Report States Police Remove Intersection Debris In Neighborhoods
What began as an almost farcical display of activist bravado in Minneapolis has now edged into something more revealing: a real-world demonstration of how quickly “resistance” rhetoric collapses into lawless hypocrisy when no one is willing to say no. Earlier this week, anti-ICE activists openly set up what they described as “checkpoints” at city intersections, claiming they were stopping vehicles and running license plates to identify federal immigration officers. The stated goal was to block ICE from operating. The reality looked far more like a group of masked civilians taking it upon themselves to police who could pass through public roads.
We will not be deterred by the violence against journalists in Minneapolis, we continue to be relentless in our coverage.@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/SnyT1E8yBR
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) February 3, 2026
Even more astonishing was the initial response from authorities. Police reportedly confronted the activists but did not immediately clear them out, despite the obvious safety concerns and the unmistakable illegality of private citizens stopping traffic and demanding identification. That vacuum of enforcement emboldened the group, and it didn’t take long before things turned violent. Daily Caller News Foundation journalist Jorge Ventura went to investigate and was assaulted, leaving his hand bloodied. His photojournalist was attacked as well, underscoring that these “checkpoints” weren’t just symbolic protests but hostile encounters waiting to happen.
Glad to still have my phone after I was assaulted , we keep the footage!@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/gnyTGmYxjQ
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) February 2, 2026
The irony is impossible to miss. These activists claim to oppose ICE on the grounds that immigration enforcement is oppressive and unlawful, yet they saw no problem donning masks, stopping random drivers, asking for IDs, and screening who was allowed into a neighborhood. In other words, they recreated the very behavior they claim to despise, minus any legal authority or accountability. The moral blind spot is so large it almost feels intentional.
RIGHT NOW: Police colludes with ICE by clearing the filter blockade set up by community defenders at 32nd and Cedar (1/3) pic.twitter.com/dQd1qRseN2
— Minneapolis Spring (@mpls_spring) February 2, 2026
After days of this nonsense, the city finally acted. Minneapolis Public Works, with assistance from police, cleared debris and homemade barricades from Cedar Avenue, citing public safety concerns for residents and emergency vehicles. The checkpoint at 32nd and Cedar was dismantled, as it should have been from the start. Predictably, the activists were furious, accusing police of “colluding” with ICE and “stealing” their barricades. In reality, the city removed unlawful obstructions from a high-traffic roadway, a basic function of municipal governance.
They want us to be demoralized but keep in mind: blockades are cheap to set up + not meant to function around the clock. It takes almost no effort for people to set up another filter blockade. But this strategy will only work if we keep building momentum w more blockades. (3/3)
— Minneapolis Spring (@mpls_spring) February 2, 2026
The reaction from the activists only deepened the absurdity. They claimed the move was meant to “demoralize” them and boasted online that it would take almost no effort to set up another “filter blockade.” Some even suggested they were operating from abroad, though hints of VPN usage made that claim dubious at best. The bravado ignores a simple fact: police can just tear the barricades down again, and ICE can drive around them. The only people truly affected are ordinary residents trying to get to work, get home, or move through their own neighborhood.