City: 30 arrests, some damage caused during raucous ICE protest in downtown Minneapolis

Paul Walsh, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jan 10, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — A raucous protest in downtown Minneapolis against ramped-up immigration enforcement Jan. 9 led to arrests and modest property damage but no reported injuries, city officials say.

Two days after an ICE agent killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Portland Avenue in Minneapolis, about a thousand people converged outside the Canopy by Hilton and Depot Renaissance hotels Friday night, working on the belief that ICE agents were being housed there.

The protesters blew whistles and banged drums to create a cacophony of noise combined with shining lights on windows, tactics commonly used to disrupt agents’ rest and create an unwelcome atmosphere.

Officials said police made 30 arrests for blocking roads and damaging property. All were soon released from custody, the city said.

The Depot Renaissance Hotel has approximately $6,000 in damage from broken windows and graffiti.

At about 8:30 p.m., early on in the gathering, police were alerted to a driver heading toward a building but found no visible damage in the area.

“Preliminary information indicates that a possibly intoxicated woman parked the vehicle, walked around the area and entered a nearby hotel prior to officers’ arrival,” the city said in its account. “While investigating, a crowd formed around officers, but they were able to leave the area. One officer has minor injuries that did not require medical attention.”

Throughout the evening, the crowd moved downtown, at times walking in and blocking traffic. Some people threw snow, ice and rocks at officers, police vehicles and other vehicles, according to the city’s account.

Around 9:45 p.m., a group of people returned to the Canopy Hotel and forced their way in through an alley entrance. Hotel security controlled the situation, and people left.

About 10:15 p.m., police declared declared an unlawful assembly and issued multiple dispersal orders as about 200 law enforcement officers formed lines and moved in to corral the remaining protesters. Some people were detained, cited and released. The main crowd began to disperse.

A smaller group continued moving through downtown. Others remained near the Canopy Hotel, where additional dispersal orders were issued, and more individuals were detained and cited. The unlawful assembly declaration ended around 1 a.m.

Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department, the State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources assisted throughout the night.

“I’m inspired by the countless community members who have showed up to provide food, advocate for justice and keep the peace,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement. “For the vast majority who have ensured we don’t take the bait from the Trump administration, I’m grateful. But if anyone causes property damage or puts others in danger, they will be arrested.”

City officials also reminded the public about what forms of protest are legal and which are not.

“People have the right to peacefully protest and exercise their First Amendment rights,” the city said in a statement Saturday. “People can assemble peacefully in public spaces and on sidewalks, not roadways or freeways. They can carry signs and chant. They cannot throw objects, start fires or damage property. They also cannot use fireworks or weapons.”