An on-the-ground conservative journalist was assaulted in Minneapolis Monday after far-left extremists set up makeshift “checkpoints” throughout the Twin Cities region.
Multiple on-the-ground journalists have reported on “checkpoints” manned by anti-ICE extremists following the beginning of Operation Metro Surge, the Trump Administration’s name for what has been billed as the largest targeted immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history. Unrest has continued in the region throughout the duration of the operation, as organized “ICE Watch” groups repeatedly tail agents and attempt to block them with vehicles.
This activity led to the shooting of Renee Good on January 7, who was shot while accelerating towards a federal agent. Violence escalated further following the death of Alex Pretti on January 21, a violent anti-ICE agitator who was shot while attempting to reach for a handgun.
After Minnesota businesses urged state leaders to find a solution, Governor Tim Walz agreed to allow state law enforcement resources to assist with security at federal facilities. Mobs of anti-ICE extremists have remained active in the region, however, according to several on-the-ground-reports from the Daily Caller.
While leftists have been setting up makeshift roadblocks at times, they now appear to be setting up manned “checkpoints” where anti-ICE extremists run license plates through a “database” in an effort to block federal vehicles. Footage obtained by Daily Caller reporter Jorge Ventura shows masked individuals, dressed in all black, manning a “checkpoint” in a South Minneapolis neighborhood.
“Here is the left-wing activists checkpoint on Cedar Ave , stopping vehicles , checking ID’s and running license plates in their ‘database’ , we didn’t see any local law enforcement on scene,” Ventura reported.
Here is the left-wing activists checkpoint on Cedar Ave , stopping vehicles , checking ID’s and running license plates in their ‘database’ , we didn’t see any local law enforcement on scene , then I and my photojournalist @photoswitherik were assaulted for documenting their… pic.twitter.com/tCwb3dZy4P
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) February 2, 2026
“They have this kind of blockade here where they’re stopping some vehicles,” Ventura said in a follow-up video, adding that he and his photojournalist just spoke with some of the individuals. Ventura further noted that at that time, militants were “detaining” an individual, described as a Somali Uber driver, after claiming that his vehicle came up in their “database.”
“He’s clearly not ICE. And they said that in their database that that vehicle was ICE, popping up as an ICE vehicle. So we were questioning them about this database that they’re using,” the Daily Caller journalist reported from the scene. “Obviously, there’s some type of network here, communication. According to them, local law enforcement hasn’t even came in and stopped.”
Ventura then asked one of the individuals about the “database” and how they were able to run license plates without permission. At that point, Ventura and his photojournalist were assaulted, while militants attempted to steal his phone and camera equipment so he could not publish anything.
“Get in the f***ing car,” one person in green headgear said while pushing Ventura. Another masked person swatted Ventura’s phone out of his hand while Ventura filmed through a car window.
The activists ran the license plate of my Uber drive in their database to check if he is an ICE agent , this very well organized , I asked them directly about this @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/fbIrAww9Me
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) February 2, 2026
The attacker eventually left after Ventura informed him that the person in the car was Ventura’s Uber driver. “So, not-confirmed ICE plate,” a person’s voice could be heard from a walkie-talkie at the end of the clip.
Operation Metro Surge is still ongoing in the Twin Cities region despite inaccurate reports of federal immigration agents “withdrawing” from the city. “To set the record straight, because my staff said they’ve seen a lot of people that say President Trump’s backing off on his promise of mass deportation — that’s just untrue,” White House border czar Tom Homan told Fox News.
