A Bloomington police prostitution sting ensnares a man who ran federal employee background checks, a recent poll shows low opinions of ICE amongst Minnesotans, and the state’s Environmental Protection Agency releases its 2026 climate goals.
Transcript
I’M XAN HOLSTON, AND HERE ARE TODAY’S HEADLINES: ICE’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN POLLS POORLY IN MINNESOTA, AND THE STATE UNVEILS A SWEEPING NEW CLIMATE PLAN.
--BLOOMINGTON ICE ARREST--
[CHIEF BOOKER HODGES: This is the most disturbing arrest that we’ve had here…]
“OPERATION LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES” IS THE MOST RECENT PROSTITUTION STING LED BY BLOOMINGTON POLICE CHIEF BOOKER HODGES.
BLOOMINGTON IS A SUBURB OF MINNEAPOLIS.
HODGES SAYS THIS OPERATION SNARED 30 MEN — INCLUDING ONE HE SAYS RUNS BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.
THAT INCLUDES ICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
[CHIEF BOOKER HODGES: So when you’re getting your security clearance, this is one of the guys that does your background. Which is kind of scary.]
DHS DISPUTES ANY TIES. IN A STATEMENT, THE AGENCY SAID:
[DHS: This individual is NOT an ICE employee or contractor. He has no affiliation with ICE.]
HODGES HAS MADE SIMILAR ARRESTS BEFORE. LAST NOVEMBER, DURING “OPERATION CREEP,” HODGES ANNOUNCED HE’D CAUGHT AN ICE AUDITOR — A CIVILIAN ROLE.
[CHIEF BOOKER HODGES: When he was arrested he said, I’m ICE, boys… He helped send people to send federal authorities… I think he’s going to see some federal authorities cause I think the feds are gonna take this case.]
AND IN MAY 2025, HODGES ARRESTED DISGRACED FORMER STATE REP JUSTIN EICHORN IN “OPERATION: I CAN’T HELP MYSELF.”
--LOW ICE POLL NUMBERS IN MINNESOTA--
POLLING DATA IS IN, AND ICE ISN’T WINNING ANY POPULARITY CONTESTS.
IN A RECENT JOINT SURVEY BETWEEN NBC, KARE 11, AND THE STAR TRIBUNE, ABOUT SIX IN TEN MINNESOTANS SAY ICE HAS GONE TOO FAR.
STATEWIDE, 43 PERCENT OF PEOPLE POLLED THINK ICE SHOULD BE REFORMED, WHILE NEARLY A THIRD EITHER THINK IT SHOULD CONTINUE ITS CURRENT APPROACH — OR BE ABOLISHED ALTOGETHER.
IN THE TWIN CITIES, WHERE ICE ACTIONS HAVE HIT HARDEST, NEARLY HALF SUPPORT ABOLISHING IT.
--STATE CLIMATE ACTION FRAMEWORK--
THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY RELEASED ITS 2026 CLIMATE GOALS WEDNESDAY. THE AMBITIOUS PLAN LAYS OUT MORE THAN 400 ACTIONS TO CUT POLLUTION.
[KATRINA KESSLER: Rollbacks at the federal level drive up energy costs and threaten the work we’re doing to make Minnesota a livable place for all children.]
THAT’S AGENCY COMMISSIONER KATRINA KESSLER. SHE SAYS IF MINNESOTA CONTINUES FOLLOWING FEDERAL AND STATE POLICIES, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS WOULD DROP ONLY 39 PERCENT BY 2050.
[KATRINA KESSLER: This is short of the goals that we have of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2050.]
AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE PLAN CALLS FOR EXPANDING CLEAN ELECTRICITY, ADDING MORE ELECTRIC CARS AND CHARGING STATIONS, AND IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HOMES AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
--WINONA ZONING--
ZONING CONTROL COULD SOON SHIFT IN WINONA.
SARATOGA, HILLSDALE, AND ROLLINGSTONE TOWNSHIPS ARE EXPLORING WHETHER TO TAKE LAND-USE AUTHORITY AWAY FROM WINONA COUNTY.
TOWNSHIP LEADERS SAY THEY WANT MORE LOCAL CONTROL OVER DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS.
IF THE MOVE GOES THROUGH, THOSE COMMUNITIES WOULD HANDLE THEIR OWN ZONING AND PERMITTING.
--AUSTIN & HIBBING STRIKE--
SCHOOL OFFICE STAFF IN AUSTIN ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO WALKING OFF THE JOB.
AFTER MONTHS OF STALLED CONTRACT TALKS, MEMBERS OF THE UNION REPRESENTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOL WORKERS ACROSS MINNESOTA HAVE AUTHORIZED A STRIKE AT AUSTIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THE UNION SAYS IT’S PUSHING FOR BETTER PAY AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE. IF MEDIATION FAILS, A STRIKE COULD FOLLOW SOON.
LAST WEEK IN HIBBING, MEMBERS OF THE SAME UNION IN CITY PUBLIC WORKS ALSO AUTHORIZED A STRIKE — BUT THAT DISPUTE WAS RESOLVED AFTER THE CITY AGREED TO HONOR THE CONTRACT.
--DON LEMON HIRES JOE THOMPSON--
AND FINALLY…
ONCE MINNESOTA’S TOP FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, JOE THOMPSON IS NOW DEFENDING A MAN CHARGED BY THE SAME OFFICE HE LED JUST WEEKS AGO.
THOMPSON SERVED AS ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY FOR MINNESOTA UNTIL LATE JANUARY, WHEN HE LEFT THE AGENCY OVER DISAGREEMENTS — INCLUDING BEING DIRECTED TO INVESTIGATE RENÉE MACKLIN GOOD’S WIFE RATHER THAN THE ICE AGENT WHO SHOT AND KILLED GOOD.
NOW, HE’S JOINED THE DEFENSE TEAM FOR DON LEMON.
[DON LEMON AT CITIES CHURCH: In our modern era, people think that in order to have protests you’ve got to be cordoned off to a certain area…]
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARRESTED LEMON AFTER HE LIVESTREAMED A PROTEST INSIDE CITIES CHURCH IN ST. PAUL — TARGETING A PASTOR WHO ALSO SERVES AS AN ICE OFFICIAL.
PROSECUTORS CHARGED LEMON AND OTHERS WITH CONSPIRACY AND INTERFERING WITH RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.
[DON LEMON AT CITIES CHURCH: I don’t know if this is what they deem as successful or not… But anyway, I’m not going to get in the middle of it cause I’m not here as an activist, I’m here as a journalist.]
LEMON SAYS HE WASN’T THERE TO PROTEST, AND THAT HE’S PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.