Minneapolis, MN
ICE put themselves, others at risk during south Minneapolis operation, former agent says
During an ICE operation on Monday, WCCO’s cameras caught the stunning moment that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent dragged a woman along the ground by her arm, with her wrist seemingly attached to that of the federal officer’s by a restraint.
At WCCO’s request, Eric Balliet reviewed the footage. He spent 25 years with the agency now known as ICE, serving as a special agent who would go on to lead the ICE equivalent of internal affairs.
“I’ve arrested dozens upon dozens of human traffickers, human smugglers, child molesters, you name it. I’ve never dragged a suspect one-handed across a street,” Balliet said.
According to ICE, agents found themselves in what they are calling a “riot” in south Minneapolis after pulling over a car with two people facing immigration charges. Officers allege in court documents that a woman attempted to vandalize ICE vehicles with spray paint — the crowd began forming as ICE attempted to detain her.
WCCO’s cameras arrived with two officers surrounded by protesters; one of them was waving around a weapon that deploys chemical spray. The other was kneeling on top of the woman, his wrist attached to hers with the restraint, using his other arm to wave around a Taser. Both of the officers fired their respective weapons; after using his Taser, that officer taunted the crowd, asking “who wants more?”
It was after this incident that the woman got up and tried to run. She was then dragged across the floor by the agent with the Taser before he detached from her; some in the crowd threw snowballs while his partner fired chemical spray in return.
Balliet said that these use-of-force tactics should be under review. He said that the agents appeared overwhelmed, highlighting what to him seemed to be poor operational planning and execution.
Balliet said that too often he sees agents unable to safely handle situations that they should never have put themselves in in the first place.
“There seems to be either a blatant disregard for training or a lack thereof, either of which is troubling and puts the agents and the general public at risk,” Balliet said.
In a lengthy statement released on Thursday, an unnamed ICE spokesperson said that officers are showing restraint against “rioters.” ICE did not respond to WCCO’s questions about whether dragging someone along the floor by a restraint or verbally taunting a crowd of protesters is standard protocol. The agency also failed to say if any of the agents involved on Monday face internal discipline.
“ICE and CBP are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and themselves. Our officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training,” the statement reads in part.
In an interview with 60 Minutes in October, President Trump endorsed ICE agents using force in residential neighborhoods in cities throughout the country. This came after an incident in Illinois where cell phone video showed federal agents standing several stories above protesters and shooting less-than-lethal munitions towards their heads and torsos.
Protesters and media organizations in Chicago filed a complaint in federal court about tactics in the Chicago area as well as those captured on video recordings in Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles and other cities. In early November, U.S. District Court Judge Sara L. Ellis issued an order blocking federal agents from deploying chemical spray, tear gas or any other less-lethal weapon “unless such force is necessary to stop the immediate threat of physical harm to another.”
The Trump administration has filed an appeal.
On Monday, ICE confirmed the arrest of four people. WCCO learned that the two people detained on immigration charges are an Ecuadorian couple in their early 20s; agents shattered their car window before detaining the pair. The other two arrested are U.S. citizens who ICE alleges assaulted officers; however, WCCO could only find evidence that one of the men is actually facing criminal charges.
According to ICE, a man named Noor Abdikadir is still in custody for assaulting an officer. WCCO could not find any publicly available information regarding any kind of charges; ICE is ignoring clarifying questions about his whereabouts and alleged crimes.
A man with a very similar name, Abdikadir Noor, is among six people who are suing ICE for civil rights violations with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. In the lawsuit, the Somali-American said that ICE tackled him during Monday’s operation without provocation, leaving him with injuries. He stated that he was among the first on scene, driving to the nearby Karmel Mall when he noticed ICE pull over the car behind him. He said that once the crowd began to form he tried to keep the peace.
Noor said that once he was released from the Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling, where ICE operates from, he was given no documentation or explanation for why he was arrested in the first place.
While ICE failed to identify whether they have a different man still in custody, WCCO could identify documentation for the other man, Maxwell Collyard. In a complaint written by HSI Special Agent Michael Raiff, agents accuse Collyard of being part of the “mob” throwing ice, snow, rocks and other objects following Monday’s vehicle stop.
Collyard allegedly repeatedly ignored commands from ICE officers to back up and instead threatened officers on scene.
At one point, an officer sprayed Collyard with “oleoresin capsicum” spray, a chemical agent. After this, the complaint alleges that Collyard and others tackled one of the officers while they were attempting to detain the woman seen pinned on the floor. From here, the complaint states that Collyard followed the agents involved away from the scene in his pickup truck; this is where officers arrested him. According to court records, he’s now under house arrest.
In audio released by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, a supervisor with the ICE operation based in St. Paul called for help from local law enforcement. Deputies with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded, only to find no evidence that agents were in life-threatening danger.
Balliet said from what he saw, there is evidence that ICE agents are deploying to cities like Minneapolis without being properly equipped to handle the public backlash.
