Minnesota Department of Corrections officials say DHS claims about ICE detainers misrepresent state prison custody and department records.
public safety
Posted inLocal & State
Representative Ilhan Omar assaulted with syringe during North Minneapolis town hall
A man was arrested after spraying Rep. Ilhan Omar with an unknown substance during a town hall meeting in north Minneapolis.
Posted inLocal & State
Family gassed in North Mpls ICE melee
A North Minneapolis family, including an infant, was hospitalized after ICE agents used chemical irritants and stun grenades during a January 14 protest, according to witnesses.
Posted inLocal & State
AG Ellison says feds persecuting Minnesota for its politics
Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul filed federal lawsuits seeking to block a large-scale ICE deployment, citing constitutional violations, state sovereignty concerns, and public safety risks.
Posted inLocal & State
In the Heart of Minneapolis’ Urban Indian Community, a Warming Center Becomes a Lifeline
As dangerously cold temperatures grip Minnesota, Indigenous-led organizations in Minneapolis are responding to heightened ICE enforcement and life-threatening winter conditions by opening a culturally grounded warming shelter for unsheltered Native relatives.
Posted inLocal & State
These new laws take effect in Minnesota as 2026 arrives
Minnesota enters 2026 with major new laws in effect, including paid family and medical leave, clearer worker break requirements, a minimum wage increase, new protections for vulnerable adults, and changes to voting, water use, boating fees, and hunting rules.
Posted inLocal & State
Cedar-Riverside neighbors show up, deter ICE raids
Cedar-Riverside residents and lawmakers met to address the impact of ICE raids, share community concerns, and encourage support for Somali and African American neighbors and businesses.
Posted inLocal & State
U.S. stops processing immigrant requests following D.C. shooting
WASHINGTON — Following a Thanksgiving Day shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one National Guard member dead and another critically injured, the Trump administration announced Friday it is halting all asylum decisions, citing public safety concerns. Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said the agency is pausing decisions “until we can […]
Posted inLocal & State
Minnesota’s Somali community at center of national debate over TPS, fraud claims
The Somali American community in Minnesota has become a focal point of national controversy following President Donald Trump’s November 21 announcement calling for the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants. The president linked the community to widespread fraud in state programs, sparking pushback from civil rights groups, political leaders, and local officials. […]
Posted inLocal & State
Future of George Floyd Square still in doubt
A last ditch effort is underway at Minneapolis City Hall to revive a mixed use redevelopment plan for George Floyd Square. The intersection has been at the center of debate for years as council members, residents and community groups clash over whether the site should become a pedestrian mall or remain fully accessible to transit. With a new report due in early December and the current council’s final meeting approaching, the future of the square hangs in the balance.
Posted inLocal & State
Federal ‘POLICE’ raid on St. Paul business creates fear, confusion
Masked federal agents raided the Bro Tex facility in St. Paul without warning, detaining workers and frightening nearby families. City officials say they had no advance notice and stressed that St. Paul police were not involved. Advocates and civil rights groups condemned the use of unidentified agents and the use of force on protesters, warning that the raid eroded public trust and left immigrant and marginalized communities feeling unsafe.
Posted inLocal & State
MPD accused of hiding lethal incompetence
Davis Moturi is alive to tell his story. Allison Lussier, an Indigenous woman, and Mariah Samuels, a Black woman, are not. The pattern is tragically familiar: people of color repeatedly calling 911, warning police about violent neighbors or ex-partners, doing everything authorities ask, only to be met with inaction. Lussier and Samuels were killed this […]
Posted inLocal & State
Waymo Brings Self-Driving Cars to Minneapolis, Raising Big Questions About Safety, Jobs, and the Future of Transit
Waymo has begun testing self driving vehicles in Minneapolis, launching a major conversation about safety, winter performance, jobs, and the future of transportation in Minnesota.
Posted inLocal & State
Courtroom protesters demand ‘No More Stolen Lives’
Families, activists expose gaps in domestic violence protections Allison Lussier’s life ended in a North Loop apartment in February 2024, but questions surrounding her death continue to reverberate through Minneapolis. Family members and Indigenous activists say the system failed Lussier, a 29-year-old woman with a history of domestic abuse, and are calling for accountability as […]
Posted inLocal & State
Families say MPD fails to protect women of color
Under gray skies on the afternoon of Oct. 30, relatives of two women, one Black, one Indigenous, gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center accusing Minneapolis police and city officials of failing to protect women of color from domestic violence. The families came seeking justice for Mariah Samuels, a 30-year-old African American mother who was […]
Posted inLocal & State
MPD domestic violence unit understaffed
With no High Risk Team, more deaths likely Hennepin County District 2 Commissioner Irene Fernando said the city failed to assign an investigator to the domestic violence case of Mariah Samuels before her death, despite internal claims that one had been appointed. “The letter says that an investigator was assigned,” Fernando said at a press […]
Posted inOpinion
What Black women want and what Virginia needs
All skinfolk ain’t kinfolk. This admonishment came from novelist and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, one of the most prolific Black literary figures of the 20th century. Tracy Chiles McGhee, a Zora Neale Hurston biographer, shares context, noting this reference is loosely drawn from Hurston’s 1942 autobiography, “Dust Tracks on a Road.” Zora unapologetically leaned into […]
Posted inPolitics
Minneapolis mayoral candidates debate key issues ahead of Nov. 4 election
At the MPR News and Star Tribune mayoral debate, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and his three primary challengers outlined sharp contrasts on minimum wage, public safety, and ranked choice voting strategy ahead of the November election.
Posted inPolitics
Gun control divides St. Paul mayoral candidates
St. Paul’s mayoral candidates clashed over gun policy during a public debate. Mayor Melvin Carter outlined a proposal to restrict assault-style weapons, while Rep. Kaohly Her and Yan Chen questioned its legality and effectiveness. The exchange highlighted sharp differences on public safety, housing, and riverfront development ahead of the November 5 election.
Posted inPolitics
A Mayoral Forum for Minneapolis’ Future to Center Community Voices and Black Leadership
The African American Leadership Forum will host a community-driven mayoral forum on Oct. 15 at the Capri Theater, centering accountability, care, and collective leadership. Confirmed participants include Mayor Jacob Frey, State Sen. Omar Fateh, Brenda Short, and Rev. Dewayne Davis. Free; registration encouraged.