ICE arrests in Minnesota include decades-old deportation orders

Emmy Martin, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Dec 13, 2025

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MINNEAPOLIS — Federal immigration authorities say they have arrested more than 400 people in Minnesota this month, including several with long-standing deportation orders that were never carried out.

Some men arrested recently were ordered removed as far back as 2000 but continued living in the state for decades, according to a Department of Homeland Security news release.

The agency blamed “sanctuary policies.” Attorneys say that’s misleading.

“The whole deportation removal mechanism, that is all the responsibility of the federal government,” said Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

She said “sanctuary” rules limit whether federal agents can use local police, jails or resources to conduct immigration enforcement, but they do not stop ICE from arresting or deporting anyone with a removal order.

“Anybody who was checking in with the federal government on a regular basis has to update their address,” Decker said. “They always have to update their address anytime they move. The federal government always had access to that information. And so the federal government really is the responsible entity here.”

So how can someone have a deportation order for years or decades and remain in the United States?

Attorneys who work in immigration law say the answer lies in the complexities of the federal system and often has little to do with politics or local law enforcement.

One of the most common barriers, Decker said, is that a person’s home country refuses to accept them. When that happens, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, cannot carry out the order. After a legally limited period of detention, the person is released under supervision and must regularly check in with federal officials. Many also receive work authorization during that time.

Others issued removal orders can also win a “withholding of removal,” a protection for those who would face persecution, torture or serious harm if returned to their country of origin. Their deportation order technically remains on paper, but the government is prohibited from sending them back.

Decker said one major change under the Trump administration is the use of third-country agreements. In cases where a person cannot be returned to their home country, ICE may now deport them to another country willing to accept them, even if they have no ties there.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. In a news release, Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey let criminals “roam free.”

On Thursday the Minneapolis City Council strengthened the separation ordinance that prevents city staff and resources from assisting immigration enforcement.

“The city can’t be blamed for the federal government’s own operational challenges that are the result of chaos, poor management and actions that target American citizens,” Frey’s office said in a statement. “Our ordinance means that we won’t do ICE’s job for them or participate in their cruel attacks on our neighbors.”