Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to travel to Minneapolis on Thursday to meet with ICE agents and local leaders, reinforcing federal support amid rising violence against immigration officials. The visit comes as protests escalate, including a church disruption in St. Paul and federal subpoenas to Minnesota officials following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent. White House officials describe Minnesota as 'ground zero' for anti-ICE activities.
Vice President JD Vance will head to Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Thursday, described by White House officials as "ground zero" for anti-ICE violence, protesting, and rioting. Before arriving, Vance is set to deliver remarks at an industrial shipping facility in Toledo, Ohio, on President Donald Trump's commitments to lowering prices, increasing paychecks, and creating jobs in the Midwest. In Minneapolis, he plans a roundtable discussion with local leaders and community members, followed by remarks and a meeting with ICE agents to "reinforce the White House’s unwavering support for federal immigration officials."
The White House accuses Minnesota Democrats of neglecting fraud in the state, undermining ICE investigations into "criminal wrongdoing." Officials claim sanctuary city policies have "degraded public safety and endangered ICE officers." Vance will highlight the administration’s "commitment to restoring law and order" and celebrate ICE's work in removing "dangerous, criminal illegal aliens" from streets.
Tensions stem from the January 7, 2026, fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE agent during operations in Minneapolis. Good was reportedly part of an anti-ICE group. Assaults on ICE officers have surged over 1,000% and death threats by 8,000% since Trump's return to office. Radical groups like "ICE out of Twin Ports" have posted guides on Instagram urging "white folks" to "put their bodies in the way" to de-arrest black detainees and thwart police.
On Sunday, protesters from the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Twin Cities stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, chanting and yelling, ending the service early. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon filmed the event, questioning the pastor. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, in a CNN interview, blamed ICE for entering "sacred" spaces like schools, saying, "ICE has led the way in their charge of going onto school properties... And so we responded the exact same way we would have at any place of worship."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged arrests for the church disruption, potentially under the FACE Act, which protects religious freedom. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon noted possible charges including conspiracy under the Ku Klux Klan Act. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has refused to prosecute locally.
The Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Ellison, and Her, probing alleged conspiracy to impede enforcement after Good's shooting. Frey called it intimidation, while Ellison accused Trump of weaponizing the system. ICE's Samuel Olsen said arrests of agitators are now daily, diverting from core missions. Duluth protests are planned for Thursday and Friday against local-ICE collaboration, though Police Chief Mike Ceynowa denied immigration enforcement involvement.
