Hundreds of people protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border detention centers on Tuesday by blocking vehicle exits at a Minnesota federal building.
Some 200 people blocked two of the exits at the St. Paul, Minn., building, which houses both state and federal offices, in the hope of disrupting ICE business operations until the border detention centers are shut down, Fox 9 reports.
Protesters also urged for ICE to be defunded and for all immigrants in the country illegally to receive permanent protections, according to the TV station.
The event was organized by Never Again Action, which has protested in dozens of other cities including Washington, D.C., New York City, Atlanta and Baltimore, according to its website.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office cited 29 people for unlawful assembly, Fox 9 reported.
“In response to recent protests, ICE has taken additional security measures to ensure employee safety and the security of all offices,” an agency spokesperson said, according to the TV station. “ICE operations across the country have and will continue to proceed as normal despite these events. ICE fully respects the Constitutional rights of all people to peacefully express their opinions. ICE remains committed to performing its immigration enforcement mission consistent with federal law and agency policy.”
The Trump administration has continued to face backlash for its immigration policies and for the conditions at its border detention centers, which are said to be unclean and severely lacking in resources.
*story by The Hill