Thread: Arrests set off protest over ICE

MN: Arrests set off protest over ICE

A series of arrests Saturday by immigration officials in south Minneapolis touched off an angry reaction.

By Chris Serres, Star Tribune

Last update: May 19, 2007 – 7:55 PM

The four sport-utility vehicles bearing federal immigration agents appeared at the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue S. in Minneapolis shortly before noon Saturday.

Almost immediately, bedlam broke loose.

A crowd of about 40 Hispanics, young and old, sprinted south on Bloomington and down nearby alleys. Some screamed, "ICE! ICE!," referring to the agents representing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as they ran. At the Guayaquil Restaurant, 1526 E. Lake St., plates of half-eaten quesadillas were left at tables as customers fled.

After recent arrests in Willmar, Minn., and elsewhere, the Hispanic community is fearful that raids will be aimed at arresting illegal immigrants.

On Saturday, officials with ICE and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension took at least five people into custody from an apartment building at Lake and Bloomington. They also searched a home at 32nd Street and Cedar Avenue S., for which they had a warrant.

Tim Counts, a spokesman for ICE, declined to disclose the names of those arrested and the nature of the charges. He said the main goal of the action was to arrest people wanted for criminal offenses, not immigration charges. "It's possible that we may end up arresting people on immigration charges, but that's not the objective," he said.

But more than 100 residents and community activists quickly arrived at E. Lake Street and Bloomington Ave. Saturday to witness the arrests. Many came armed with camcorders and digital cameras to monitor the treatment of those being arrested.

When one man was escorted from the building in handcuffs, the crowd erupted with cries of "Fuera, ICE! Fuera, ICE!" or "Go away, ICE!" One community activist carrying a sign, "Shame on You," was whisked away in a Minneapolis police squad car for refusing to leave the sidewalk.

"I wanna know what's going to happen to these families, what's going to happen to the kids left behind," yelled Jesus Ramirez, in the face of an ICE agent, who stood in silence. After the Willmar raids, ICE officials maintained they acted properly and within the law.

Saturday's action began about 10:30 a.m., when five or six vehicles appeared in the parking lot of St. Paul's Lutheran Church at 2742 15th Ave. S., while another six appeared outside Powderhorn Park Baptist Church at 1628 E. 33rd St., according to nearby residents.

The Rev. Patrick Cabello Hansel, pastor at St. Paul's, said he asked the agents to leave, but they refused. "The church is supposed to be a sanctuary from raids like this," he said. "This is a violation of the separation of church and state."

Another concern among community activists is that Saturday's action involved both ICE agents and Minneapolis police officers working in tandem. The appearance of the two together will make Hispanics fearful of police and less willing to report crimes, said Alondra Espejel, communications organizer with the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, an immigrant rights group.

"The relationship between the Latino community and the police will never be the same," Espejel said. "Not after what happened today."

Minneapolis police spokeswoman Amelia Huffman said police officers were on hand to help secure the area around the building at Lake and Bloomington, but they were not involved in the arrests. Huffman said police officials were in contact with Hispanic community leaders.

"We want to assure everyone that the Minneapolis Police Department is not in the business of enforcing immigration policy, and that was not what we were working on today," she said.

Chris Serres • 612-673-4308 • cserres@startribune.com

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1194514.html

WOW they acually went to a church, should have put the Rev. in jail to for aiding and abetting!

"The relationship between the Latino community and the police will never be the same," Espejel said. "Not after what happened today."

BIG**** McCain****Deal

sosadforus wrote:

WOW they acually went to a church, should have put the Rev. in jail to for aiding and abetting!

Yeah, they should also give the old rev. a lesson in separation of church and state.

Originally Posted by had_enuf

"I wanna know what's going to happen to these families, what's going to happen to the kids left behind," yelled Jesus Ramirez, in the face of an ICE agent, who stood in silence. After the Willmar raids, ICE officials maintained they acted properly and within the law.

Maybe if you stayed home and stopped breaking our laws, your kids would not be "left behind". Duh.

The Rev. Patrick Cabello Hansel, pastor at St. Paul's, said he asked the agents to leave, but they refused. "The church is supposed to be a sanctuary from raids like this," he said. "This is a violation of the separation of church and state."

Pleeeeeeeeeeese! Tell Cardinal Roger Michael Mahony about violations of the separation of church and state!

Makes you wonder why ICE is afraid of Elvira Arellano, doesn't it?

At the Guayaquil Restaurant, 1526 E. Lake St., plates of half-eaten quesadillas were left at tables as customers fled.

I'm sorry but the visuals I got from that part, LOL!!!

You know just to show these people what fools they look like, all the woman and children (citizens) should go to the all the jails across the U.S. and cry about their children because they put their criminal fathers and mothers in jail, everyone with charges like Paris Hiltons to Charles Manson.

These people really believe they should be exempt from the law because they have children! Their all crazy

Originally Posted by squishy

At the Guayaquil Restaurant, 1526 E. Lake St., plates of half-eaten quesadillas were left at tables as customers fled.

I'm sorry but the visuals I got from that part, LOL!!!

Ya sounds like when the time comes they can make a really huge bust there

Give them a crying towel on their way to jail.