Midwest
Border czar Tom Homan calls anti-ICE roadblocks in Minneapolis a ‘joke’ after police chief disbands them
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White House border czar Tom Homan mocked anti-ICE agitators who have set up roadblocks and checkpoints in Minneapolis as a “joke” on Wednesday, saying they are only harming their own communities.
Homan made the statement during a press conference in Minnesota on Wednesday, telling reporters that local police were dismantling the checkpoints.
“When I was made aware that the roadblocks exist, I called the chief of police, and he went and disbanded them after I got off the phone with him. He has promised to take enforcement action,” Homan said after being asked about the issue.
“This is illegal. You can’t do that,” he continued. “My message to those folks is, what are you doing? You really think you’re stopping ICE and CBP from doing their job? It’s a joke. The only people you’re hurting is your own community who wants to go and get groceries and pick up their dry cleaning or go to work, whatever. You’re just hindering them. Stop. Stop.”
‘BORDER CZAR’ TOM HOMAN SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT HIS MISSION IN MINNEAPOLIS
Border czar Tom Homan told anti-ICE agitators to give up on roadblocks Wednesday. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Homan made the statement minutes after announcing a drawdown of federal presence in the Twin Cities, saying 700 federal agents would be withdrawing from the area.
Homan highlighted meetings he had with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, urging them all to allow local jails to communicate with federal law enforcement about when they planned to release illegal immigrants being detained there.
“We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets. Unprecedented cooperation,” Homan said Wednesday. “I’ll say it again: This is efficient, and it requires only one or two officers to assume custody of a criminal alien target, rather than eight or 10 officers going into the community and arresting that public safety threat.”
TRUMP HAS ‘VERY GOOD’ CALL WITH MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR FREY, ANNOUNCES BORDER CZAR HOMAN MEETING
Residents barricade the 3300 block of Portland Avenue in Minneapolis. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“Given this increase in unprecedented collaboration, and as a result of less need for law enforcement officers to do this work in a safer environment, I have announced immediately we will draw down 700 people effective today,” he said.
Homan went on to note that federal authorities are not requiring jails to hold illegal migrants beyond their normal release time.
“We’re not asking anyone to be an immigration officer,” he said.
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Walz expressed support for the drawdown soon after it was announced on Wednesday, but he said more needs to be done.
“Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction, but we need a faster and larger drawdown of forces, state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution,” Walz wrote on X.
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Milwaukee, WI
Same name keeps coming up in mock drafts as possible Bucks selection
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam talks greater involvement, Giannis future
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam says that he will have a greater involvement with the team and that includes the decision on if to re-sign Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Milwaukee Bucks know their placement in the 2026 NBA Draft, slotted No. 10 for their first lottery pick in a decade. Who are some of the possible selections at that spot when June 23 rolls around?
Check out what the first post-lottery wave of mock drafts has to say, most of them pointing to same prospect, that being Nate Ament of Tennessee, a 6-10 freshman small forward.
Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee
From Spencer Woo of ESPN: “While Ament’s stock has slipped from an early top-five projection, he had productive stretches this season within a tricky team context and has room to help himself in workouts. Although scouts are split on whether he has star potential or projects better as a long-term supporting player, there is still plenty of intrigue around Ament in the lottery. As a tall skill player with shotmaking upside, Ament fits a player archetype that teams often love to swing on. As Milwaukee considers a post-Antetokounmpo future, a malleable upside swing such as Ament could be a fit.”
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports: “The Bucks should take a swing to jump-start their new era, whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo is part of it. Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-foot-10 don’t grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and he severely struggled during the tournament. Bucks general manager Jon Horst has never been afraid to take risks though. If Ament pans out, it could look like a stroke of genius.”
Gary Parrish of CBS Sports: “Ament had an up-and-down freshman season for the Vols – but the upside isn’t hard to spot. Less than a year ago, the 2025 McDonald’s All-American was considered a possible top-five pick. So getting Ament here would be nice for a Bucks franchise that seems on the verge of rebuilding after presumably trading Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.”
The Ringer: “Barring some transactional magic, this could be Milwaukee’s best bite at the talent apple in the draft for a while. The Bucks don’t currently have control over a first-round pick until 2031. If Giannis Antetokounmpo decides it’s time to move on, this roster will be rudderless and talent-deprived. If Giannis decides not to move on, it’ll have a rudder but still won’t go anywhere. Less than ideal, but that makes this a ‘best player available’ scenario, or rather ‘best wager available.’ There are definitely more stable options in this range, but Ament’s higher possible outcomes justify this pick. Ament fell short of expectations this past season, and he slid from top-five consideration as a result, but the jumbo-sized, smooth-moving ball handler is still a worthy bet here. Handling the ball at 6-foot-10 is an intriguing enough skill to instill some belief that he could develop into a quality asset. And the Bucks can take the risk given their circumstances.
Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports: “Ament is a polarizing prospect with a wide range of outcomes on draft night. A late-blooming 6-foot-10 combo-forward who is fluid, has touch, and skill, he’s also inconsistent and needs to get stronger. While his freshman year was up and down, Ament’s overall arc has been linear, and there’s still glaring potential. That upside makes him a logical choice for a Milwaukee team that has a very uncertain future ahead of them.”
Brian Lewis of New York Post: “After the run on guards, taking an upside swing on a gifted developmental player here seems like a worthy gamble for a Bucks team that could be in full-on rebuild in a post-Giannis era.”
Two other names mentioned
From Eric Nehm of The Athletic: “This was an incredibly difficult pick to make without knowing what the Bucks are going to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the 10-time All-Star forward remains in Milwaukee, it might make more sense to look at someone like Yaxel Lendeborg, who could make an impact right away and give the Bucks more size and skill. Instead, though, I went with Philon, who has a lot of offensive upside and could be protected on the defensive end by Ryan Rollins. Philon is an electrifying offensive player who shot 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3 while averaging 22 points, 3.5 rebounds and five assists per game last season.”
