At least 12 anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators were arrested Thursday night after a massive crowd gathered outside a Hilton hotel in Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota.
Video showed a small group of agitators gathering outside the Graduate by Hilton Hotel at around 9 p.m., with the crowd swelling to an estimated 150 to 175 people.
Agitators were seen blowing whistles, banging pots and pans, shaking metal barricades and striking the rails set up outside the property. One person was also seen playing what appeared to be a trombone.
Roughly two hours later, officers were seen descending on the scene with police declaring an unlawful assembly over a loudspeaker and ordering the crowd to disperse. Footage also showed a brief standoff between police and remaining agitators before the crowd thinned.
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In a statement, the university said 12 people were arrested in total — 11 for disorderly conduct and one for damage to property.
The university said officers issued five separate orders to disperse before making arrests. Authorities said agitators had been allowed to assemble outside the hotel for more than 13 hours across four separate protest events before police intervened, citing the need to balance free speech rights with public safety.
“The University and UMPD, as part of our mission, support the right to engage in peaceful protest and are committed to the safety of our campus community,” the university said in a statement.
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University officials said the Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis is not owned or operated by the university, but sits on university-owned land, making campus police responsible for law enforcement at the site.
Demonstrations have occurred weekly since January, usually on Thursdays, over claims that ICE agents had previously stayed at the hotel.
It comes as border czar Tom Homan announced the immediate drawdown of 700 personnel from Minnesota, effective Wednesday, though 2,000 officers will remain.
Minneapolis has become a flash point for clashes between federal immigration enforcement agents and agitators, particularly after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
