
On the ICE front:
The U.S. Justice Department plans to appeal a federal court ruling that limited the force ICE agents can use against protestors, according to the Star Tribune. The injunction bars agents in Minnesota from arresting, detaining, retaliating against or using force and chemical irritants against peaceful protesters and observers.
A 33-year-old man has been charged with stealing a rifle from an FBI vehicle during an ICE protest, MPR reports. Raul Gutierrez is charged with one count of theft of public property and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He allegedly took the firearm during protests after a man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent last Wednesday.
Two hotels in St. Paul have shut their doors after being criticized for apparently housing federal agents involved in Operation Metro Surge, the Pioneer Press reports. The Hilton DoubleTree told guests in a letter that they had to find a new place to stay beginning Sunday. IHG InterContinental was also closing. The hotels cited safety concerns as the reason for the temporary closures.
In other news:
Temperatures will remain dangerously low in Minnesota well into Tuesday, according to KARE11. The station says the morning commute will feature wind chills that are far below zero before temperatures briefly moderate by mid-week. But get ready for more Arctic air by Friday morning.
Fewer Minnesotans are opting for MNsure health insurance, the Star Tribune reports. State officials chalk up the decrease to affordability, citing higher premiums and smaller federal tax credits. The 135,000 people who had signed up for individual market health plans through MNsure by the end of December represent a 4% decrease from the year before, the newspaper said.
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