NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Andy Smith
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 25B – 651-296-9249 – rep.andy.smith@house.mn.gov
5th Floor, Centennial Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
January 8, 2026
Rep. Andy Smith statement on ICE operations in Rochester
Rochester, Minn. - On Thursday, Rep. Andy Smith (DFL – Rochester) received credible reports from community partners of ICE activity in Rochester. This comes less than 24 hours after ICE agents killed a legal observer in Minneapolis. Rep. Smith released the following statement:
“As our country and state have seen, including yesterday in Minneapolis, these agents feel empowered to openly break the law to assert power and instill terror in immigrant communities. They’ll do anything, including pepper spraying kids and killing citizens, to carry out the mass assault on our state.
ICE kidnapping tactics are changing to evade community pushback – and they're moving fast. All Rochester residents should stay vigilant and observant of their surroundings and help notify the community of any ICE activity they witness.
Let me be clear: I demand ICE leave our state and the great city of Rochester immediately. Minnesotans’ safety depends on it.”
Residents who witness federal activity in the area can report sightings to the Monarca hotline at 612-441-2881.
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