Seven Columbia Heights students detained during ICE enforcement surge in Minnesota
Jan 23, 2026·Location: St. Paul, MN

ICE enforcement operations in Minnesota during January 2026 resulted in the detention of at least seven students from Columbia Heights Public Schools, including a five-year-old boy. The operations included stops of individuals without confirmed identity verification and stops of off-duty police officers, with agents staging on school grounds and in neighborhoods. St. Paul and Brooklyn Park police chiefs acknowledged concerns about racial profiling and potential civil rights violations. School officials reported the year was "tumultuous," with students and families experiencing ongoing negative impacts and fears about student retention.
Sources
- ICE detained more than 70 Minnesota children, data reveals
sahanjournal.com·Apr 21, 2026·archived copy
- Columbia Heights school leaders speak out after ICE detains kids
sahanjournal.com·Jan 22, 2026·archived copy
- Columbia Heights schools reflect on Minnesota ICE surge: ‘It was tumultuous’
- CourtListener
- School leaders, parents and students condemn ICE action: ‘None of this is normal’
minnpost.com·Jan 28, 2026·archived copy
- ICE detained more than 70 Minnesota children, records show
minnpost.com·Apr 22, 2026
- More than 70 Minnesota children detained in Operation Metro Surge, data show
mprnews.org·Apr 21, 2026
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