Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Tensions in Minnestoa continues to rise.
A section of a busy roadway in south Minneapolis became the focus of attention this week after a group of anti-ICE activists briefly stopped traffic to monitor what they said was federal enforcement activity, Fox News and CBS News reports.
Videos from the scene showed civilians questioning drivers and checking vehicles on a public street, prompting a response from city officials amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
Street checkpoint
Footage posted on social media showed several individuals standing near traffic cones and makeshift barricades on Cedar Avenue, stopping or flagging down vehicles as they entered the Powderhorn neighborhood.
In one video a masked individual dressed in black approaches a driver and asks whether he is affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“It looks like in our system that your plates come up as an ICE plate,” the individual says, before later adding, “That doesn’t seem like it’s the case.”
The driver is then allowed to continue. At one point, a voice off camera is heard saying, “He’s clearly Somalian.”
City action
A city spokesperson told CBS News that the barriers were later removed.
“Given the high-traffic and high-speed block of roadways on Cedar Ave., the City cleared the streets to ensure public safety for the neighborhoods and emergency vehicles,” the spokesperson said according to CBS ews
The incident follows weeks of protests and confrontations linked to federal immigration operations in the city, intensified after two fatal shootings during separate enforcement actions.
Sources: CBS News, Fox News
