Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's Twin Cities visit is sparking immigration protests on Friday.
Noem is set to discuss immigration enforcement in St. Paul at the The Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building that houses the regional Immigration Court and other Department of Homeland Security offices.
The speech is exptected to discuss ICE operations and provide an update on the Trump Administration's immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities.
That visit and speech is triggering a response from protestors.
"We stand here so they know that there is resistance all across the country, all across the country," Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee member Myrka Zambrano told WCCO Radio. "New York, Portland, Chicago, and Minneapolis say we want ICE out of our cities and we will scream it as loud as we need to."
Some demonstrators say they worry this appearance will set the stage for the Trump administration to send the national guard to Minnesota, similar to what has happened in Chicago, Portland, and Washington D.C.
Early Friday, President Donald Trump said he was backing off a planned surge of federal agents into San Francisco after speaking to the mayor, as protesters gathered outside a U.S. Coast Guard base where they were located.
Trump posted on social media Thursday that Mayor Daniel Lurie said the city was making progress in reducing crime. Trump said he agreed to let San Francisco keep trying on its own.
Noem’s adress in the Twin Cities is set for 4:30 Friday afternoon.
"Whatever Kristi Noem and all the rest of them say or decide later today, now is the time for us to join together against this threat," added Co-Chair of The Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, Brooke Bartholomew.
In response to the visit, Mayor Jacob Frey issued a statement offering support for the city's immigrants.
“Minneapolis doesn’t flinch when it comes to our values,” said Frey. “We stand with our immigrant neighbors — not just in words, but in the laws we’ve passed, the policies we enforce, and the way we show up for each other every day.”
Frey goes on to say the city is focused on stopping crime and that immigration raids "don't make us safer."
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter also weighed in, saying they're aware of federal employees, including ICE and border patrol agents who are 'converging' in the Twin Cities ahead of the speech.
"Though we aren't aware of planned enforcement activity, I understand and share concerns about what this could signal," said Carter in a statement. "Remember you have rights."
Carter added that Saint Paul police officers will always identify themselves, and won't be wearing face coverings, a nod to the controversial practice by some ICE officers to cover their faces.