Overview
- Speaking in a Feb. 14 interview, Obama said ICE conduct in Minneapolis–St. Paul resembled practices seen in authoritarian regimes, citing home raids and tear gas used on nonviolent crowds.
- The Minnesota immigration operation involved roughly 3,000 federal agents and has now been declared over by Trump immigration chief Tom Homan after months of protests.
- Two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed in January during confrontations tied to the operation, intensifying local organizing and national outrage documented in widely shared videos.
- Obama condemned a Truth Social video from the president’s account that briefly depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as simian figures and pushed false 2020 election claims; the White House first called the backlash “fake outrage,” then removed the post and blamed a staff error, and Trump declined to apologize.
- He praised sustained, largely peaceful community resistance in Minnesota and argued that ultimate accountability will come from voters, as congressional fights over DHS funding and ICE oversight continue.