Minnesota protests enter 3rd week as immigration raids continue

Amna Nawaz:

In Minnesota, residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul remain on edge, as clashes between protesters and federal immigration officers continue into a third week.

It comes as the Department of Justice announced its plan to pursue charges against protesters in Minneapolis, while confirming it does not plan to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent.

Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro has the latest.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Another weekend and another intense wave of immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities, as more than 2,000 federal officers continue a crackdown characterized by aggressive force and unyielding protests.

It comes as weary residents brace for the potential deployment of active duty troops after President Trump threatened late last week to invoke the Insurrection Act, something Mayor Jacob Frey said Sunday would be -- quote -- "shocking.

Jacob Frey:

You got to understand how wild this is right now. In Minneapolis, crime is dramatically down. We don't need more federal agents to keep people safe. We are safe.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Frey himself, along with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are now reportedly under investigation by the Department of Justice for allegedly impeding federal law enforcement officers.

Yesterday, the Justice Department announced a separate investigation into protesters who disrupted a church service where they believed a local pastor was also an ICE official from the St. Paul office. That same day, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche again confirmed there would be no investigation into the altercation that has most roiled the city, the fatal shooting of Renee Good, killed by an ICE agent in her car on January 7.

Todd Blanche, U.S. Deputy Attorney General:

We investigate when it's appropriate to investigate. And that is not the case here, it wasn't the case when it happened and it's not the case today.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

The Department of Homeland Security said its agents are facing -- quote -- "rampant violence" and have made 3,000 arrests in the last six weeks. The "News Hour" could not independently verify that number.

It all comes after a federal judge in Minnesota ruled agents could not arrest or pepper spray peaceful demonstrators, including those monitoring ICE operations.

Kristi Noem, DHS secretary, said on CBS' Face the Nation yesterday that the judge's ruling -- quote -- "didn't change anything."

Kristi Noem, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary:

That federal order was a little ridiculous, because that federal judge came down and told us we couldn't do what we already aren't doing.

We -- we are -- have not engaged in...

Margaret Brennan, Host, "Face the Nation": Well, we just saw video of chemical agents being used.

Kristi Noem:

... any -- we only use those chemical agents when there's violence happening and perpetuating and you need to be able to establish law in order to keep people safe.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Nonetheless, the Justice Department said today it would appeal the court ruling. This weekend, a planned anti-Islam pro-ICE rally, which was set to feature a Koran burning, drew few supporters.

But its organizer, far right activist Jake Lang, had to be escorted from the scene, ironically by counterprotesters themselves, after he was swarmed and pelted with water balloons. Lang could be seen bleeding from his head and later claimed he had been stabbed, but Minneapolis police said no report had been filed.

Even for Minnesota, weather here in recent days has been unusually cold, about the only indication that temperatures are turning down here.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Fred de Sam Lazaro in Minneapolis.