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PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
January 22 - 28, 2026
Vol. 92
No. 25
Phone: 612-827-4021 www.spokesman-recorder.com
AG Ellison says feds persecuting To counter injustice, Dr. Alveda Minnesota for its politics King urges prayer, nonviolence
He and others petition court to restrain ICE surge By Clint Combs Contributing Writer
immigration agents into Min- shot and killed Renee Nicole nesota, arguing the action Good near Portland Avenue overstepped federal authority. and 34th Street in Minneapolis. Ellison said the state is chal“We allege that the surge he state of Minnesota, along with the has had a reckless impact on lenging what he described as cities of Minneapo- our schools and on our local “excessive and lethal force” by lis and St. Paul, filed law enforcement,” Ellison said. federal agents, including warfederal lawsuits against the De- “It is a violation of the Tenth rantless arrests and targeting partment of Homeland Security, Amendment and the sover- of courts, houses of worship, alleging that a large-scale de- eign powers granted to states and schools.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Agence France Presse By Jasmine McBride Editor
Speaking with the Min- Movement, surrounded by nesota Spokesman-Recorder, faith leaders who believed King reflected on her family’s justice could not be separated s Minnesota legacy and the lessons she from spiritual grounding. She marks Martin believes remain urgently rele- emphasized that both her (Front row, l-r) Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Luther King Jr. vant as communities confront uncle, Dr. King, and her father, and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, joined by other local officials, announce a lawsuit against fear, anger and division. Day amid rethe Rev. A.D. King, rooted the Department of Homeland Security over federal immigration enforcement in Minneapo“My prayers go out to all newed civil unrest and heighttheir activism in Christian lis on Monday, Jan. 12. Official live stream ened federal immigration en- of the families and all of the faith and nonviolent resisPBS Frontline reporter AC forcement, Dr. Alveda King, people involved in any cases tance, even when facing diployment of Immigration and under the Constitution.” The lawsuit follows reports Thompson told Ellison that his civil rights activist and niece of civil unrest,” King said. rect violence. Customs Enforcement agents violated the U.S. Constitution that ICE agents detained a reporting crew was pepper- of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther “There has to be a point where “I remember as a little girl special education assistant at sprayed by federal agents King Jr., is calling for prayer, people of prayer can begin to when there were threats of and the states’ rights. Attorney General Keith El- Roosevelt High School and while covering enforcement nonviolence, and moral clarity break through to the hearts of violence against us,” she said. lison asked a federal judge to used chemical irritants against activity. “Is this litigation in a moment she says echoes everyone involved.” “We prayed first, and then we block the federal government teachers and students, hours aimed at restraining the use of the turbulence of the Civil King, 75, grew up at the tried to reach the hearts of all from deploying thousands of after ICE agent Jonathan Ross ■ See MLK on page 5 ■ See SUE on page 5 Rights era. epicenter of the Civil Rights
Lives lost, communities harmed: Man released from ICE custody a second time after warrantless arrest The human cost of ICE By Lizzy Nyoike Contributing Writer
the status of the investigation into Porter’s death. It remains unclear whether the ICE agent involved has been placed on he death of Keith Poradministrative leave or reter Jr. did not make naferred for independent review. tional headlines, but Porter’s death is one of sevfor his family and community, eral in recent months tied to it remains a painful reminder ICE operations. While some of the often-unacknowledged cases have drawn national athuman cost of Immigration tention, others have received and Customs Enforcement little public scrutiny. Across operations. the country, activists are callPorter, a 43-year-old father ing for greater transparency, and U.S. citizen, was fatally accountability and justice. shot outside his home by an In Los Angeles, civic leader off-duty ICE agent on Dec. and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles co-founder Melina Abdullah has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts surrounding Porter’s death. Abdullah said, citing family members, that Porter had been celebrating New Year’s Eve inside his home when he stepped outside and fired a celebratory shot into the air. According to Abdullah, an ICE agent who lived in the same apartment complex put on tactical gear, returned outside and shot Porter in front of his home. Abdullah said local authorities have remained largely silent, offering Porter’s family “nothing” in terms of answers or action. “The community is going to have to mobilize,” Abdullah said, emphasizing the need to ■ See PORTER on page 5 Keith Porter in Los Angeles, 2022 Adrian Metoyer and Tamara Cedré 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. His cousin, Jsané Tyler, described him as loving and joyful. “When he walked in, he brought joy. He always had a laugh, a joke, a smile,” Tyler said. Porter’s mother, Franceola Armstrong, spoke at a vigil following his death, describing her son as her greatest joy. “He was a joy to be around,” she said. “My son had the biggest heart… sympathetic, appreciative, full of gratitude.” Authorities have not publicly released details about
(l-r) Marc Prokosch, Garrison Gibson, Teyona Brown, and Abena Abraham during a press briefing in St. Paul, Jan. 17 By Alaysia Lane Contributing Writer
The second release followed a series of events that began with a warrantless raid on arrison Gibson, a Gibson’s north Minneapolis 38-year-old Liberian home: an entry a U.S. District immigrant and father, Court judge later ruled viowas released from Immigration lated the Fourth Amendment. “This is not just a mistake. and Customs Enforcement custody for a second time after This is a constitutional violabeing re-arrested hours after tion,” said immigration attora federal judge ruled his initial ney Marc Prokosch. According to Gibson and arrest unconstitutional. Gibson’s attorney con- his family, federal agents arfirmed Friday afternoon that rived at their home around 9 he is home with his family a.m. Jan. 11, knocking before and required to wear an ankle announcing themselves. Gibmonitor while remaining un- son said he asked whether der immigration supervision. they had a warrant and was
told they did not. Minutes later, multiple ICE vehicles arrived, parking in the alley, on the street and in neighbors’ yards as more officers gathered. Gibson said about a dozen agents and vehicles were present, drawing neighbors outside. Family members said agents later returned to the door claiming they had a warrant but did not show it before breaching the home. They said agents used a battering ram multiple times, damaging the front door and an interior wall. ■ See GIBSON on page 5