Brian Arola

Appleton residents weigh value of potential ICE detention center Appleton’s private prison, once the town's biggest employer, has sat unused for 15 years. The Trump administration might have plans for it.

The ICE info from the sheriff came in response to speculation online. ICE and Appleton have been linked for a while now as the agency eyes the city's vacant prison for use as an immigration detention site.

Appleton, MN is in lockdown right now as law enforcement agencies respond to an "ongoing threat" involving gunshots. The Swift County Sheriff's Office confirmed that ICE is not involved in the situation.

Why Minnesota cities rely on bonding bills to fund water projects - MinnPost The cost of construction is high, especially in Greater Minnesota, and cities can only raise water rates so much.

Part 2 of my water coverage this week looks at why so many Minnesota cities need a bonding bill to fund their infrastructure projects. The alternative is raising user rates, and a flood of angry residents. www.minnpost.com/greater-minn...

Water is a dominant theme in bonding bill process this year - MinnPost Whether local governments want to treat it, filter it, collect it or drill wells to find it, water is a theme in bonding bill requests.

What is the most dominant theme in the Minnesota Legislature's bonding bill discussions this session? I'd argue it's water, and I wrote about why after a visit to Big Lake's treatment plant. www.minnpost.com/greater-minn...

As a Chisholm guy, heartbreaking to see Hibbing/Chisholm get that close and lose. But what a game. Gritty win for Warroad in an all Greater Minnesota championship game.

More funding is needed to replace Minnesota's lead water lines - MinnPost State and federal funding for lead service line replacement will run out in 2027 if no action is taken.

Minnesota's ambitious plan to replace all lead water lines by 2033 could stall if the Legislature doesn't refill a funding pool this session.
www.minnpost.com/greater-minn...

For Somalis in St. Cloud, ICE eroded years of hard-earned trust Aggressive tactics by the agency created ‘fear, uncertainty, and emotional stress’ that will be hard to undo, a local activist says.

Somali leaders in St. Cloud say it’ll take hard work to overcome damage done by ICE. www.minnpost.com/greater-minn...

US judge rejects California law that banned masks for federal officers A federal judge in Los Angeles on Monday preliminarily struck down a California state law that bans federal officers from wearing masks while on duty.

Would Mankato's proposed ban on masks for law enforcement stand up in court? A federal judge just deemed a California mask ban unconstitutional in part because it specifically targeted federal agents. Mankato's ordinance would apply to all law enforcement agents.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

ICE presence prompts policy responses in Greater Minnesota cities Uncertainty over how to react to ICE agents operating in Greater Minnesota towns has given way to a push for policy solutions.

Initially unsure of how to curb ICE activity, Duluth and Mankato's city councils are now willing to answer public calls for action with policy. Mankato may ban mask wearing by law enforcement agents. Duluth wants to limit use of city resources by immigration agents. www.minnpost.com/greater-minn...

The Minnesota man who tried to bust Luigi Mangioni out of jail is from Mankato, according to NY Times.

'Sanctuary' tag masks actual level of ICE cooperation in Minnesota State prisons are in full compliance with ICE on inmate transfer requests, recent data shows, while counties provide various levels of help.

My @minnpost.bsky.social colleagues explored this issue this week www.minnpost.com/public-safet...

Walz, speaking at the Minnesota Newspaper Association conference Thursday, said President Trump and Homan are buying into propaganda that Minnesota obstructs ICE from entering jails. Earlier in the day Homan said he wants more ICE agents in jails rather than on the streets.

Gov. Tim Walz pushed back against border czar Tom Homan’s suggestion that Minnesota is obstructing ICE detainers in jails.

“We will honor every single detainer that is in our prisons to turn people over, just like we have for 30 years.”

Man sprays unknown substance on Rep. Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis town hall A man wearing a black jacket has been tackled to the ground after spraying an unknown substance on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

A man wearing a black jacket has been tackled to the ground after spraying an unknown substance on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

As a journalist, I have concerns about how using words could result in "actions and consequences."

Video contradicts Trump’s claim man killed in Minneapolis was a ‘gunman’ Video evidence reviewed by Guardian shows Alex Pretti, killed by agents in Minneapolis, held a phone, not a gun

Guardian does an excellent job detailing the brutality of the murder on Eat Street. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

While I also encourage you to follow (& financially support) local news orgs, I also highly recommend @dailyyonder.bsky.social for their coverage of rural areas that are often bypassed (though shoutout to @brianarola.bsky.social at @minnpost.bsky.social for his wonderful work in greater #Minnesota)

Thank you! Much appreciated.

Can confirm that ICE took two sub-contractors (at least one reportedly a citizen born in the U.S.) from a construction site in Mankato today. The workers were outside VINE, an adult community center, when federal agents detained them in the parking lot and drove away.

ICE agents are especially active in Mankato, St. James and St. Peter today. Southern Minnesota still seems like the main focus of Operation Metro Surge's expansion into Greater Minnesota.

Hearing lots of similar reports around the state. Thanks for letting me know!

After all lengthy adjournment, Mankato City Council members returned and resumed the meeting. They tabled all unrelated matters to discuss ICE and possible local public safety responses. They’ve been answering audience questions for a while now with public safety director Jeremy Clifton.

Residents call for Mankato City Council members to come back out after they adjourned tonight’s meeting in the face of vocal criticism against ICE.

The crowd has essentially taken over the Mankato City Council meeting, taking turns speaking out against ICE, Council inaction and more.

Mankato City Council members adjourned their meeting tonight as a crowd of 300+ called on them to do more against ICE.

David Mesta, a COPAL organizer, said construction workers were stuck on a roof over the weekend in Mankato as ICE waited to try detain them. At least one other person got stopped leaving Walmart.

I’ve lived in Mankato for about a decade now and have never seen this big of a turnout at a City Council meeting. These meetings typically draw a handful of residents at best. 300+ is massive.

Mankato Mayor Najwa Massad, a Lebanese immigrant, called for civility ahead of the City Council’s public comment period.

Ava Corey-Gruenes, of Mankato, said an ICE agent bear-sprayed her Monday while she was observing ICE activity in the Old Town neighborhood.

More than 300 people are at Mankato’s City Council meeting tonight, where residents are calling on city leaders to protect residents from ICE.