaab TV) – Despite bitter cold temperatures, thousands of demonstrators filled Minneapolis’ Lake Street corridor Saturday morning, marching more than a mile in a large, coordinated protest against federal immigration enforcement.
The rally, organized by COPAL, Unidos, and local labor unions, comes as the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge enters its third week.
DHS reports that more than 400 people have been arrested since the operation began, though the agency has not disclosed how many remain detained or have been transferred elsewhere.
Officials have also highlighted more than a dozen arrests involving individuals with prior criminal convictions.
Organizers say Saturday’s march was an opportunity for communities to unite and push back against what they describe as a harmful enforcement strategy.
“We want to make sure that people across the country and around the world know that a mass deportation agenda is not good for immigrants,” said Emilia González Avalos, executive director of UNIDOS. “It’s not good for communities, and it’s not good for local economies.”
González Avalos said the enforcement operation has already taken a toll on neighborhood businesses.
“Businesses are struggling,” she said. “People are afraid to go out and shop. They’re not even buying basic necessities like toilet paper, eggs, milk, or formula because of that fear.”
Advocacy groups at the march also challenged the narrative that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is targeting only dangerous individuals.
“Most immigrants here are working incredibly hard,” said Silvia Ibanez of the Immigrant Defense Network. “They’re here to build a better future for their families, and that’s not a crime.”
The march concluded at Karmel Mall, a location organizers said symbolized how both Latino and Somali communities have been affected by the latest wave of DHS enforcement actions.