Minnesota flag sales soar during ICE surge

Minnesota state flags are flying off store shelves as some residents use them to show their state pride and opposition to the wave of federal immigration officers that continue to operate in the state.

The newer version of the flag, which was redesigned and officially adopted by the state after months of heated discussion in 2024, has been waved and draped over shoulders at numerous demonstrations held to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the last few weeks. Activists want the thousands of agents who are part of ICE’s unprecedented enforcement sweep to leave Minnesota.

Lee Herold, who owns Herold Flags in Rochester, said sales of the Minnesota flag have gone up about 75% since the start of the federal government’s Operation Metro Surge, while sales of the old flag have also increased.

“Protest and defiance is what I now see in customers buying the new flag,” Herold said. “It is subtle, not boasting, but they are making a statement about showing off their Minnesota pride and determination.”

The new flag features the shape of Minnesota, cast in a deep blue and topped with a distinctive eight-point star facing north. The flag’s redesign has been a touchy topic, with some criticsdecrying that the new flag, with its abstract imagery, stripped away more than 100 years of Minnesota history.

But in the last few weeks, flag store owners said there has been more acceptance of the new design.

“We are seeing more interest in the 2024 flag now, and fewer people are buying it reluctantly,” Herold said in an email.

Yet, during the last couple months, he hasn’t noticed that attitude.

Alamo Flags, located at the Burnsville Center, sold out of non-handheld Minnesota flags and had to place another order with distributors on Monday, said Jay Arda, one of the store owners.

“That is not normal for the Minnesota flags to sell out like that,” Arda said.

At American Flagpole & Flag Co., which operates out of Lake Elmo, sales of both the old and new flag have doubled since December compared to what they typically would be, said owner Matt Knowlan.

“We sell the American flag all the time. ... It’s honestly down compared to the Minnesota flag,” said Knowlan, whose AFlag.com ships flags across the country.

“Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen our community show up for one another with kindness, resilience, and that unmistakable Minnesota spirit,” store owners posted. “Neighbors helping neighbors, people lending a hand, and a whole lot of heart on display.”