Federal Raid Sets Off Social Media Sirens
City and County Officials Need a Unified Response Strategy
The June 3 federal raid on Los Cuatro Milpas, a restaurant on Lake Street, caught Minneapolis off guard. Armored vehicles and masked agents from multiple federal agencies entered the business and removed records. Many initially assumed it was an ICE operation targeting undocumented workers. Later reports indicated that warrants were served at multiple locations that day in connection with money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking by a transnational criminal organization.
City Council Members Jason Chavez and Aisha Chughtai, along with mayoral candidates DeWayne Davis, Jazz Hampton, and Omar Fateh, quickly arrived at the scene to witness the incident. They were joined by several hundred protestors who mobilized within minutes. It was an impressive display of how rapidly information, and speculation, can travel through social media.
Initial updates spread primarily on platforms like X and Bluesky. While fast, these platforms often carried incomplete or inaccurate details. As is often the case during high-profile law enforcement actions, the gap between what’s happening and what the public understands can grow quickly.
On Thursday, the City Council authorized an after-action review to investigate the Minneapolis Police Department’s role in the operation. The move reflects concern over potential cooperation between the MPD, the Hennepin County Sheriff, and federal immigration authorities. The scale and posture of the raid—which included military vehicles, masked agents, and tactical gear—raise questions about the use of intimidation as a law enforcement strategy.
Whether intentional or not, this raid has deepened existing divisions among local leaders. If the federal government’s goal is to create discord among Democrats, the fallout from this incident may be viewed as a success.
We hope the City Council’s review will lead to a clear agreement between the Mayor, MPD, and the Council on how to handle future federal operations in the city. But based on how fractured communication has become in recent months, it’s hard to be optimistic.
Without coordination and clarity, Minneapolis risks repeating the confusion—and public distrust—that followed this raid.
Escalating Federal Raids in Major Cities Raise New Questions for Minneapolis
On Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out a large-scale operation in Los Angeles. The protests came quickly. Similar demonstrations followed in New York. While the full scope of the raids remains unclear, the pattern of activity suggests a deliberate focus on heavily Democratic cities and states.
Los Angeles and Minneapolis share more than political leanings, they are also high-profile platforms for potential presidential candidates. Both California and Minnesota have Democratic governors seen as potential national contenders. Federal raids in these locations may serve a dual purpose: executing law enforcement warrants while signaling political strength in adversarial territory.
One case that has drawn international attention involves Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported in March. According to the BBC, El Salvador agreed to extradite him back to the U.S. following the issuance of an arrest warrant. His attorney has called the charges “preposterous.” The episode follows a Supreme Court ruling that overruled former President Trump’s prior directive to prevent his return—a legal defeat that likely drew frustration within the Trump-aligned Department of Homeland Security.
The raids may be partly an effort to redirect media attention—from a high-profile court loss to a renewed focus on immigration enforcement. Regardless of the intent, the outcome is clear: a growing number of federal actions are now being executed in politically symbolic cities, with public reaction following a predictable—and volatile—pattern.
The question facing Minneapolis is how it will respond.
That includes the City Council, the Mayor, the MPD, and candidates running for office. Will the city coordinate its approach, or fall into the same cycle of spontaneous protest and confusion that has marked past crises?
Scenes from Los Angeles included protestors confronting ICE vehicles and law enforcement using tear gas and “less lethal” rifle rounds. Minneapolis has seen similar episodes in recent years, and the risk of escalation remains high. While the detention and deportation of undocumented individuals without due process deserves to be resisted, a breakdown in public order benefits no one.
The timing—months before an election—makes restraint and coordination even more difficult. Campaigns reward bold statements. Governance, however, requires careful planning.
The city’s after-action review of the June 3 raid could prove useful. But the more urgent question is forward-looking: how should Minneapolis respond if future federal operations bring helicopters, armored vehicles, or further unrest to our streets?
Leaving that question unanswered—or expecting local activists and reporters to determine direction—is not a responsible option. Minneapolis needs clear plans, agreed-upon protocols, and leaders who can navigate federal overreach without allowing the city to become a stage for chaos.
Crisis Leadership: Restraint or Resistance?
In a recent interview with Sam Harris, Congressman Ritchie Torres (D–NY) described a divide within the Democratic Party: between those who seek to resist every move of the Trump administration, and those who believe in practicing strategic restraint. It’s a framework that applies directly to how Minneapolis officials might respond when future federal raids occur.
Should elected leaders immediately rush to the scene and join public protests—often operating with incomplete information? Or should they prioritize a coordinated response once the facts are known?
Uncoordinated actions, driven more by optics than planning, undermine public trust and inflame tensions. This moment calls for competent leadership—not spectacle.
When another federal operation takes place—and it likely will—we should expect the MPD to be present. Local police have no authority to prevent a federal raid, nor can they simply withdraw from the scene. Public frustration is understandable, as is the desire to protect all residents, regardless of immigration status. But turning Minneapolis into a flashpoint risks unintended consequences.
This administration has made clear that elections carry consequences, often borne most heavily by those with the least power—especially in states that oppose its agenda. It’s up to local leaders and residents to choose a response that is strategic, not reactive. Now is the time to think clearly, act collectively, and develop effective ways to counter these authoritarian impulses—without further destabilizing our own communities.
The city’s recovery is real, but fragile. It depends on elected officials who can focus on economic priorities, public safety, and coordination—not those content with performative politics.
A nationwide “No Kings” rally is scheduled for Saturday, June 14. Those who wish to express their concerns about federal overreach will have the opportunity to do so peacefully.
The federal playbook was tone deaf at minimum. The knee jerk, uninformed response of local leaders like Chavez was embarrassing. I feel like I’m watching a ping pong match.
One of the eight raids that came day was at a tenplex across the street from me where a search warrant was executed for what an agent told one of us was a "top secret investigation." No Mpls police were involved. The identifiable agencies were HSI and ATF. The search lasted three hours and a resident of the raided unit told neighbors that they seemed to be interested in a tenant who hadn't lived there for a couple of years. The only vehicles were unmarked pickup trucks with darkened windows. Neighbors are organizing for future responses. We are fortunate to have both a social worker and a therapist on our block.
There was collateral damage because two residents of the unit were taken into ICE custody and transported to Iowa and Albert Lea.
I'm tempted to say that Mpls should refuse to provide cops for crowd control for raids such as last week's if the feds don't provide advance notice to MPD. But the experience of LA shows that events can spiral out of control and people can get hurt and tear gas can drift into neighborhoods. Call me naive but I believe that MPD is living up to the city sanctuary policy. Serving as a buffer between raiders and those reacting to raids isn't outing undocumented residents and can help people from getting hurt.
I think the focus of the after-action report should be how to get correct information out of residents when there's such a raid so that incorrect assumptions aren't made.
My church is largely comprised of immigrants, many of them undocumented. First, the are great hard-working people, Second, they are on edge. Let's support them as we can.