Is Minnesota holding criminals from ICE
Executive summary
Minnesota is a site of active ICE operations—agents have arrested and processed people in the state, and federal planning envisions expanded detention capacity in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest [1] [2]. Reporting from multiple outlets, however, shows many of those detained in Minnesota are refugees or children without criminal records, prompting lawsuits, court orders and widespread local protests rather than a simple picture of the state “holding criminals for ICE” [3] [4] [5].
1. ICE is operating arrests and processing in Minnesota, but that is federal activity, not state incarceration policy
Federal immigration agents have carried out sweeps and arrests in Minnesota this month and processed detainees in local holding facilities before transferring some out of state, an operation DHS has described as unprecedented in scale [1] [6]. Those actions reflect ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations activity rather than a change in Minnesota law; state materials describe how local jails and facilities may house ICE detainees and provide contact information for the federal ERO office in Minnesota, indicating a mix of arrangements where federal custody can be exercised inside state facilities [7].
2. Many people detained in Minnesota are not documented criminals; high-profile cases involve refugees and children
Investigations and reporting show that more than 100 refugees with no criminal record have been arrested in Minnesota and flown to detention centers in Texas for interviews and processing, undermining the narrative that these detentions are limited to convicted criminals [3]. Multiple outlets documented that at least nine children and several families were detained in Minnesota, including a five-year-old and other minors, sparking federal judges to issue orders restricting out‑of‑state transfers and prompting emergency legal interventions [4] [8] [6].
3. Federal plans would expand regional detention capacity centered in Minnesota, fueling local conflict
Internal ICE and DHS planning documents seen by reporting contemplate a multi-state detention and transportation network anchored in Minnesota, including proposals to resurrect shuttered private prisons and convert warehouses into mega‑facilities that could house thousands and facilitate long‑distance transfers—moves that have generated local opposition in Appleton, Woodbury and other communities [2] [9]. Private prison operators such as CoreCivic have signaled interest in such contracts and planning documents anticipate procurement activity in early 2026, indicating that Minnesota could become a logistics hub for broader ICE operations [2].
4. Legal challenges, civil‑liberties groups and local officials contest ICE tactics in Minnesota
The ACLU and its Minnesota affiliate have filed suits challenging warrantless stops, suspicionless arrests and alleged racial profiling by ICE and CBP in the state, and civil‑rights lawyers are pursuing class actions tied to recent enforcement activity [5]. Courts have already intervened to bar certain transfers and to order returns of children and parents removed to Texas, signaling judicial pushback against aspects of the federal operation [10] [4].
5. Political narratives and policing cooperation complicate the claim that Minnesota is “holding criminals for ICE”
Some federal and conservative commentators frame the operations as necessary to detain dangerous individuals and to restore cooperation with local law enforcement, while Minnesota officials and many state leaders argue the tactics target communities legally seeking asylum and amount to a federal overreach or “invasion” of local jurisdictions [11] [1]. Reporting shows the reality is mixed: ICE is detaining people in Minnesota and using local facilities at times [7], but the detained population includes non‑criminal asylum seekers and children—facts that undercut a blanket assertion that Minnesota is simply “holding criminals” on behalf of ICE [3] [4].
6. Bottom line: Minnesota is being used as a locus of ICE detention and processing, but evidence does not support the simple claim that the state is holding criminals for ICE
Federal ICE operations are active in Minnesota and the federal government is planning expanded detention logistics in the region [2] [1], local jails can and do house ICE detainees under federal custody [7], and transfers to out‑of‑state family facilities have occurred [4]. Yet multiple credible reports find that many detained people are refugees or children without criminal records and that courts and civil‑liberties groups are challenging the arrests—so the factual record supports saying Minnesota is hosting ICE detentions, not that Minnesota is broadly “holding criminals” on ICE’s behalf [3] [8] [5].