Erica Zurek

Minnesota school districts say federal agents still causing daily disruptions School leaders say that ICE activity is continuing to interrupt daily life for students, staff and families despite the announced end of the two-month surge of federal immigration agents.

ICE activity continues to interrupt daily life for students, staff and families, despite the announced end of the two-month surge of federal immigration agents. Students attend school remotely, staff monitor arrival and dismissal, and leaders wonder when they can resume normal school operations.

Thousands of Minnesotans to be kicked off SNAP due to new eligibility requirements Thousands of Minnesotans will soon lose the assistance they rely upon to buy food as newly expanded work requirements and the elimination of several exemptions for SNAP benefits that are a part of the...

Recipients who’s don’t meet the work requirements now have until April 1 to do so. If they don’t, they'll be ineligible to reapply for SNAP benefits until 2029.

Controversy over data centers in Minnesota leads to calls for statewide moratorium, new regulations Opponents of the massive projects say the measures the Legislature passed last year aren’t enough to protect communities, residents and the environment from potential negative impacts. They’re calling...

Data center developers promise they'll bring jobs, economic growth and tax revenue. But opponents have voiced concerns about the vast amount of energy and water they consume, plus potential air, noise and light pollution.

Immigration advocates challenge federal refugee policy in court Advocates are challenging the government’s stance that they can now investigate and detain refugees who are not yet permanent residents. The case could affect 5,600 people in Minnesota who are origina...

Advocates are challenging the government’s stance that they can now investigate and detain refugees who are not yet permanent residents. The case could affect 5,600 people in Minnesota who are originally from Africa, Asia or Latin America.

‘This isn’t living, right?’: Minnesota immigrants share their stories while in hiding from ICE MPR News connected with five immigrants across Minnesota who have been scared to leave their homes over the last six weeks, due to fears of encountering ICE. Each person recorded voice memos or spoke ...

For more than two months, Minnesotans in immigrant communities have been in hiding – fearing arrest, detention or deportation.

MPR News connected with five immigrants who have been scared to leave their homes.

Exclusive: Senior DHS officials double down on arresting and detaining refugees in new memo Hours after DOJ filed the new memo in court in Minnesota, a magistrate judge denied Law Dork's request for greater public access in the case — including remote electronic docket access.

EXCLUSIVE: Senior DHS officials double down on arresting and detaining refugees in new memo.

Hours after DOJ filed the new memo in court in Minnesota, a magistrate judge denied Law Dork's request for greater public access in the case — including remote electronic docket access.

ICE drawdown? Indications point to steady enforcement activity outside the Twin Cities Some people who observe ICE activity are skeptical about a large scale drawdown of agents in the state. There are indications that activity has decreased in the Twin Cities, but has continued outside ...

While DHS hasn't released any updates on agent numbers or arrests, anecdotal reports show ICE shifting its activities from the Twin Cities to the state's suburbs and small towns.

“ICE has blamed Castañeda Mondragón for his own injuries, saying he attempted to flee while handcuffed and “fell and hit his head against a concrete wall.”

“A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull — injuries a doctor told the AP were inconsistent with a fall.”

After ICE surge causes hardship for some renters, advocates call for anti-eviction measures Local advocacy groups called Wednesday for state lawmakers to approve an eviction moratorium and relief payments for people unable to work during the federal immigration operation in Minnesota.

Local advocacy groups called Wednesday for state lawmakers to approve an eviction moratorium and relief payments for people unable to work during the federal immigration operation in Minnesota.

FBI will not provide the BCA access to evidence gathered from Pretti shooting, BCA says Minnesota criminal investigators have again been denied access to evidence and other materials collected by federal authorities after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, state officials said Monday.

Minnesota criminal investigators have again been denied access to evidence and other materials collected by federal authorities after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, state officials said Monday.

Meet Minnesota Bathrobe Lady Sam Stroozas of MPR News | Minnesota Public Radio Earlier this week, an unexpected and fast-moving incident unfolded in St. Paul, Minnesota involving both federal and local law enforcement. As crowds gathered and questions mounted, one of our MPR New...

hello minnesota and beyond! thank you for your kind messages. it is very weird to be the news when you cover the news. i love this beautiful state and journalism, and i am hopeful for better days. but we will be forever changed bc of the last two months.

Rural Minnesotans of color skipping medical care out of fear of ICE Medical providers are increasingly concerned that some of their rural patients who need to drive long distances to see specialists are missing appointments because they fear being picked up by federal...

Medical providers are increasingly concerned that some rural patients who must drive long distances to see specialists are missing appointments out of fear of being picked up by federal immigration agents.

“The Constitution does not permit the government to arrest thousands of individuals and then disregard their constitutional rights because it would be too challenging to honor those rights.” - Judge Nancy Brasel

“There's literally no other human response than to just cry. And then you just wipe the tears, and you just kind of walk into class. Or, depending on the class and who the adults are that are here, you just continue to cry, and then they cry with you.” @eshockmanwrites.bsky.social @mprnews.org

Minnesota sues after CDC cuts millions of dollars in public health grants A judge issued the temporary restraining order Thursday after Attorney General Keith Ellison and other attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the federal Office of Management and Budget.

A judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from cutting $42M in public health funding from Minnesota after the state sued Thursday.

My @mprnews.org colleague @ericazurek.bsky.social has been reporting for weeks on the concerns around ICE in Twin Cities hospitals and clinics. Check out her story from mid-January:

www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

Twin Cities health care workers describe 'fear,' 'intimidation' due to ICE in hospitals Health care workers are experiencing fear and anxiety about going to work with ICE agents present in hospitals and clinics.

For health care workers, going to work means an onslaught of fear and anxiety with ICE agents present.

“What will happen to us?" one health care worker said. "That is my question every single night before going to bed. It really affects me mentally and emotionally. This is like a nightmare.”

After arrest, teen refugee held overnight in hotel room by ICE agents A girl who entered the United States as a refugee alleges that immigration authorities separated her from her family and detained her overnight in a hotel, where she was forced to share a room with fe...

The girl writes that she had her own bed, but not her own room.

DHS has not told MPR News whether detaining unaccompanied children in hotels with federal agents is a regular practice.

‘He’s not the same’: Father of Liam Conejo Ramos says 5-year-old continues to suffer Some people thought they say the 5-year-old during the Super Bowl halftime show. But Liam is still in hiding with his family, after he and his father were detained and then released from a Texas deten...

Super Bowl viewers Sunday speculated that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos appeared in the halftime show. In fact, he has been in hiding with his family.

“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.

Minnesota physician groups call for health care protections as condition of DHS funding Minnesota physician advocacy groups are raising concerns over reports of unsanitary conditions and a lack of medical care for detainees at ICE facilities.

Minnesota physician advocacy groups are raising concerns over reports of unsanitary conditions and a lack of medical care for detainees at ICE facilities.

www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

As the nation’s eyes turn to Minneapolis, they’re also turning to Minnesota Public Radio Long one of the strongest public media outlets in the country, MPR has reached new traffic highs amid the ICE raids and protests there. Here’s our regular ranking of the top 25 public radio websites…

Long one of the strongest public media outlets in the country, MPR has reached new traffic highs amid the ICE raids and protests there. Here’s our regular ranking of the top 25 public radio websites in the United States.

www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/as-t...

Immigrant whose skull was broken in eight places during ICE arrest says beating was unprovoked A Mexican immigrant whose skull was broken during his arrest by immigration officers last month in Minnesota says the beating was unprovoked.

A Mexican immigrant whose skull was broken during his arrest by immigration officers last month in Minnesota says the beating was unprovoked. A judge ruled his arrest was unlawful.

Free Speech in Deep Freeze - Nieman Reports On the ground in Minnesota, where journalists are working to tell the truth about government-sanctioned violence and spin

Good piece by my @mprnews.org colleague @jcollins.bsky.social

niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

DHS has requested expedited deportation proceedings against family of Liam Conejo Ramos The federal government has filed a motion seeking to end asylum claims for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, according to the lawyer representing the family.

BREAKING: The federal government has filed a motion seeking to end asylum claims for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, according to the lawyer representing the family.

Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.

As federal agents have spread throughout the state, residents of the Twin Cities suburbs who oppose ICE have adapted these tactics to their sprawling and sometimes isolated communities.

And through it, they say they’ve found purpose, connection and a resilience they didn’t expect.

Uncertainty looms large for Minnesota businesses While it’s too early to draw firm, data-driven conclusions, no one is going out on a limb by saying the combination of turbulence and uncertainty seen in Minnesota right now will exact an economic pri...

Words like “disruption,” “upheaval” and “radical uncertainty” have become practically synonymous with Minnesota in few weeks. While it’s too early to draw firm, data-driven conclusions, no one is going out on a limb by saying the turbulence right now will exact an economic price on the state.

Children’s Minnesota to pause some pediatric gender health services Gender-affirming care for transgender youth remains legal in Minnesota, but the hospital says it will pause prescribing puberty-suppressing medications and pubertal hormones to patients under the age ...

If federal actions targeting pediatric health systems providing this type of care remain unchanged, come Feb. 27, Children's Minnesota will temporarily pause treatment like prescribing puberty blockers and hormones to patients under 18.

Columbia Heights girl, 11, remains in ICE detention in Texas during measles outbreak Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano was detained nearly a month ago with her mother on their way to school in Columbia Heights, the same district as 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos. A measles outbreak at the deten...

An 11-year-old girl from Columbia Heights remains in ICE detention at the Dilley, Texas facility — where measles cases have been reported — sparking concern among family, community members and advocates.

Rep. Kelly Morrison describes 'horrifying' conditions inside Whipple building Rep. Kelly Morrison describes cold temperatures, shackling and lack of medical care inside a Minneapolis ICE holding site after a judge restored congressional access.

“This is a reckless operation. It's tearing communities apart, and it's traumatizing our neighbors,” Rep. Kelly Morrison said after visiting the Whipple Federal Building. She also described the atmosphere inside as chaotic, disorganized and unsafe.

Tired of living in fear, this family decided to deport themselves An immigrant family from Ecuador said they felt like prisoners in their Minneapolis home.

“We didn’t come here with bad intentions,” Segundo said. “We came here to work. Now we are afraid to stay. We’re afraid to go outside.” www.startribune.com/tired-of-liv...