Sunday March 2, 2025
by Katelyn Vue
Immigrant advocates are concerned some businesses don’t know that they can prohibit ICE agents from entering their premises if the agents don’t have a signed warrant.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested seven people Wednesday at HardCoat Inc., pictured on Feb. 28, 2025, in St. Louis Park. Credit: Dymanh Chhoun | Sahan Journal
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested seven people Wednesday morning at an aluminum manufacturing facility in St. Louis Park, according to immigrant advocates.
Three of the seven individuals have been identified by the Immigrant Defense Network, a statewide group of advocacy organizations that provides direct services and legal resources. The organization issued a news release Thursday about the arrests at HardCoat Inc., noting that details about how the arrests were carried out are unknown.
A representative for HardCoat Inc. declined to comment when reached by Sahan Journal.
The number of ICE arrests across the state since President Donald Trump took office was not immediately publicly available, although a recent post on ICE’s X account, formerly Twitter, said the agency arrested more than 20,000 immigrants in the last month. Trump has promised to carry out the country’s largest deportation efforts.
The Immigrant Defense Network said it was not releasing details about the arrestees’ backgrounds due to concerns about their immigration status.
Ryan Perez, director of organizing at Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL), which is part of the network, said it hasn’t been confirmed whether ICE agents were permitted to enter the St. Louis Park facility.
“Generally, in incidents like this that are happening, there is concern about how is ICE getting into particular places,” Perez said. “Are they being welcomed in? Do they have a warrant signed by a judge? Those are like ongoing questions that community members have raised about various incidents.”
Typically, ICE agents are only allowed to enter a restricted area if they are voluntarily invited in, or if they have obtained a warrant signed by a judge.
Erin Bultje, ICE Communications Chief – North, issued a written statement Friday saying that ICE conducts worksite enforcement in response to information and allegations received by ICE Homeland Security Investigations. ICE targets employers who may have violated federal employment laws. ICE is not required to have a signed warrant when a credible tip is received, Bultje said.
Anyone that is “determined to be in violation of U.S. Immigration laws may be subject to arrest, detention, and, if ordered removed by an immigration judge or other authority, subject to removal from the United States,” read Bultje’s written statement.
Recent ICE arrests at Minnesota workplaces are raising questions from community members and immigration advocates about whether businesses are working with ICE, and whether businesses are familiar with how to protect workers from ICE encounters and arrests.
Two workers at Nupa Restaurant in Rochester were arrested by ICE in early February. On Thursday, several people were arrested by ICE agents in Duluth during a roofing project, according to Northern News Now.
Businesses can post signs informing ICE agents that they cannot enter their premises without a signed warrant, Perez said.