Free Republic

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ate at a Mexican restaurant in Minnesota on Wednesday, before arresting three of its employees who had just closed up the establishment for the evening. The arrests happened in Willmar, which is about two hours from Minneapolis, where ICE and Border Patrol have ramped up activities. On Thursday, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported: An eyewitness who declined to give a name for fear of retribution, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that four ICE agents sat in a booth for a meal at El Tapatio a little before 3 p.m. Staff at the restaurant were frightened,...

St. Paul, Minn. — A few Somali parents in Willmar complained that the public schools weren't allowing their Muslim children to step out of class for daily prayer. Some didn't send their children to school last week in protest. Today, school officials said they won't change their policy, which allows students to pray during lunch time and between classes. For now, families have reluctantly agreed to send their children to school, but the issue may resurface later in the school year. This is the first school year Somali parents have had an issue with Willmar public schools over when their...

MINNEAPOLIS—The deportation case of a 10-year-old Willmar boy who appeared in court earlier this year and told of his fear in the face of an immigration raid has been unified with the case against his parents. Federal immigration officials have questioned the handling of Sammy Diaz-Maldonado's case, in particular the decision by his lawyers to have the boy appear in court hearings, in some cases by himself, even though it's not necessary.