'Saint Paul police did the dirty work' Accountability Demanded After East Side ICE Raid

Community members, organizers, journalists, and residents are demanding accountability following an ICE raid on Saint Paul’s East Side on November 25 that left neighbors terrorized and resulted in injury to peaceful observers and members of the press after Saint Paul Police deployed tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and pepper ball munitions.

At a press conference held Monday, December 8, at Saint Paul City Hall, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence (FSFAPV), Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Indigenous Roots, and the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) delivered a unified message: what happened on November 25 was deliberate, unlawful, and cannot be normalized or ignored.

Organizers referenced live-streamed video, eyewitness testimony, and internal police sources showing collaboration between ICE, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Saint Paul Police Department, despite city ordinances intended to prohibit such cooperation.

“Collective punishment of an entire neighborhood”

Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality outlined what she described as multiple violations of Minnesota’s post–George Floyd model policing policy.

“People who were not violating the law in any way were pepper sprayed directly in the face,” said Michelle Gross of CUAPB.

“Chemical munitions were used as collective punishment and fired into a residential neighborhood. Then police fired rubber bullets and pepper balls blindly through the gas, including at clearly identified journalists.”

Michelle also condemned the City Council for refusing to allow public discussion of the raid, despite promising to address it. “Silencing the community compounds the harm,” she said. “This creates liability for the city and deepens trauma.”

Journalists under attack

Emmy Award–winning journalist Georgia Fort, founder of BLCK Press, delivered a strong rebuke of city leadership and law enforcement.

Speaking not only as a journalist, but as a lifelong East Sider, mother and business owner, Georgia Fort described the raid as a profound violation of constitutional rights and community trust.

“I stand here as someone who grew up on the East Side, whose children go to school blocks from where this raid happened,” she said. “It has been heartbreaking to watch our Latino, Somali, and immigrant neighbors have their families ripped apart. We should all be deeply concerned by the way that their due process has been stripped away.”

Three photojournalists who covered a federal immigration arrest say they believe police targeted them for doing their jobs. They were hit by pepper balls or other less-lethal munitions as they documented the events. While live-streaming, Georgia ultimately made the decision to retreat.

“And I told the 1,200 people watching in real time, I can't give you coverage because I need to get home to my kids. That should not be the reality for journalists who are documenting what's happening in our community, unless we're all saying that we no longer have constitutional rights.”

Georgia warned that attacks on journalists are not isolated incidents but part of a broader effort to intimidate and silence truth-tellers. She was shot with a rubber bullet and tear gassed in 2021 while covering protests following the killing of Daunte Wright, without any accountability since.

“The violation of our rights has become so normalized it doesn’t even make headlines anymore,” Georgia said. “People are not outraged.”

She also challenged elected officials who claim fear or limitations when confronting federal abuses. “Local officials absolutely have the power to protect constitutional rights at the local level,” Georgia said. “If you’re unwilling to use that power, step aside and allow someone with courage to lead.”

Speaking directly to fellow journalists, Georgia issued a clear warning:

“You cannot be neutral about the dismantling of democracy and still expect its protections. If you stay silent while your audience’s rights are violated, don’t be surprised when yours are too.”

“SPPD did the dirty work for ICE”

Matriarch Mary Anne Quiroz of Indigenous Roots said community members formed a peaceful human chain outside a Rose Avenue home where ICE and HSI were operating without a warrant. “St. Paul Police were not there to protect East Siders,” Mary Anne said. “They were there to protect ICE.”

Community witnesses Chino and Ruti described being tear gassed and shot with munitions while asking officers for badge numbers, a legal right acknowledged by Saint Paul mayor Melvin Carter  himself.

Community witnesses Chino and Ruti want to know why police escalated force even after ICE agents had completed their operation and left the area. Chino said that internal police sources confirmed that Saint Paul police officers were deployed specifically for ICE crowd control, a direct contradiction of the city’s separation ordinance.

TCC4J organizer Jae Yates framed the raid in the context of nationwide ICE operations and escalating police violence.

“This is not about crime,” said Jae Yates from TCC4J. “Violent crime is down. Police violence is up. What we’re witnessing is subjugation and control.”

Jae emphasized solidarity between Black, immigrant, Indigenous, and working-class communities. “Our liberation is tied together,” they said. “And that’s why we demand community control of police.”

Calls to Action

Community members are urging residents to show up to the Saint Paul City Council meeting on Wednesday, December 10, at 3:30 p.m. and pack City Hall to demand answers, accountability and the right to be heard. Speakers also unanimously called for:

• A public apology from city leadership

• An independent and transparent investigation

• Discipline for officers involved

• An end to collaboration between SPPD and ICE