There have been protests every day since the Department of Homeland Security ramped up immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul by bringing in more than 2,000 federal officers. Tensions in the city have remained high following recent federal immigration enforcement operations and political friction regarding Governor Tim Walz and Representative Ilhan Omar. In Minneapolis, snowballs and water balloons were also thrown before an armored police van and heavily equipped city police arrived. On Friday a federal judge ruled that immigration officers cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities, including while observing officers during the Minnesota crackdown. Then Gibson was taken back into custody for several hours Friday when he made a routine check-in with immigration officials.

Source: Huffington Post January 18, 2026 14:15 UTC