Multiple Minneapolis airport employees apprehended by ICE agents without warning
ICE officers have been detaining over a dozen workers, including those in uniform and even passing through security checkpoints, sparking fears among local residents. The Unite Here Local 17 union, which represents 1,600 airport concession and in-flight catering employees, claims that many workers had passed rigorous federal background checks to work at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
"It's clear they came through the TSA line and were quickly detained by ICE or Border Patrol on the back end of security," said Wade Luneburg, union representative. "Some may have been in plain clothes without a badge initially, but now we understand ICE is operating openly." However, he added that the ongoing federal immigration enforcement has led to some workers staying home out of fear.
The impact on airport staff has already begun to show, with staffing levels at concessionaires dwindling. Passengers are likely to notice these changes as they fly through the terminal. As one employee put it, "People are afraid to leave their homes and go to work, fearing this back-and-forth routine." The Department of Homeland Security's operations at Minneapolis Airport have not been confirmed in response to WCCO inquiries.
ICE officers have been detaining over a dozen workers, including those in uniform and even passing through security checkpoints, sparking fears among local residents. The Unite Here Local 17 union, which represents 1,600 airport concession and in-flight catering employees, claims that many workers had passed rigorous federal background checks to work at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
"It's clear they came through the TSA line and were quickly detained by ICE or Border Patrol on the back end of security," said Wade Luneburg, union representative. "Some may have been in plain clothes without a badge initially, but now we understand ICE is operating openly." However, he added that the ongoing federal immigration enforcement has led to some workers staying home out of fear.
The impact on airport staff has already begun to show, with staffing levels at concessionaires dwindling. Passengers are likely to notice these changes as they fly through the terminal. As one employee put it, "People are afraid to leave their homes and go to work, fearing this back-and-forth routine." The Department of Homeland Security's operations at Minneapolis Airport have not been confirmed in response to WCCO inquiries.
they're detaining people who've already cleared all the checks and are just trying to make ends meet... meanwhile, staffing levels are tanking because who wants to risk being pulled away from their home in the middle of security? 
it's like they're taking a shot at innocent civilians. and now passengers get to enjoy the 'delight' of less staff at concessionaires 
for the employees. I mean, they're just trying to do their jobs and make ends meet, but now they're walking on eggshells, worried about getting caught off guard again. It's like, what even is the point of passing those background checks if you're still gonna get picked up by ICE? 
This isn't just about the employees, it's also about how this affects the whole airport and the passengers who are gonna suffer from the reduced staff. I guess this is a harsh reminder that no matter how hard we try to be good people, there's always gonna be uncertainty and fear hanging over our heads 
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ICE agents are causing so much stress and fear among local residents, its crazy! people r staying home from work because of this, how is that fair? the union rep says some workers even passed background checks to get their jobs but still got detained 
...ICE detaining airport employees without warning? that's like a punch to the gut...so many ppl who just wanna do their job are being held back by fear. staffing levels at concessionaires is already dropping and now ppl r gonna have to deal with less options when flying through minneapolis airport 
, can you believe what's happening with the airport employees?! They're just doing their job and suddenly ICE shows up outta nowhere and detains them... it's so not right! 
. Or maybe some airport staff training on immigration law so they know what's going on and how to protect themselves 
. We need to look out for each other, you know? 
. With over a dozen people detained already, it's only gonna get worse. And now the Unite Here union is saying that some workers are even too afraid to go to work because of this. I mean, who wouldn't be? 
. It's like they're treating these people like criminals, not workers trying to make a living. And the impact on the airport staff is already being felt - staffing levels are down and it's affecting passenger experience 
. It's also got people staying home out of fear, which is super unfair 
️]
. Passengers will notice the changes soon enough. It's like, "Hey, what's going on here?" 
. I hope something changes soon! 
it's not fair to these airport employees who are already working hard to make ends meet. I'm worried about how this is gonna affect the whole community - what if others start getting detained too just because they're "in the wrong place at the wrong time"? we need some answers from our government ASAP 
. And poor people who already fear ICE just staying home because of uncertainty... 
. We can't let this situation continue and scare away more people from doing their jobs 
I mean, I know some people might be undocumented or in the country without proper papers, but shouldn't we have a system in place to deal with that kinda thing instead of just detaining people on the spot? 
It's like they're playing a game of immigration roulette, you know?
️. I feel bad for these people who just wanna do their jobs and provide for their families, but now they're too scared to even leave the house 
. These workers have done nothing wrong, but still they're being targeted by ICE. We should be supporting them, not just standing by while this happens 
.
gotta do something about this...