~100 Clergy Arrested at MSP Airport in Protest Against ICE Deportation Flights
About 100 clergy members were arrested Friday at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, organizers and multiple news outlets reported. The arrests came as faith leaders gathered to call attention to deportation flights and a broader federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.
The protest was part of a coordinated “Day of Truth and Freedom” statewide action that also included business shutdowns, marches and labor support, aimed at drawing attention to what activists describe as harmful federal operations. Demonstrators knelt, prayed and sang in subzero temperatures outside airport terminals before law enforcement began taking participants into custody.
According to organizers, clergy and supporters gathered to urge airlines and aviation companies — especially Delta and Signature Aviation — to stop contracting deportation flights connected with the Department of Homeland Security.
Airport officials said they had worked in advance with protest leaders to accommodate freedom of expression, but said the permitted activity was exceeded and that officers moved in to protect safety and airport access.
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“Today’s peaceful expression of deeply held beliefs at MSP was disrupted when protesters blocked terminal access beyond agreed terms,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Commission said in a statement.
The arrests at MSP come amid heightened tensions statewide over federal immigration enforcement that has drawn thousands of protesters to marches and walkouts. Activists have linked the protests to recent controversial actions involving ICE and community members.
In the coming days, organizers say they will press for policy changes and continue demonstrations in the Twin Cities and beyond, with additional rallies scheduled this weekend. The tension between local protest movements and federal enforcement efforts is likely to keep Minnesota in the national spotlight.
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