Police in Minnesota began arresting anti-ICE agitators outside a hotel on Monday after authorities stated that the demonstration escalated and was “no longer considered peaceful,” prompting officers to declare an unlawful assembly.
The demonstrators were outside the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Maple Grove, Minnesota, where they thought US Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was staying.
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President Donald Trump announced that Bovino and many of his agents would be leaving Minneapolis as part of a leadership reshuffle in carrying out his immigration crackdown, amidst bipartisan scrutiny of the immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, which intensified after agents killed an American recording Border Patrol activity over the weekend.
Border czar Tom Homan is set to lead the campaign in the state.
Maple Grove police said officers responded to complaints of a demonstration at the hotel on Monday, which escalated when agitators allegedly began throwing objects at officers and causing property damage.
Police declared an unlawful gathering and issued a dispersal order, leading to the arrest of numerous individuals who refused to leave, according to authorities.
“The Maple Grove Police Department respects and upholds the First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully assemble and express their views. Our priority remains the safety and security of all residents, visitors, and property within our community,” a spokesperson for the police department said in a statement to KSTP.
“At that point, the activity was no longer considered peaceful. Individuals participating in criminal acts are not protected under the First Amendment and were subject to arrest,” the spokesperson added.
The Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and Hennepin Public Order Group all arrived at the scene to aid Maple Grove cops.
The decision to remove Bovino from Minneapolis occurred after he drew criticism for his baseless allegations that Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old US citizen murdered by Border Patrol agents, wanted to “massacre” law police, a phrase the White House has distanced the president from.
Border Patrol agents shot and killed Pretti on Saturday while documenting federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. Pretti, an ICU nurse, appeared to be attempting to assist a female agent when he was doused with an irritant, shoved to the ground, and beaten. An agent was observed taking Pretti’s revolver from his waistband before other agents shot and killed him.
Some reports stated Bovino was removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and will return to his former job as chief patrol agent in El Centro, California, but Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said he has “NOT been relieved of his duties” and remains a “key part of the President’s team.”
The White House also sought to distance itself from comments made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who referred to Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, who described him as a “would-be assassin,” with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that she has “not heard the president characterize” Pretti in that manner.
The shooting of Pretti came after recent protests over the ICE-involved homicide of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis earlier this month.
