City Cast Twin Cities

Arrests made in St. Paul federal raid

December 2, 2025

Hey Twin Cities! It’s Adam today. How about that snow, huh?! My partner and I were the only adults sending it down the Keyes Park sledding hill over the weekend, and it was a blast. It is that time of year to pay attention to snow emergency parking rules, though – check out this video posted by the city of Minneapolis to make sure you don't get your car towed this winter.

What the Cities Are Talking About

Detainees being ushered from white vans and being loaded to a white plane managed by ICE in an airport with a city skyline in the background. — Detainees being loaded onto a recent "ICE flight" at MSP. (*Nick Benson / Flickr*)

Immigration Enforcement in the Twin Cities

When federal law enforcement operations result in protests and chaos, we often don't know more details about the action until much later. Here's an update on the results of last week's federal raid, and other immigration news in the Twin Cities.

"Like a horror movie": Last week's federal raid in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of St. Paul resulted in the arrest of 26-year-old Jeffrey Suazo. Federal officers followed Suazo to his house after they spotted him while in pursuit of a different person. Suazo's family reported locking themselves in a room upstairs while agents entered the first floor of the house, mocking, threatening, and singing taunts to the family until Suazo gave himself up. His family is now raising money to help with legal expenses. [Sahan Journal]
Community response to federal raids: A large number of protestors were quickly on the scene at last week's raid, as well as at the federal operation at St. Paul's Bro-Tex facility the week prior. This response is the result of a coordinated effort by advocacy organizations like the Immigrant Defense Network, which have been studying tactics from other cities and providing free trainings to community members on how to respond in the event of immigration enforcement activity. [Sahan Journal]
Politicians get petty: In a long Thanksgiving post on Truth Social, President Trump claimed Somali refugees are "taking over" the state of Minnesota and "roving the streets looking for prey" just before calling Gov. Tim Walz "seriously retarded" and repeating a false claim that Rep. Ilhan Omar married her brother. In response, Walz called on the President to release the results of a recent MRI, and a spokesperson for Omar said, "the congresswoman thinks [Trump's] obsession with her is unhealthy and hopes he gets help.” [Star Tribune / Bring Me The News]

Also Worth Your Time

Preserving language: In collaboration with the Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe, the Minnesota Wild produced an Ojibwe language broadcast of Friday's 3-2 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche. The broadcast was the first of its kind and was in celebration of Native American Heritage Day. [Star Tribune]

A "unified vision" for George Floyd Square: Today at 6 p.m., the Community Visioning Council (CVC) is hosting a town hall meeting at Phelps Park to present details of a "people's streets" concept for the redevelopment of George Floyd Square. The plan attempts to strike a balance between two main design concepts that are already being considered by the Minneapolis City Council. With community approval, the CVC will present the plan to the city council on Dec. 4, and the council will vote on which option to advance on Dec. 11. [Longfellow Nokomis Messenger / MPR]

A Flock surveillance camera near some trees with brown, yellow and red leaves next to a brick building in St. Louis Park — A Flock surveillance camera in St. Louis Park. (*Tiffany Bui / City Cast Twin Cities*)

We're (still) being tracked: Police departments across the Twin Cities and suburbs are adding more license plate readers to their network of over 300 cameras capable of tracking cars as they move about the metro area. Departments are citing increased arrests as proof these cameras are keeping the community safe, but there are serious concerns about privacy and the potential for law enforcement to abuse this technology, as attorney Alicia Granse of ACLU Minnesota laid out on a recent episode of the City Cast Twin Cities podcast. [Star Tribune]

Pet shelters past their limit: Multiple animal shelters in the Twin Cities are reporting being at or past their normal capacity. The shelters have seen a significant uptick in the number of people surrendering pets over the past few years, and particularly over the past few months. Kerry D'Amato, executive director of Pet Haven Rescue, says she hopes more folks will be able to foster and adopt animals so they can start taking in more rescues again. [CBS News]

Churches beefing up security: Following the Annunciation shooting this fall, churches and faith groups across Minnesota increased their security. Now, places of worship across the country are following Minnesota's lead in preparation for an influx of holiday visitors. Many say it is a grim but necessary shift away from open-door policies at a time when a "sanctuary" no longer feels safe. [Star Tribune]