ICE in MN: Alex Pretti memorial ride in Mpls, Operation Metro Surge allowed to continue
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota residents are continuing to protest ICE operations in the state as part of the "ICE Out Everywhere" national day of action.
In Texas, a judge ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father as their immigration case is heard in court.
A memorial bike ride for Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents, was held on Saturday afternoon.
This comes after a massive "ICE Out" march in Minneapolis following a benefit concert dedicated to the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Meanwhile, a federal judge allowed Operation Metro Surge to continue after denying a preliminary injunction that was filed by the Minnesota attorney general and the mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
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3 p.m. - Protests at local Target stores
Image shows protesters at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota. (FOX 9)
Demonstrations were held at multiple Target stores across the Twin Cities.
Organizers say the protests are in response to U.S. citizen Taget employees being assaulted and abducted by ICE agents.
Protesters called for the Minnesota-based business to "stand with residents" and demand ICE agents leave the state.
2:35 p.m. - Anti-ICE protest in south Minneapolis
Protesters march in Minneapolis to demand ICE agents leave Minnesota. (FOX 9)
Thousands of protesters marched in support of immigrant communities while demanding an end to ICE operations in the state.
The march began at Bryant Square Park in Minneapolis.
The protest was part of a nationwide network of demonstrations called "Ice Out of Everywhere."
1 p.m. - Alex Pretti Memorial Bike Ride begins
Photo shows cyclists in the Alex Pretti Memorial Bike Ride. (FOX 9)
Hundreds of riders participated in the Alex Pretti memorial ride in Minneapolis.
Organizers say the cycling community is honoring his memory with a 10-mile ride starting at Washburn Fair Oaks Park.
12:45 p.m. - Judge denies Twin Cities preliminary injunction, allows Operation Metro Surge to continue
The Associated Press reports that a federal judge will not halt the immigration surge in Minnesota and the Twin Cities after denying a preliminary injunction filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The ruling allows Operation Metro Surge to continue.
The injunction argued that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is violating constitutional protections and sought to halt or limit the operation's scope.
The Department of Justice called the lawsuit "legally frivolous."
Mayor Jacob Frey released the following statement:
"Of course, we’re disappointed. This decision doesn’t change what people here have lived through — fear, disruption, and harm caused by a federal operation that never belonged in Minneapolis in the first place. This operation has not brought public safety. It’s brought the opposite and has detracted from the order we need for a working city. It’s an invasion, and it needs to stop."
DHS Secretary Noem posted that the ruling is "a win for public safety and law and order" while pointing out the judge was appointed by former President Biden.
11:45 a.m. - Judge orders release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father
Liam Ramos: Texas lawmakers call for 5-year-old's release
Lawmakers and other supporters gathered to call for the release of Liam Ramos from an immigration detention center in Texas after he was taken into ICE custody in Minnesota.
A federal judge in San Antonio ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, from an immigrant detention center in Texas, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The South Texas newspaper reports that U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued an order on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 31. That order requires that both the father and son are released from federal custody while their immigration case proceeds.
This comes after their deportation orders were blocked earlier this week.
READ MORE: Judge blocks deportation of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father
The most recent order, according to the San Antonio Express-News, also prevents federal authorities from moving the father and son to another facility while they await their release, which must happen by Tuesday, Feb. 3.
The ruling also accuses the Trump administration of "ignorance of an American historical document called the Declaration of Independence" adding that the case against the father and son "has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children."
11 a.m. – Protesters gather at the Whipple Federal Building
Demonstrators are gathering at the Whipple Federal Building in Fort Snelling to demand an end to ICE operations in the state.
The Source: This story uses information gathered by FOX 9 reporters.