ICE detains workers at Bemidji construction site, leaving families facing uncertainty
Residents said as many as 25-30 workers may have been taken into custody as local officials said the federal immigration operation was over.
- On Thursday, June 11, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several construction workers at the Villas at Vista North in Bemidji while contractors were shingling buildings on-site.
- Bemidji Police Department stated they did not coordinate with the federal agency, while Minnesota House Rep. Bidal Duran confirmed the operation targeted specific individuals with prior removal orders.
- A resident reported seeing eight vehicles and uniformed agents, describing workers fleeing between houses as a neighbor dialed 911 because "she didn't know what was going on either."
- Magali Balero and Patty Mendoza launched GoFundMe pages on Friday seeking donations for attorney fees after their relatives were detained during the operation.
- Duran confirmed ICE officials stated they "got the amount of people that they were looking for," concluding the operation Friday while urging residents to contact authorities with concerns.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Duluth News Tribune
ICE detains workers at Bemidji construction site, leaving families facing uncertainty
BEMIDJI — Several construction workers at the Villas at Vista North in Bemidji were arrested Thursday afternoon by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, leaving some residents worried for their loved ones. "They're working on shingling almost a dozen buildings in Vista North this year, I guess, and so the construction company had a whole pile of workers here yesterday afternoon," a resident who lives on Vista Way Northwest told the Pi…
ICE Detains Members of Roofing Crew in Bemidji During Operation
Several arrests were made in Bemidji between yesterday and today when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents performed an operation across multiple locations throughout Bemidji, including at Vista North, through traffic stops, and reportedly at other apartments as well. Later this afternoon, local government officials confirmed that the agents were…
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