ICE Agents Tackle, Pepper-Spray U.S. Citizens in Minneapolis; “Operation Metro Surge” Sparks Fear, Fury in Somali Community

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Federal immigration agents are waging open war on American soil, violently detaining U.S. citizens, unleashing chemical weapons on crowds, and terrorizing a whole community under orders from the top.

This is not a border. This is Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis. And this is the shocking reality of ICE’s “Operation Metro Surge.”

SHOVED TO THE PAVEMENT: “I’M A CITIZEN!”
On Tuesday, in a scene ripped from an authoritarian crackdown, ICE agents sprinted after a Somali-American man, tackled him to the ground, and slapped him in cuffs—all as he desperately shouted he was a U.S. citizen and shoved his ID in their faces.

They took him anyway. He was hauled to an ICE office, forcibly fingerprinted, and held until bureaucracy finally confirmed what he screamed on the street: He is an American. This is what “surge” looks like: the arrest of a citizen on a public sidewalk.

PEPPER SPRAY AND PANIC
Just one day earlier,on Monday, the same neighborhood choked on clouds of pepper spray. ICE agents, conducting ID checks, fired the chemical irritant directly at a crowd of protesters who dared to block their vehicles. No arrests. Just punishment by aerosol.

The message is clear: comply or burn.

THE SURGE IS HERE
The violence flows directly from Washington.On December 4th, ICE proudly announced “Operation Metro Surge,” a dragnet targeting “criminal illegal aliens.” But the first week’s carnage tells a different story: citizens detained, crowds gassed, and a community paralyzed by fear.

People now carry passports to go to the grocery store. Businesses are empty. In a stunning act of solidarity, Latino shops are now offering free delivery to Somalis too afraid to leave their homes.

TRUMP: “TERMINATE” AND “GARBAGE”
The fuel on this fire?President Donald Trump. He has labeled Somali immigrants “garbage” and officially terminated their Temporary Protected Status (TPS), signing a death warrant for thousands. The rhetoric from the top has given agents the green light for chaos on the ground.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FIGHT BACK
While federal agents raid,local leaders are rebelling. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has banned the use of city property to stage these raids. The St. Paul City Council is demanding an investigation after its own police force fired pepper balls and chemical irritants at protesters last month.

But it may be too little, too late. The rule book has been shredded. The surge is on.

COMMUNITY UNDER SIEGE
“The fear is everywhere,”a community leader told WAPMEN, voice trembling. “We are hunting for groceries, not freedom, in the land of the free.” The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) has formed an emergency task force, urging anyone confronted by ICE to call 612-206-3360 immediately.

This is a developing story. WAPMEN is  monitoring the situation on the ground. Stay with us.

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