Ever since the immigration crackdown began in the Twin Cities, some of the most forceful confrontations between protesters and federal agents have happened in a remote area south of Minneapolis at the B.H. Whipple Federal Building.
An ICE field office, immigration court and a detention center are all housed inside the building.
Scripps News was on the ground outside in the early days of Operation Metro Surge as protesters gathered after the shooting of Renee Good. Officers fired pepper balls and stun grenades to hold back the crowd, which then numbered in the hundreds. Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol commander, surveyed the scene with cannisters of tear gas hanging from his vest.
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In the weeks since protesters began gathering at the building, the government has installed 8-foot metal fences and concrete barriers that now line both sides of the road encircling the building. Smaller groups still show up to shout and wave signs.
ICE and Customs and Border Patrol take arrested immigrants and protesters to the building for processing. Patty O'Keefe spoke about her eight hours detained there after being taken into custody for trailing ICE agents with her car.
"Inside my cell I heard wailing, screaming, crying, begging, and pleading from women, men, and children," O'Keefe said during a Jan. 16 congressional field hearing organized by Democrats. "Alongside that visceral anguish was the small talk, banter and laughter from the federal agents outside our cells, clearly desensitized to the deep and audible pain right in front of their eyes."
The Trump administration has said claims of detainee mistreatment are false.
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Released detainees sometimes come out of the building with almost nothing.
"Usually they're just taken with what they're wearing at the time," said Jordan Cooper, a volunteer with Haven Watch. "Their phones are getting taken, their IDs are being taken."
She and other volunteers keep an eye on the main gate each night, ready to help.
"We go across, bring them to one of our warm cars over here," said Jordan Cooper, a Haven Watch volunteer. "If they need a further ride, we can give them a ride. We can set them up with a new burner phone.
