Federal agents made multiple arrests in St. Paul Tuesday morning, sparking a hostile reaction from local protesters.
A large force of federal agents from ICE, FBI, and DEA carried out an operation inside and near the Bro-Tex LLC building in St. Paul, resulting in at least two men being taken into custody.
One man who lives in the neighborhood near the facility reacted to the incident saying the people working at the facility shouldn't be targeted.
"They are people who are in our country and are being brutalized with our tax dollars, and if you don't have anything to say about that, then I think that's shameful," he told WCCO.
The presence of the armed agents drew a growing, agitated crowd of protesters, leading to multiple physical altercations, according to witnesses. One witness tells WCCO Radio that pepper spray was deployed by the agents before they departed and the scene dispersed.
The witness WCCO spoke to added that Minneapolis and St. Paul has a community of people ready to support any federal operation targeting undocumented people.
"We support them, regardless of whether you're documented, he explains. "Everybody in this country is entitled to due process, and that is what we expect and demand. And any actions that go against that will be vigorously opposed like you guys saw here today."
In a statement, St. Paul's Mayor, Melvin Carter, says they're monitoring the situation, and adds any St. Paul law enforcement officials will identify themselves.
"There is active ICE operations under way today in Saint Paul," says Carter. "I was on the scene at BroTex this morning and am in close communication with our City Attorney's Office and police department. Though we don't have many details right now, I share the concern and fear this raises for our workers, families, and entire community."