St. Paul Says ICE Illegally Detained Snow-Plow Driver With Work Authorization
St. Paul officials confirm an ICE detainment involving a city snow-plow driver with work authorization that has ignited concern and conflict in Minnesota.
The city alleges that the Public Works employee was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week while on duty and later transferred to a detention facility in El Paso, Texas — a move officials call unjustified and harmful given his medical needs.
Public Works Director Sean Kershaw told Fox 9 that the worker was legally authorized to work in the United States and held a valid commercial driver’s license, but was nonetheless detained by federal agents. City leaders say he has a serious medical condition requiring strict treatment that complicates his transfer out of state.
The detainment has become a flashpoint amid the larger immigration enforcement campaign known as Operation Metro Surge, which has drawn protests and legal challenges from Minneapolis and St. Paul officials. The surge has also coincided with other controversial ICE encounters in the Twin Cities, including detentions of locals and a fatal shooting by an ICE agent that prompted statewide backlash.
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“This is a detention that never should have happened,” Kershaw said, asserting that the city carefully vets workers’ federal immigration status through background checks.
City leaders argue that the ICE action — particularly the out-of-state transfer — raises questions about enforcement priorities and local harm. Supporters have started a GoFundMe to assist the worker’s family with medical and living expenses.
The incident adds to mounting tension between federal immigration actions and local authorities challenging the scope and methods of current enforcement. Legal questions about civil rights and process may play out in upcoming court battles.
Officials say they will continue seeking answers and assistance for the detained employee as the case develops.
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