Through social media and text chains, Reddit and phone calls, protesters swarmed Lake Street in Minneapolis after getting word that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was conducting a raid operation at a Mexican restaurant.
Protesters yelled “shame” and tussled with law enforcement officers they believed were arresting undocumented immigrants.
It wasn’t true.
Last week’s federal law enforcement action was part of a drug bust that netted 900 pounds of methamphetamine and did not center on immigration, despite the involvement of ICE agents. But messaging from city officials clarifying that didn’t stop protests and confrontations from unfolding.
Mayor Jacob Frey and city leaders are trying to help control how information is shared when federal law enforcement operations take place in Minneapolis. He took issue with how other elected officials continued to refer to the situation as an immigration raid even after a more accurate picture came to light.
“We need serious leadership,” Frey said. “Especially in tumultuous times and especially when uncertainty and fear is rampant. We need people who will pause, who will get the facts and prioritize the safety and the well being of the communities most impacted by these actions.”
It’s even more important, Frey said, because it’s a matter of when — not if — a real ICE raid happens.
“We are sure to have an immigration raid in the near future‚" Frey said. “We can’t control the federal government.”