Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office criticized after Whipple arrests

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is facing criticism for tackling and arresting protesters at the Whipple Federal Building on Jan. 30.

The arrests — and subsequent condemnation of the deputies’ actions by progressive leaders — add to tensions over the role of local law enforcement during the federal enforcement surge.

“There has been lots of concern about the way local law enforcement is responding to our communities being invaded,” state Rep. Aisha Gomez said in an interview Saturday. She said she has seen multiple situations involving Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies that she has found concerning.

Minneapolis police were criticized for their role in a protest around a federal raid on Lake Street in June 2025, and St. Paul police are facing an external investigation into their conduct around protesters at a November ICE raid.

The latest outcry comes after video taken outside the Whipple building Friday morning showed a group of Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies pulling multiple protesters from a group, taking them to the ground and arresting them.

Tristan Evans-Fargione, who recorded the incident, said tensions rose between protesters and law enforcement after deputies arrested a protester for unclear reasons.

Deputies made the crowd back up off the road, he said. After a few minutes, a group of deputies approached the crowd and is seen in the video bringing at least two of them to the ground. Three people are then seen being led away by deputies.

On Saturday, Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez said in a social media post he saw deputies as helping federal agents.

“They have been using force against neighbors who are working to protect our immigrant neighbors,” Chavez wrote. “Law enforcement should never assault and pepper spray our residents.”

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office called Chavez’s post “irresponsible” and said deputies’ presence at the Whipple building has made the daily protests there more peaceful.

The scrum Friday was an aberration, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

“Individuals disobeyed lawful orders and engaged in unlawful protest activity,” the statement said. “Several people then obstructed deputies during an arrest, causing the arrested person to fall, and another individual jumped on a deputy’s back.”

“We have a federal administration that is engaging in systemic brutality against our community,” Gomez said. “I want our local law enforcement and our state law enforcement to engage respectfully and gently with our community.”

The sheriff’s office said deputies “did not target observers or peaceful protesters. We remain committed to de-escalation, public safety and protecting lawful First Amendment activity, and we expect public officials to be accurate and responsible when speaking to the public.”