ICE takedown at St. Paul gas station caught on video
Federal immigration agents were recorded Sunday afternoon conducting an enforcement operation at a Speedway gas station at Snelling and Portland in St. Paul, where one man was seen prone on the ground beside a vehicle with a smashed window and several ICE agents around him. A second man who was filming the scene on his phone was repeatedly told to back up, appeared to comply, then was shoved, told not to resist, and taken to the ground and hauled away by agents; his girlfriend told FOX 9 she does not know where he was taken or whether he has been released. Bystanders described the detained videographer as a U.S. citizen born in St. Paul “exercising his rights” to record in a private parking lot, and said agents “grabbed him by all fours like he was a…animal,” fueling outrage as car horns blared and multiple people recorded the chaos. The incident unfolded the same day DHS Secretary Kristi Noem publicly announced an increase of federal agents in the Twin Cities, and just days after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good in south Minneapolis—a killing federal officials have called self‑defense and that has already sparked mass protests and demands for independent scrutiny of ICE tactics.
📌 Key Facts
- Video shows multiple ICE agents at a Speedway at Snelling & Portland in St. Paul on Sunday, with one man lying motionless on the ground next to a vehicle with a broken window.
- A bystander filming was ordered to move back, then was shoved, taken to the pavement by several agents and driven away; his girlfriend says she does not know his whereabouts.
- Witness Angel Castillo Saldana told FOX 9 the detained man is a U.S. citizen from St. Paul and accused agents of treating him “like he was a…animal” for recording the operation.
- The incident comes amid DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s announced surge of federal agents into the Twin Cities and within days of the controversial ICE shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota has approximately 107,000 residents of Somali descent as of 2024, representing about 2% of the state's total population, with the largest concentration in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according ... — KTTC
The surge of ICE agents in the Twin Cities is part of an operation targeting alleged fraud activities, including investigations into fraud schemes involving Somali child care providers and other social services in Minnesota.
Federal agents probe fraud allegations targeting Somali child care ... — PBS NewsHour
Somali Minnesotans are overrepresented in recent federal fraud charges in Minnesota, with dozens of individuals charged in schemes involving wire fraud and misuse of social services funds, amid a population of about 107,000 Somalis in the state.
How Fraud Swamped Minnesota's Social Services System on Tim ... — The New York Times
Refugee resettlement in Minnesota for the Somali community is facilitated by organizations such as the Minnesota Department of Human Services' Resettlement Programs Office and voluntary agencies like Catholic Charities, under federal policies supporting humanitarian protection and family reunification.
Refugee Resettlement Programs, Refugee Settlement Services — Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota
ICE enforcement operations in Somali neighborhoods in Minnesota have led to community impacts including businesses curtailing hours, workers staying home, increased fear, and economic disruptions.
As ICE raids target Minnesota Somalis, community hubs fall silent — Sahan Journal
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time