At a Tuesday meeting of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, union members, servers and other airport workers said a recent surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity at MSP has made coming to work feel unsafe for many staff. Speakers shared accounts of colleagues being detained at or near terminals, and workers described scenes that have shaken break rooms and gate crews. Employees urged commissioners to look for any options that could protect immigrant workers while federal operations continue at the airport.
Workers Say 12 Colleagues Were Arrested
Feben Ghilagaber, a server who said she has worked at MSP for more than 20 years, read aloud the names of 12 people she says were arrested and told commissioners that only two had been released, according to CBS Minnesota. She said one of the people taken was a mother of three who was arrested in front of her 9‑year‑old son and was not released until five days later, when agents recovered her documentation. "I'm a citizen and I'm very scared to be here," Ghilagaber told the commission, underscoring how quickly fear has spread among staff.
MAC Says Federal Rules Limit Its Options
Commission leaders acknowledged the anguish and anxiety in the room but emphasized that the commission's hands are legally tied at a public‑use airport. As outlined by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, federal regulations grant law enforcement broad access to airfields, terminals and public parking areas, and the MAC and MSP Airport Police do not receive advance notice of immigration enforcement activity. That framework, officials said, sharply limits the range of steps the commission can take on its own.
ICE Document Checks Reported Inside Terminals
Workers pointed to an internal memo and described a planned three‑week operation that includes document checks and patrols of jet bridges, according to KVRR. FOX 9, which attended the MAC meeting, also reported concerns about an uptick in enforcement‑related flights and on‑site checks that are affecting both employees and travelers. Airport officials have told reporters they do not coordinate or get advance notice of federal immigration activity.
Union Leaders Demand Protections
UNITE HERE Local 17, the hospitality union that represents many airport concession and catering workers, says more than a dozen members were detained on the job and used the MAC meeting to demand action, according to Bring Me The News. Union organizers urged the commission to press for greater transparency around federal flights, expand legal aid for affected workers and identify any administrative measures that might reduce harm. Organizers said they will continue rallies and legal outreach as enforcement continues.
The Bigger Picture: Metro Surge And Local Impact
The heightened activity at MSP is part of a broader Operation Metro Surge that has sent thousands of federal officers into the Twin Cities and led to large‑scale arrests and protests across the region, The Washington Post reports. The mass enforcement effort has reshaped daily life for many immigrant residents, affecting school attendance, shopping and work, and has sparked sustained community resistance and legal challenges. That backdrop helps explain why airport workers say they now feel exposed on the job.
Legal Implications
Legally, the MAC's authority is limited: its public‑use airports must comply with federal statutes and it cannot bar federal law‑enforcement access or restrict government‑chartered flights, per the commission statement. That leaves potential remedies to federal agencies, state and local elected officials, or litigation, avenues unions and advocates say they are pursuing in tandem with workplace organizing. The commission said it would continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with partners as allowed by law.
For now, employees left the meeting calling for clearer protections and more legal support, while commissioners reiterated the constraints of federal jurisdiction, as FOX 9 reported. Unions say they will press elected officials and pursue legal options while continuing to organize on‑site and in the courts. Airport workers said the testimony was the start of a longer push to make the workplace safer amid ongoing enforcement operations.
