Federal agents detain people at St. Paul industrial building, drawing protesters
Federal agents detained people Tuesday at an industrial building off St Paul s University Avenue prompting people to gather in protest A U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson disclosed in a message that ICE Homeland Measure Investigations and law enforcement partners conducted court authorized law enforcement activity and served a search warrant in furtherance of a federal criminal inspection The report explained there is no threat to populace safety and the examination remains ongoing at this time Agents were also seen wearing gear that announced FBI and DEA Drug Enforcement Administration People on social media noted that federal agents amassed in Newell Park on Fairview Avenue on Tuesday morning before heading to Bro-Tex Inc on Hampden Avenue near University Avenue The company s website says they ve been manufacturing and converting cloth and paper wiping products since A St Paul police spokesperson explained their department was not involved in Tuesday s operation St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and City Council Member Molly Coleman who represents the area went to the site Though we don t have a great number of details right now I share the concern and fear this raises for our works families and the entire population Carter wrote on social media Remember you have rights and directed people to stpaul gov immigration-resources Coleman added that they ve heard reports that several individuals were taken by the federal cabinet and disclosed they re working on getting more information Outside the building chosen people swarmed vehicles driven by federal agents and followed one kicking it and yelling No justice no peace Federal personnel sprayed people with a chemical irritant An observer mentioned a protester was arrested Federal agents caused multiple injuries and deployed tear gas multiple times Coleman wrote The agencies that had a validated presence are FBI ICE DEA and HSI Federal agents were seen with police vests but we have confirmation that SPPD and the Ramsey County Sheriff s Office were not involved or present A person who answered the phone at Bro-Tex commented the company had no comment as of Tuesday morning The Immigrant Defense Architecture is planning a public vigil at the site N Hampden Ave at am Wednesday What happened in current times is not law enforcement it is an assault on our district noted a representative from the Immigrant Defense System in a comment No one should fear that entirely going to work providing for their family or standing up for their neighbors will effect in federal agents storming a workplace detaining people en masse and deploying chemical weapons against Minnesotans Related Articles Shouldn t have happened St Paul neighbors worried about safety in area where driver fatally struck woman St Paul PD s first AI program How is it being used and what s next Blaine Rachel Marie Doe baby identified years later from DNA analysis St Paul police scrutinizing death after assault call Marine on St Croix definitively getting a cellular tower
