BEMIDJI — Several construction workers at the Villas at Vista North in Bemidji were arrested Thursday afternoon by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, leaving some residents worried for their loved ones."They're working on shingling almost a dozen buildings in Vista North this year, I guess, and so the construction company had a whole pile of workers here yesterday afternoon," a resident who lives on Vista Way Northwest told the Pioneer on Friday morning. "And pretty soon I saw about five, six guys running like crazy between the houses. "All of a sudden, there were like eight vehicles at the end of the street, then I saw officers and ICE agents there. They had the uniform on, and it said, 'Police' and 'ICE' underneath, so I know it was ICE, plus their faces were covered." The resident, who asked not to be named, said that a neighbor across the street from where he lives saw two agents run into her back patio and hide behind her grill. "So she dialed 911 because she didn't know what was going on either," he recounted. "So then we had the Bemidji police here, plus ICE agents." Official confirmation Minnesota House 2A Rep. Bidal Duran, a Republican from Bemidji, confirmed the incident with the Pioneer on Friday after speaking directly with ICE officials. "There was an occurrence that happened inside of Bemidji that was a targeted event," he explained. "They knew exactly who they were looking for. And so they came up here, they did the operation yesterday, they finished up the operation this morning, and they assured me they are no longer conducting operations within the Bemidji area." He relayed that the ICE officials explained it as a targeted enforcement operation focused on specific individuals with prior removal orders or other immigration violations.Duran said that the officials did not confirm how many people were detained and arrested, but that they "got the amount of people that they were looking for." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several construction workers on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Villas at Vista North in Bemidji.Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer The Vista North resident said he personally saw three people handcuffed and in leg irons, but thought many more were arrested. A photo was also shared on Facebook on Friday morning of ICE agents at the Circle K gas station on the south end of Bemidji, which Duran clarified was the agents concluding the operation from Thursday. "I just want to calm the nerves of everybody right now as much as I can," Duran said. "We don't need tons of people coming here trying to protest this presence, which, as far as we can tell, is now over. I just want to make sure that everyone knows that there are no longer any ICE operations going on. "But I know, too, people are going to be on edge and they're going to be on the lookout, but we don't need any further chaos destroying our community." He encourages residents to contact appropriate local or federal authorities with concerns, and he is continuing to monitor the situation. Early Friday morning, Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince shared a message he hoped would reassure residents. "Yesterday, I was informed that an ICE operation took place at Vista North," he said. "Several employees of a contractor working on-site were detained. No requests were made of the Bemidji Police Department and (they) did not coordinate or participate in any of ICE’s actions. As this was a federal immigration operation, no additional information has been provided to our city at present." Around 1 p.m. on Friday, City Manager Rich Spiczka issued an updated statement on behalf of the city."The Bemidji Police Department was notified by ICE a few minutes before they began an operation in Bemidji on Thursday, June 11. The BPD did not collaborate or coordinate with ICE as part of this operation. An unknown number of individuals were detained," he said. "ICE also conducted a traffic stop early on Friday, June 12, where an unknown number of individuals were detained. As these matters are part of federal jurisdiction, we are only privy to the information provided by federal authorities, to which there has been none provided to us as of now." Family testimonials While the number of those arrested is still uncertain, community members have taken to social media to rally support, with some saying as many as 25-30 people were taken into custody on Thursday afternoon. Magali Balero posted a GoFundMe on Friday asking for support for her boyfriend, Mario Perez. "On June 11, 2026, around 1 p.m., ICE showed up at my boyfriend Mario Perez’s workplace in Bemidji, Minnesota, and detained his entire crew while they were finishing up roofing," the description reads. "I have created this GoFundMe to help pay for Mario’s attorney fees and give him a chance to fight for his freedom."Mario was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S. many years ago to financially support his mother and two children. We started dating about two years ago, during a very rough time in my life with my five minor children."Balero detailed the couple's story and noted her children's attachment to him. "Mario is a good person, dedicated to work and supporting his family," she continued. "He has no criminal record. We are asking for your help to pay for his attorney fees so he can have legal representation and a chance to stay with us. Your support means everything to our family." Another GoFundMe shared on Thursday evening by Patty Mendoza recounted her family's experience. "Today, at 2:08 p.m., everything changed for my family," Mendoza wrote. "My mom received a phone call that no family ever expects to get. My dad, who was working a roofing job in Bemidji, Minnesota, over four hours away from our home in Inver Grove Heights, had been caught in an ICE operation at the apartment complex where he was working." She said as soon as she heard the news, she started driving toward Bemidji, not knowing if her father had been arrested or not. "Every mile felt endless as I prayed for good news," she continued. "About two hours into the drive, my mom called me again. Through tears, she told me that videos and pictures had surfaced showing my dad sitting on the ground in handcuffs. That image is something our family will never forget."Right now, we don’t know where he is or what will happen next. We are facing uncertainty, fear and a long legal process that we know will be expensive. My mom does not currently work, and my dad is our family’s main source of income. ... My family has always worked hard for everything we have, but today we are facing something we cannot handle alone. ... We are holding onto hope that we will see my dad again soon."