FOIA Files

Emails Reveal Details About ICE Surge in Minneapolis

Police logs say an ICE agent was “trapped in his car” and pelted with snowballs. Police also logged numerous calls about ICE agents patrolling schools and allegedly “harassing children.”

Former US Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino with federal agents during a protest outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Jan. 15.Photographer: Octavio Jones/AFP/Getty Images

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By Jason Leopold

March 27, 2026 at 2:30 PM UTC

Welcome back to another edition of FOIA Files! In January, videos emerged from Minneapolis that captured the shooting deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. In the immediate aftermath of the killings, Minnesota law enforcement officials tried to collaborate with the FBI on investigations into the twin deaths, but they were shut out by the bureau, which took sole control of the probes. The FBI’s refusal to cooperate prompted me to file a public records request with the city of Minneapolis for documents that I hoped would shed light on the matter. Earlier this week, city officials turned over 332 pages of emails and other documents from Minneapolis Chief of Police Brian O’Hara. If you’re not already getting FOIA Files in your inbox, sign up here.

The surge of immigration agents to Minneapolis in December followed weeks of incendiary comments by President Donald Trump about the Somali community (who he blamed for massive fraud schemes in the state) and fiery retorts by state and local officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The agents’ presence combined with the aggressive manner of the immigration arrests sparked huge protests that lasted nearly two months and captured the nation’s attention.