Anti-ICE protesters arrested in Minnesota after throwing objects at officers, refusing to disperse

Police in Minnesota began arresting anti-ICE protesters outside a hotel on Monday after authorities said the protest was escalating and “no longer considered peaceful,” prompting police to declare the rally illegal.

Protesters were outside the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Maple Grove, Minnesota, where they believed US Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was staying.

President Donald Trump announced that Bovino and many of his agents will travel to Minneapolis as part of a reshuffle of leadership in his immigration campaign amid bipartisan scrutiny of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis that has intensified after agents killed a U.S. Border Patrol surveillance officer over the weekend.

Border Czar Tom Homan is expected to now lead the effort in the province.

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Maple Grove police said officers responded Monday to reports of a protest at the hotel and that the protest escalated when rioters allegedly began throwing objects at officers and damaged property.

After police declared the assembly illegal and ordered it to disperse, several people who refused to leave were arrested, authorities said.

“The Maple Grove Police Department respects and honors the First Amendment rights of people to peacefully assemble and express their opinions. Our top priority remains the safety and security of all residents, visitors, and property in our community,” a police department spokesperson said in a statement sent to KSTP.

“At that time, the work was no longer considered peaceful. People who engaged in criminal activities were not protected under the First Amendment and were subject to arrest,” the spokesman said.

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Maple Grove police stand by during a protest outside the SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn by Marriott hotel on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Maple Grove, Minnesota. (AP)

The Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Hennepin Public Order Group all responded to the scene to assist Maple Grove police.

The move to pull Bovino to Minneapolis came after he faced allegations that Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen killed by Border Patrol agents, had intended to “kill” law enforcement, a feature the White House has distanced from the president.

Pretti was shot and killed Saturday by the Border Patrol while filming immigration operations in Minneapolis. An ICU nurse, Pretti was seen trying to look after a woman who was knocked down when she was sprayed with an offensive substance, pushed to the ground and beaten. An agent was seen removing Pretti’s gun from his waistband before other agents fired multiple shots, killing him.

Other reports indicated that Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol chief and will return to his original job as a patrol officer in El Centro, California, but Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said he “has NOT been fired” and “remains an important part of the President’s team.”

Police stand by during a protest outside the SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn Marriott hotels on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Maple Grove, Minnesota. (AP)

Bovino reportedly regained access to his social media accounts stripped of his public views.

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The White House also sought to distance itself from the comments of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who called Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, who called the man a “killer,” and White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt saying she “has never heard the president describe” Pretti that way.

Pretti’s firing follows the recent uproar over the ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis earlier this month.