City Cast Twin Cities
🏛️ Will the courts kick ICE out?
January 14, 2026
Hey, Twin Cities. Adam here – we can all use some time to relax and decompress these days. On today's episode of the podcast, the team piggybacked off of a Star Tribune article and shared some of their favorite places to find peace in the Twin Cities, including The Walker’s Free Thursdays, Dreamstate Cafe, and Luminary Coffeehouse. Where do you like to go to have a moment to yourself? Reply to this email if you'd like to share some of your favorite spots with neighbors who could use them!
Today’s Must-Know
Can MN Sue ICE Out of the Twin Cities?
Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Monday that Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have filed a lawsuit against the federal government to block the current immigration enforcement surge in the state. Prosecutors said they hoped a temporary restraining order would be granted as early as yesterday to halt the operation, but no order has been issued so far. [BBC / 🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
- What is MN's argument? The lawsuit alleges that Operation Metro Surge is arbitrary and capricious, as there is not an undocumented immigrant population in Minnesota sizable enough to warrant the largest immigration enforcement operation ever. According to the lawsuit, the DHS is violating the First Amendment by targeting the state of Minnesota for political reasons and violating the Tenth Amendment by essentially commandeering police resources in Minnesota. [City of Minneapolis / PBS]
- ICE response: Acting ICE director Joe Lyons called the allegations "just very sad," and said ICE is not in violation of the Tenth Amendment because they never asked any local agencies to do immigration enforcement work. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the lawsuit "baseless," and said she looks forward to proving that in court. [The Hill / BBC]
What the Cities Are Talking About
No more protection: The Trump administration announced it will be ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants nationwide. The Star Tribune estimates that 400 Somali immigrants in Minnesota will lose their legal status and work permits on March 17. [CBS News]
Mass resignation: Multiple attorneys on the leadership team in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's office resigned yesterday over directives from federal officials in the wake of the killing of Renee Macklin Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Sources say the attorneys' frustrations stemmed from the decision to exclude Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the investigation into the shooting and a general sense that the immigration enforcement surge had eclipsed the focus on ongoing fraud investigations in the office. [Star Tribune]
Online learning: Public schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul are offering online learning for students who don't feel safe attending school amid the federal immigration enforcement crackdown. The SPPS school board said in a statement, "ICE must leave our community immediately." [Pioneer Press]
Money for names: In an interview with KARE 11, two south Minneapolis residents shared about their experience being detained by ICE and taken to the detention center at the Whipple Federal Building. They recounted being offered money in exchange for the names of undocumented people or protest organizers, and they described the conditions they saw inside the Whipple building. [KARE 11]
Hunger strike: Environmental activists campaigning for the immediate closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center in Minneapolis are threatening a hunger strike if local officials fail to meet several demands by Jan. 18. City and county leaders have a loose timeline for closing down the center, but currently have no viable plan on what to do with the tons of trash that it burns each year. [MinnPost / 🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
Cancer-free: MPR's Angela Davis is back on the radio, hosting her weekday morning show, and she has announced that she is now cancer-free. Davis had been off the mic since August 2025 to receive treatment. [Star Tribune]
What to Do
Wednesday, Jan 14
- 🌿 Music Under Glass with Jack Knife & The Sharps 🆓 | Como Conservatory
- 🍷 Sip & Talk with Frank Buffalo Hyde and Heid E. Erdrich | Soo Visual Arts Center
- 🤓 Nerd Nite | Black Hart of Saint Paul
- 🎞️ The Gits (20th Anniversary Edition) | Trylon Cinema
- 📖 Chanda Parkinson & Maria Toso in Conversation 🆓 | Magers & Quinn
- 🎛️ Guest Selector: Shane Kramer | Small Hours
- 🚀 Bright Young Things (Album Release Show) | 7th Street Entry
Thursday, Jan 15
- 🏛️ Historical Landmark Tour: A Journey Through Civil Rights 🆓 | MN Humanities Center
- 🧘 Art and Wellness: Yess Yoga x Mia 🆓 | Minneapolis Institute of Arts
- 🌎 Pedacito de Tierra: World Premiere Concert | Minnesota History Center
- ✨ Peg Guilfoyle presents An Eye For Joy 🆓 | Magers & Quinn
- 🗣️ An Evening with Layli Long Soldier 🆓 | Walker Art Center
- 🎸 Melvin Gibbs w/ Yonci | Berlin
- 🇺🇦 Vopli Vidopliassova with Ukrainian Village Band | Cedar Cultural Center
Twin Cities Job Board
- Director of Marketing and Communications at Twin Cities PBS | $130k - $140k per year
- Assistant Sound Engineer at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts | $43.30 per hour
- Budget Manager at City of Minneapolis | $119k - $142k per year
- Senior Development Officer at Minnesota Land Trust | $90k - $110k per year
- Individual Giving Coordinator at Little Free Library | $50k - $55k per year
We're giving away a pair of tickets for Best New Bands at First Ave, taking place this Saturday at 7 p.m. The show will include some of the hottest local bands in the Twin Cities, and City Cast's very own Sean McPherson will be one of the hosts.
For a chance to win a pair of tickets, simply reply to this email with your full name in the body of the reply! The winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, Jan 15, at 9 a.m. CST. Good luck! 💜
— Adam Sage
Free · Daily