Approximately 100 clergy members were arrested at the US Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport during a protest against US immigration enforcement. The faith leaders were taken into custody by local police after blocking roads at the airport’s Terminal 1 departures area, as reported by the group Faith in Minnesota. The protesters were urging airlines, particularly Delta Air Lines and Signature Aviation, to cease cooperation with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota.
Tensions rose following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother and US citizen, by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7 during an immigration enforcement operation. This incident led to daily protests across the Minneapolis area. At the airport, clergy members gathered to pray, sing hymns, and share stories of individuals detained by ICE, according to organizers. Faith in Minnesota highlighted that the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has deported around 2,000 people, with reports of ICE arresting 12 airport workers.
The airport demonstrations were part of a larger mobilization known as “ICE Out of Minnesota: A Day of Truth and Freedom.” Organizing groups revealed that over 700 businesses statewide closed in solidarity, advocating for an economic blackout where residents were encouraged not to work, shop, or attend school. Additionally, protesters obstructed an access road to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, home to ICE facilities, maintaining their position for hours. Prior to dispersal orders, protesters reportedly threw ice chunks at vehicles, resulting in broken windows, as per the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
