Roofers jump from Bemidji homes during ICE enforcement operation

Roofers jumped between Bemidji homes and ran into nearby woods Thursday as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out an enforcement operation at the Vista North development. ICE detained more than 30 employees of a contractor working at the townhome complex, turning a roof-repair site into a scene of panic that spread quickly across social media.

Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince said the city had no role in the operation. He said no local law enforcement or city staff were involved, no request was made of the Bemidji Police Department, and the city had received no additional information from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security.

The work site sits in a neighborhood still recovering from the June 2025 derecho, which damaged homes across Bemidji and left Vista North among the properties needing major roof repairs this summer. That made the ICE action especially disruptive, because the contractors were in the middle of active work on occupied homes rather than on an isolated industrial site.

Ryan Lamusga, owner of Rhino Roofing and Siding, said the scene unfolded as agents moved through the work area. “detaining everybody and then letting people go that are legal,” Lamusga said. Republican state Rep. Bidal Duran said he spoke with ICE and was told the operation was aimed at people with prior removal orders or other immigration violations. Duran said the people ICE was seeking had been arrested, and he said there were additional arrests Friday morning.

The Bemidji operation adds to a series of ICE confrontations at roofing and construction sites across Minnesota. In October 2025, a St. Paul raid drew criticism from Mayor Melvin Carter, who said he was deeply concerned about secretive, fear-driven enforcement. In December 2025, another ICE-related incident in Chanhassen left workers trapped on a roof in frigid weather and prompted criticism from a state representative. Together, the cases have raised questions about how ICE is carrying out workplace enforcement, the risks to workers on active job sites, and the extent of local coordination when federal agents show up without warning.