video she posted on X.
Videos posted online and submitted to Sahan Journal by witnesses show a large Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence, including an armored vehicle that blocked a portion of the street at about 7:30 a.m.
Noem said the man has criminal convictions in Ecuador and is currently wanted for murder and sexual assault in his home nation. He was handcuffed and escorted out of his apartment by dozens of heavily armed agents, according to the video she posted.
Noem’s presence comes as immigration agents are inundating the Twin Cities. An additional 2,000 ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents were reportedly deployed to Minnesota this week, according to CBS News. Sahan Journal has not been able to verify the number.
The deployment is swelling the ranks of ICE in Minnesota, which began an effort dubbed Operation Metro Surge in December. The most recent surge in agents is expected to last 30 days and include U.S. Border Patrol agents, CBS reported.
Shortly after 8 a.m. this morning, the official Department of Homeland Security (DHS) account on X posted, “Good morning Minneapolis!” Videos posted by Noem and DHS reference Minneapolis but were taken in St. Paul.
The influx is sparking fear in the Twin Cities, immigrant advocates told Sahan Journal. It comes in the wake of a series of right-wing media reports about fraud scandals in Minnesota.
On Tuesday morning, a flurry of activity hit social media pages and chat groups tracking ICE activity in the Twin Cities. ICE agents have been documented in immigrant hubs along East Lake Street in Minneapolis, on the West Side of St. Paul and in Bloomington.
The Department of Homeland Security did not directly respond to messages seeking information on the increased deployment in Minnesota and Noem’s visit. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a written statement that DHS has arrested more than 1,000 people in Minnesota, and declined to elaborate on Noem’s visit or ICE activity.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
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