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Federal agents tackled several people and deployed chemical irritants at a high school in south Minneapolis as classes were ending on Wednesday, according to a witness.
Cara Morrow told WCCO that she pulled up to Roosevelt High School around 3:30 p.m. and saw several agents get out of their cars and tackle people on school grounds. The cars were all unmarked SUVs, and the agents did not identify themselves, she said.
Several students and teachers were leaving school as the incident unfolded. Morrow added that the agents were hitting people after they were already on the ground and using some kind of chemical irritant.
Morrow, who graduated from the school, says she was “shocked” by what she saw happening, calling it “awful and very sad.”
A former Roosevelt student named Daniel went to the school when he heard Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were there Wednesday. He captured video, which included someone throwing a snowball at and the agent responding with a chemical irritant.
“Like, I can’t believe this is happening at a high school. Where people are just here trying to learn,” Daniel said.
Daniel and his friend Braeden, a current student, said ICE’s preseence at the school has them angered and scared.
“I want ICE to go away,” Braeden said.
“My whole family doesn’t feel safe at home anymore,” Daniel said.
“I never thought we would live in a time like this. That’s what goes through my head. And it makes me really, really sad for our kids,” said Melissa Lock, a Roosevelt parent.
Roosevelt High School also got a visit from former Gov. Jesse Ventura. He said he stopped by the school to show his support for students and teachers.
“I’m a 1969 graduate of Minneapolis Roosevelt. I’m proud of them for what they did. They made me proud as an alumni,” said Ventura.
Ventura said he supports the students and teachers who stood up to ICE. And he blames the Trump administration for not following the Constitution.
“Minnesota, we’ll take care of ourselves. We don’t need federal troops coming in here without warrants,” said Ventura. “You know what? Maybe it’s time for Jesse. I only did one term. I’m owed a second.”
Gov. Tim Walz addressed the incident at a press conference on Thursday morning.
“I can’t say this strong enough as governor, as a parent, as a teacher. To our elected representatives, Democrats and Republicans: I beg you, I implore you to tell them to stay out of our schools,” he said. “This tragedy will be magnified a hundredfold if this fight moves into the hallways of our public schools amongst our youth.”
The clash happened hours after and just 2.5 miles away from the site where an ICE agent fatally shot a woman Wednesday morning.
Late Wednesday, Minneapolis Public Schools announced they were canceling classes for the remainder of the week.
The district said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution. All MPS-sponsored programs, including athletics, Community Education, and adult education, are also canceled.
The district also stated that students will not switch to online learning, as it is only available during severe weather conditions.
Wednesday night, community members gathered in the area for a vigil for 37-year-old Renee Good, who was identified as the woman the ICE agent killed. The killing comes amid the influx of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area.
Two federal sources confirm Good was a U.S. citizen. City leaders said she was a legal observer of federal actions in the city and wasn’t the target for an ICE-related arrest.
MPS also said they will continue to collaborate with the City of Minneapolis and other partners on emergency preparedness and response.
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Chloe Rosen
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