From Kurt Helin of NBC Sports: “The Bucks need all the backcourt help they can get, and Burries may not be flashy, but he does a lot of things well — he can play on and off the ball, can knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers but also attack closeouts, and he gets downhill off screens and has a midrange pull-up game.”
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis grocer charged in $1.1 million SNAP fraud scheme
Food insecurity in Minnesota: SNAP cuts and rising demand
Minnesota food shelves are facing growing pressure as potential federal SNAP cuts, rising grocery prices and increased demand strain already limited resources. Some providers also report impacts tied to recent immigration enforcement activity, with families hesitant to seek assistance. Wendy Behm of ACBC Food Shelf joins to discuss how organizations are responding, efforts to combat food insecurity across the state, and what’s at stake during the current legislative session. Learn more at acbcfoodshelf.com.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis grocery store owner is facing a felony charge after investigators say he trafficked more than $1.1 million in SNAP benefits using other people’s EBT cards.
SNAP benefits trafficking investigation leads to felony charge
What we know:
According to criminal charges filed in Hennepin County Court, Abdidwahid Mohamed, owner of Minnesota Food Grocery LLC, is accused of using EBT cards registered to other people to purchase items like energy drinks and baby formula at Sam’s Club and Costco between March 8, 2021 and August 10, 2021. The goods were then resold at his store.
The complaint states law enforcement says they watched Mohamed make the purchases and tracked him returning directly to his store with the items. Video surveillance and GPS data confirmed the trips, and investigators say many of the EBT cardholders were out of the country or denied shopping at the stores Mohamed visited.
The complaint states, “Mohamed received $1,141,082 in EBT payments” during the period in question. The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to help low-income households buy food, with benefits issued through EBT cards that work like debit cards.
Wal-Mart team sparks investigation
The backstory:
The investigation began when Wal-Mart’s Global Investigation Team flagged suspicious EBT transactions at Sam’s Club locations in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was contacted in May 2021, and surveillance of Mohamed followed.
The complaint states on Aug. 10, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants at Mohamed’s store and vehicles. He was arrested at a Sam’s Club in Bloomington with an EBT card and a handwritten note containing a PIN number. Interviews with more than two dozen EBT cardholders revealed that many claimed their cards were lost or had never been used at the stores in question.
One woman admitted she had not shopped at Minnesota Food Grocery for more than a year-and-a-half after agreeing to let Mohamed use her EBT card.
The complaint states the offense “involved a high degree of sophistication or planning or occurred over a lengthy period of time.”
What’s next:
If convicted, Mohamed faces up to 20 years in prison or a $100,000 fine.
The Source: Information from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Indianapolis, IN
Martindale-Brightwood neighbors sue to stall Metrobloks data center
Local clergy hold press conference on Martindale Brightwood data center
Local clergy hold a press conference before a Metropolitan Development Commission vote on a Martindale Brightwood data center at the City-County Building on April 1, 2026.
Martindale-Brightwood neighbors and an environmental advocacy group are suing to stall a city-approved data center plan in the historically Black community.
Several residents and the Hoosier Environmental Council have asked a judge to review the city’s approval of zoning variances for a data center development in Martindale-Brightwood, on Indy’s northeast side. Neighbors are seeking to stop construction of two large facilities that would store computer equipment at the site of a former drive-in theater near homes and a library.
The May 1 lawsuit argues the Metropolitan Development Commission — the city entity that oversees land-use decisions — failed to adequately consider the harm a data center could do to the environment, public health and quality of life in its April 1 approval of multiple zoning variances. Those variances allowed for 70-foot-tall buildings and other changes to parking requirements and building setbacks.
Critics have argued more broadly that the data center would bring excessive noise and pollution to a site with prior industrial contamination, while creating relatively few permanent jobs in a neighborhood that’s long struggled with poverty.
“[R]esidents have made their position clear: after decades of industrial pollution, they will no longer accept patterns of environmental racism that has plagued their community for decades,” HEC Executive Director Sam Carpenter told IndyStar in a May 11 statement. “This legal challenge reflects a unified effort by residents and HEC to protect the health, rights, and future of Martindale Brightwood.”
The city’s Office of Corporation Counsel declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying it does not comment on pending litigation “out of respect for the judicial process.” An attorney representing Metrobloks, the data center developer, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The lawsuit by Martindale-Brightwood neighbors follows a similar legal challenge by Decatur Township residents in April, asking a judge to review the city’s approval of a $4 billion hyperscale data center campus on 130 acres on the far southwest side.
Data center plans move forward with district councilor’s support
Metrobloks, a Los Angeles-based startup, plans to build a $500 million data center campus at a 14-acre site near the intersection of 25th Street and North Sherman Drive. The buildings would span roughly 168,000 square feet and include 36 electrical generators. AES Indiana would supply power to the 75-megawatt center.
The Indianapolis City-County Council rubber-stamped the MDC’s zoning decision on May 4 after Councilor Ron Gibson, who represents Martindale-Brightwood, declined to call the plan down for a vote by all 25 councilors.
Gibson said he supports the data center because it will bring millions in investment to an underused site and create long-term tax revenue to improve city infrastructure. He stood by his stance after a shooting at his home in early April, during which someone tucked a sign reading “NO DATA CENTERS” under his doormat.
The council passed a symbolic resolution May 4 urging a pause on data center development until the city passes zoning reforms to regulate the energy-intensive facilities, which could happen as soon as July. Companies such as Metrobloks that have already filed plans to build data centers would not be required to follow the new rules.
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
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