MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – After a confrontation at Roosevelt High School involving ICE on Wednesday where federal officers reportedly deployed pepper spray and detained a worker, former governor Jesse Ventura showed staff support for their handling of the situation.
ICE confrontation at Minneapolis school
The backstory:
Video shared online shows the chaotic moments Wednesday afternoon outside Roosevelt, during which a crowd of people, including children, outside the school at dismissal time and what appeared to be ICE agents. The video doesn’t show what leads up to the chaos, but during the confrontation a chemical irritant, like pepper spray, is deployed.
In a statement Wednesday night, the Minneapolis Federation of Educators said a school employee was detained by ICE agents during the incident. Minneapolis Public Schools also confirmed the incident on Thursday, saying they were investigating.
Dig deeper:
In a statement to FOX 9, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said ICE officers were attempting to arrest a citizen outside the school who had interfered with ICE operations when a teacher intervened.
The full DHS statement reads:
“On January 7, Border Patrol agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations in the Minneapolis area when a U.S. Citizen was actively trying to impede operations. The subject proceeded to escalate his actions into violence and rammed his vehicle into a government vehicle. The subject began a 5-mile chase, putting the public and children in danger by running red lights, driving into oncoming traffic, and dangerously driving into a school zone where he finally decided to stop. At no point was a school, students, or staff targeted, and agents would not have been near this location if not for the dangerous actions of this individual.
“While the subject was being removed from his vehicle, an individual who identified himself as a teacher proceeded to assault a border patrol agent. While this was happening, a crowd began to form and grow — rioters threw objects and dispersed paint on the officers and their vehicles. Despite repeated warnings to cease, the crowd continued with their hostilities and assaults. Officers used targeted crowd control for the safety of law enforcement and the public. No tear gas was deployed.”
Ventura visits school
What we know:
While FOX 9 cameras were at Roosevelt High School on Thursday, former governor Jesse Ventura made a visit.
Ventura told media that he is a Roosevelt graduate, and he wanted to show support after Wednesday’s incident.
“Good for these people who stood up,” said Ventura. “They’re teaching their students something, that we are a country, we have to be a country of law and a country of the Constitution. They’re all forgetting about the Constitution of the United States of America. We don’t even have it anymore. After January 6th, are you kidding me?”
The former governor also commented on the deadly shooting in Minneapolis.
“Anytime you have the loss of life that needlessly happens, that’s a tragedy,” said Ventura. “And what occurred yesterday did not have to happen. There is no way — I’ve seen the tape of it.”
Minneapolis Public SchoolsMinneapolisMinneapolis ICE shootingJesse Ventura