“I feel like it falls on the lack of leadership, the lack of accountability, poor training, poor operational planning, poor execution,” Balliet said.
Quincy Street isn’t just at the center of Art-A-Whirl, it’s at the heart of the Arts District in northeast Minneapolis. The road itself, however, is falling apart. And the only thing bumpier than the exposed brick is the reaction to the city’s plans to fix it.
“It’s known as like the most quirky, cobblestoney, potholey street,” said Kristin Olson, owner of Studio Q.
She and others working along the street have come to appreciate its crumbling characteristics. It forces cars to drive slowly, which is helpful given the amount of foot traffic in the area.
It’s also the very reason city leaders want to remake it.
Recent project renderings include adding sidewalks and trails to improve accessibility. Putting in a new road will help fix drainage issues. The city even wants to use bricks instead of asphalt to retain the area’s image.
“Totally hear that and understand it and we also want that, but the rest of the street is working as is,” said Olson.
Her studio has three private parking spots that her clients rely on.
The road project would convert private parking along Quincy Street into public parking, a major sticking point for artists needing direct access to their vehicles outside their studios.
“We save those for people who have mobility needs or people who are bringing in a lot of equipment,” said Olson.
Many of her clients have multiple vehicles for photoshoots at her studio.
“If we as a studio don’t have access to these three spots for our teams, those clients are going somewhere else,” she said.
The fight to keep Quincy Street’s character has been going on for a few years, with the pushback ramping up as the 2027 construction date nears. The latest renderings include loading zones for the businesses along the street, but artists like Charlie Haumersen don’t feel it’s enough.
“Just having access to the building is really important,” Haumerson said.
He, and many of the tenants on the block, also worry the city’s desire for change will have ramifications beyond just the road.
“We think of it as sort of a form of cultural erasure. Even though we’re just building a street, it might pave the way artists to have to leave,” he said.
Olson is hopeful that the city will slow down its plans and continue to come up with solutions that find a middle ground with the neighbors. It’s unclear if the city plans to make further changes to its latest redesign.
Minneapolis, MN
With evictions on the rise, Minnesota lawmakers pass $40 million in rental assistance
Minnesota legislators passed a housing bill on May 13 that includes $40 million in emergency rental assistance, a partial answer to pleas that have been coming from Twin Cities metro area officials and others since the early December start of Operation Metro Surge.
The $165 million bill is now headed to the desk of Gov. Tim Walz. It also includes $100 million to build affordable housing, $14 million for housing meant to meet workforce needs in Greater Minnesota, $4 million to support manufactured homes and $4 million for a homelessness prevention strategy threatened by federal cuts.
State Rep. Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth), who authored the rental assistance portion of the bill, said it has been “the most pressing issue facing Minnesotans” since the session began.
The funds will be distributed through the state’s Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, which partners with counties, nonprofits and other organizations. To be eligible, participants must be Minnesota residents undergoing a housing crisis who have an income at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
Legislature passes housing bill amid feds’ threat to strategy to prevent homelessness
Kozlowski believes the “lion’s share” of the funding will go toward the Twin Cities metro, but that every county in the state will receive some portion. They added that they were hopeful that residents would receive the dollars by the time June rent comes due, but that money would definitely be available by July.
Kozlowski said the bill was “the thing I’m most proud of and also it gives me heartburn,” acknowledging that even a figure as large as $40 million pales in comparison to the estimated cost of meeting emergency assistance needs for the state’s low-income households, which Minnesota Housing pegs at $350 million.
The decision comes as eviction filing rates statewide continue to slightly outpace last year. As of May 1, 2026, nearly 8,500 households had received an eviction notice this year, up about 8% from the same time period in 2025.
In Minneapolis, evictions are outpacing solutions
The money will come from a state fund originally created for counties to pay out settlements connected to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found the state’s forfeiture law was unconstitutional.
Minneapolis City Council members, who have been calling on the state to add to funds approved by the city, as well as those raised privately through sites like Stand With Minnesota, said they were relieved to see it finally happen.
“My community, my colleagues and I on the Council, and people throughout the city and state have been telling lawmakers that emergency rental assistance is desperately needed in the wake of Operation Metro Surge,” said Council member Aisha Chughtai (Ward 10). “This is a win for working class people.”
Council member Jason Chavez agreed, saying that “this action is exactly what is needed to keep more neighbors housed.” He added, though, that many residents still need more time – a nod to the Council’s efforts to extend the eviction timeline, which have been met with vetos from Mayor Jacob Frey.
Frey’s spokesperson said the mayor was thankful that the state has invested in emergency rental assistance, a measure he has said he prefers to eviction period extensions.
St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker (Ward 2) said the bill’s passage was “really exciting news,” saying the need for rental assistance is bottomless.
“We’ll be fighting for as much of that money as possible in St. Paul,” Noecker said. The announcement made her even more grateful, she said, that the Council passed an ordinance extending St. Paul’s eviction timeline to 60 days – which coincidentally went into effect on May 14 and will last through the end of 2026.
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