Minnesota Now

New court filings give an inside look at the conditions inside the Whipple federal building, where many ICE detainees are being held in Minnesota. Lawyers from the non profit organization, Advocates for Human Rights, visited the facility early Monday after a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to let them inside. In a lawsuit, the attorneys allege that DHS is not allowing detainees to have access to legal counsel.  

Reporter Matt Sepic has been following this story and joined Minnesota Now.

A family detention center in Dilley, Texas, has been under a spotlight since 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from Columbia Heights, and his father were sent there last month after being detained by federal ICE agents.

It’s believed several other Minnesota children and their families have been sent there as well. Detention centers have been difficult to access during the second Trump administration. But a ProPublica reporter was able to go inside and speak to several children.

Reporter Mica Rosenberg shared more about her story, “The Children of Dilley” on Minnesota Now.

A subcommittee of the U.S. Senate judiciary committee held a hearing Tuesday titled “Somali Fraud in Minnesota – The Tip of the Iceberg.”

It’s likely a reference to a former federal prosecutor’s assessment that there was widespread fraud in state programs. President Donald Trump has also attacked the state’s Somali communities with a series of sweeping and racist comments, using fraud as the reason for a surge of immigration agents in Minnesota.

University of Minnesota Professor Eric Schwartz spoke out about the impact of the surge on immigrants in Tuesday’s hearing and spoke with host Nina Moini about why he decided to do so.

Gov. Tim Walz says he spoke Tuesday with Trump administration leaders, and he believes an end to the surge of federal agents in the state could be days away. We'll have an update. Plus, details from a U.S. House committee hearing over ICE and Border Patrol actions in Minnesota.

Every day, volunteers wait outside the Whipple Federal Building with phones and warm layers for people being released from detention. We checked in with the group's founder.

We have an update on 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, who are back together but still living in uncertainty.

Twin Cities chef Ann Ahmed is back from taking her employees to visit her home country of Laos. We heard about her trip.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Blood Moon” by Poliça and our Song of the day was “Fear Met Me” by LaSonya Natividad.

When you go to one of Chef Ann Ahmed’s restaurants, you are immersed in southeast Asian cuisine. Chef Ann is Laotian-American, and her three restaurants in the Twin Cities reflect her roots.

Now, she’s helping her employees understand the culture and cuisine she grew up with by guiding them on a trip to Laos.

Monty Luthongxay is a server at Chef Ahmed’s restaurant Khaluna and joined her on the trip. Both Luthongxay and Ahmed joined MPR News host Nina Moini for a conversation about visiting Laos.

Thousands of Minnesotans have plugged into opportunities to help their community with food, legal help, rent help, and more as the immigration operation in the state continues. One group, Haven Watch, has been running for just a few weeks, supporting people released from detention at the Henry Whipple Federal Building.

Natalie Ehret is the founder of Haven Watch. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the outpouring of support for the organization and to share what she’s seen on the ground outside of the Henry Whipple Federal Building.

Members of Congress questioned the leaders of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tuesday. MPR News immigration reporter Sarah Thamer listened in for details about the now two-month-long surge of agents in Minnesota and joined MPR News host Nina Moini for an update.

Duluth’s Olympic curling stars Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin earned a silver medal in Italy Tuesday. It was their mixed-doubles debut for Team USA. They took home the United States’ first medal in the event.

MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox was at a watch party at the St. Paul Curling Club during their competition, and she joined MPR News host Nina Moini with the details.

According to border czar Tom Homan, 700 federal immigration agents have reportedly been ordered to leave Minnesota. Minneapolis Council member Jason Chavez shared whether that move has made any difference on the ground.

The federal government is also telling Minnesotans to stop impeding ICE operations. More than 100 have been arrested for allegedly doing so. But for some, the charges don't stick. We took a closer look at what impeding actually means under the law.

Plus, a new grant aims to support struggling restaurants in Minnesota and we heard more about how Bad Bunny's half time show was a moment of pride for Latino Minnesotans.

Also, the Vikings are waking up with regret this morning. Their former quarterback now has a Super Bowl ring, one year after leaving Minnesota.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “People” by Libianca and our Song of the Day was “Death of the Party” by Space Monkey Mafia.

Border czar Tom Homan has said he'll eventually reduce the number of federal immigration officers in the state from 2,000 to about 150, but he says that depends on whether members of the public stop what he describes as interfering with agents work. Homan did not define what actions he views as interfering. But MPR News has reported, federal agents regularly tell people who are recording or objecting to their activities to stop impeding them.

Homan said in the past month, at least 158 of these interactions have led to arrests. 85 people have been charged in federal court.

Minneapolis attorney Bruce Nestor is representing several people accused of impeding or assaulting ICE or Border Patrol officers. He says citizens are being charged with felonies and are being forced to turn themselves in, give DNA samples and attend hearings.

“Yet what we've seen in the past few days is that all of these charges are now being reduced to misdemeanors by the prosecutors by the United States Attorney's Office,” said Nestor.

Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke to University of St. Thomas law professor Rachel Moran about what the law says about impeding federal officers.