ICE has released a statement regarding their raid in Bemidji last week. It happened on Jul. 16 when ICE agents approached construction workers on a job at the SouthShore Hotel. According to a press release from ICE, agents arrested seven individuals in Bemidji who they say were in the country illegally. The press release says it was a targeted operation. One of the men arrested entered Lake Bemidji and swam 40 to 100 yards before ICE officials were able to safety remove him from the water and take him into custody. ICE said that man has been identified as Benjamin Rodriguez Medina. They say Medina is from Mexico and has been returned to his country six previous times and illegally re-entered the country in 2022 for the seventh time. ICE also detailed in the press release the history of the others who were arrested and said all seven individuals are currently in ICE custody pending further immigration proceedings. David Hanson, the owner of the SouthShore Hotel, released a statement last week saying the arrests did not happen on the property of the hotel and that he had been assured by the contractor working on the construction that all its workers and subcontractors had legal employment status. The contractor is in the process of again vetting all of its employees and subcontractors.