ICE said Wednesday that a man arrested by agents Tuesday in a St. Paul neighborhood entered the U.S. illegally from Honduras.
Victor Molina Rodriguez was previously removed from the U.S., has a “rap sheet” that includes domestic abuse and disorderly conduct and illegally re-entered the United States, according to a statement from a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.
Tuesday’s arrest drew nearly 200 constitutional observers and protesters to the 600 block of East Rose Avenue in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. There were confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. Federal law enforcement and St. Paul police officers responded with pepper spray; St. Paul police also deployed projectiles.
“During the arrest, a U.S. citizen weaponized their vehicle and rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle,” Wednesday’s DHS statement said. “The attacker fled on foot, but was later apprehended by law enforcement.”
Police “disrupted a peaceful observation,” said Mary Anne Ligeralde Quiroz, Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center co-founder and executive director, on Wednesday. “No one was threatening HSI and law enforcement agents.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how many people ICE arrested on Tuesday.
Jeffrey Suazo’s family members, standing against the wall, listen as Mary Anne Ligeralde Quiroz talks about Suazo’s arrest. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
The family of Jeffrey Suazo gave a statement Wednesday saying he also was detained Tuesday. His family came to the U.S. fleeing persecution in Honduras, a community organizer said.
“A simple man, 26 years old, hard working and humble,” Suazo’s family said in a statement read by Ligeralde Quiroz. “On Nov. 25, Jeffrey was on his way to work and saw that there was ICE activity. Jeffrey fled out of fear — fear of never seeing his partner, his family, fear of being taken away from his loved ones.”
“They want to blame Jeffrey for something he didn’t do that was part of what was happening,” the statement continued. “No one deserves to live the trauma that Jeffrey and the family have experienced. Children and a pregnant woman spent five hours under threats, humiliation by HSI agents, mockery and invasion of property, because, yes, they were able to get in without a warrant.”
Called in back-up
DHS said in Wednesday’s statement that a large number of people, who they referred to as “rioters,” arrived and they called in back-up “to help secure the scene.”
St. Paul has a separation ordinance that says city employees are not authorized to enforce federal immigration policies, and Police Chief Axel Henry said Tuesday the city’s officers had not violated it.
“I understand that our public is greatly frustrated by these issues, but be clear, the St. Paul police officers are not doing immigration enforcement, but we do have a responsibility to make sure that laws aren’t broken in our city,” he said in a statement.
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St. Paul city council members, legislators and community members expressed anger about the involvement of St. Paul police and their use of chemical munitions and projectiles.
DHS said in its statement that people on the scene “continued to ignore law enforcement commands and aggressively advanced on law enforcement. ICE used their training and deployed crowd control measures for the safety of the public and law enforcement.”
“Our officers are facing a 1,150% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, abusers and gang members,” the statement continued. “Secretary Noem’s message to the rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. … And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
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