Minnesotans denounce ICE kidnappings at federal court
St. Paul, MN – Hundreds attended a press conference on Monday, July 14 organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) to demand ICE stop kidnapping people after immigration hearings in the federal courthouse.
The press conference was called in response to what MIRAC members witnessed a few days before while they accompanied a community member to immigration court. While there, they watched as Judge Brian Sardelli dismissed all cases. Judge Sardelli has a denial rate of 78.4% reported in 2024 compared to the national average of 57.7%.
As court went on, plainclothes ICE agents waited in the courthouse hallway to kidnap immigrants leaving the courtrooms.
As Sardelli was dismissing cases, it was clear that the next move for ICE agents and their accomplices was to remove and take in detainees. MIRAC observers noticed that there was a scout inside the courtroom who would notify ICE agents of dismissed cases and prepare for detainment.
When MIRAC members attempted to escort a community member whose case was dismissed, they were accosted by ICE agents in plain clothing and were asked to leave the premises. For those being detained, there was no discussion of next steps, rights, or ability to notify loved ones and family members.
Liz Szanton, a member of MIRAC who was present for the court accompaniment, said at the press conference, “As observers, we walked alongside the person we were accompanying to try to escort him out of the building, past the plainclothes ICE officers in the hallway. We took only a dozen steps before the agents descended on us, forcefully broke through our circle, and pulled him away. We asked them repeatedly if we could have one minute to speak with him about his rights and they refused. They dragged him through a door to a locked back room.”
MIRAC members presented the following demands to the court – no time limits on staying in the court waiting room, all master hearings should be held online, no case dismissals over objections, and an end to ICE kidnappings at court.
“That is not justice, that is entrapment,” said Suleman Adan, the deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota, “they came here for safety, for an opportunity to build dignified lives, and instead they’re being snatched from the systems that promise them justice.”
“The reason we’re here today is because we do not want any more kidnappings in our communities,” said Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez, “We want ICE out of our city and our country, and we want to make sure that families can stay together because we love our community members.”
Other speakers included John Brenda from the Interfaith Coalition on Migration and Noah Schumacher from the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice.
Trump and ICE continue to try and make an example of Minnesota and its people’s abilities to protect immigrants. Last month, ICE was present in full force during a federal raid on Lake Street in Minneapolis that included military vehicles and numerous agents with assault weapons. Many community members were assaulted by ICE agents and watched MPD assist ICE agents and other federal agents carry out the raid.
The press conference ended with spirited chants of, “We want justice, you say how? ICE out of the courthouse now!”
Montana Hirsch, who also spoke for MIRAC promised, “We demand an end to this terror. While we are horrified by what we saw in that building, we are not demoralized but instead we are fueled by a rage that will keep us in the streets and keep us fighting alongside our immigrant neighbors!”