The community surrounding Minneapolis restaurant Taqueria y Birrieria Las Cuatro Milpas reacts to a raid by federal agents. And, a man police say killed more than 90 animals now faces felony charges.
Transcript
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: Today, the community reacts to federal agents raiding a Minneapolis restaurant. And, a man police say killed more than 90 animals now faces felony charges. I'm Gracie J.
A raid by federal agents last week had some streets in Minneapolis looking like a war zone. Armed with what looked like machine guns, and with their faces covered, Homeland Security Investigations Officers lined the streets and sidewalks of South Minneapolis. Federal officers wouldn't let people walk along several city blocks as they executed a federal search warrant. Military-style vehicles blocked the streets. It all happened in and around a Mexican restaurant at the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue.
The Mayor of Minneapolis was very quick to issue a statement saying Minneapolis Police only helped with crowd control to keep the community safe. The Department of Homeland Security called it a groundbreaking criminal operation and the first under Minnesota's Homeland Security Task Force.
Xan Holston was there and has reaction from the community.
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Xan Holston: On a dark and rainy Tuesday afternoon, dozens of masked federal agents from nearly as many agencies lined up outside of businesses on Minneapolis Lake Street. They were there conducting a raid on Las Cuatro Milpas, a local taqueria.
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Xan Holston: It echoed scenes that have become increasingly common during President Trump's second term, multi-agency crackdowns targeting undocumented immigrants and the businesses that support them.
Liliana Zaragoza: When I was over there, the tanks started rolling in. There were dozens of officers, AR-15s, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, the sheriff's office, FBI ATF.
Xan Holston: Liliana Zaragoza is director of the Racial Justice Law Center at the University of Minnesota. She said she was shocked by the sheer number of agents. Authorities later said the raid wasn't immigration related, that it was instead part of a drug and money laundering investigation. But the clear presence of ICE agents shaped how the community experienced the raid, regardless of its official purpose.
Liliana Zaragoza: And if it's executing a search warrant, you know, why are there this many different law enforcement agencies?
Xan Holston: Late last month, the Department of Homeland Security put Minneapolis and 20 other Minnesota counties on notice to comply with new federal immigration policies or face consequences. Minneapolis has long drawn Trump's ire for its status as a sanctuary city, where police are instructed not to question residents solely about their immigration status or take action just to identify undocumented people.
To some community members, this raid felt like a slap in the face to the neighborhood's values, especially at Las Cuatro Milpas, where a mural on the wall reads, "Make tacos, not walls."
Jackie" And they're literally doing what we the sign says, building walls and barriers.
Xan Holston: Jackie, who works at a nearby clinic, said she and her coworkers frequent the restaurant and have a personal connection with the staff. She said seeing things like this has a chilling effect on the community and its members, regardless of their immigration status.
Jackie: And it's really bad for every business that's here on Lake Street, because all of us are worried, right? Especially family members. I'm Native American, but I'm also Mexican, so this hurts me. It's a double-edged sword.
Xan Holston: Erika Zurawski works at MIRAC, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. She echoed Jackie's point.
Erika Zurawski: It has a devastating effect, because people get, they become afraid to leave their homes. They become afraid to go to these businesses. The businesses have already been suffering.
Xan Holston: Zurawski said that for immigrant-owned businesses already navigating economic hardship, raids like this do more than just disrupt daily life. They send a clear message to entire communities about who's seen us belonging and who's not. She says MIRAC isn't backing down and will keep showing up every time federal agents do.
Erika Zurawski: If they plan to come to our communities, if they plan to terrorize our neighbors and our families, we will fight back every step of the way, and we will be out every time.
Xan Holston: For North Star Stories, I'm Xan Holston.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
A Grand Rapids man faces 20 felony charges after authorities discovered nearly 100 dead goats. Forty-two-year-old Jacob Langeslag is accused of animal torture, neglect, and improper disposal of carcasses. Investigators responded to a field where Langeslag was keeping the animals and found piles of decomposing goats. Others were barely alive, lacking food and water. Langeslag claimed illness prevented him from caring for the animals. But police say they have a video that contradicts that defense.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.