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Conditions inside Whipple Federal Building are "unacceptable," Minnesota lawmaker says after visit

By
Jennifer Mayerle
Jennifer Mayerle
Investigative Reporter
Jennifer Mayerle happily returned to Minnesota and WCCO, where she began her career as a summer intern. The Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist returned to WCCO as a reporter in 2014 and later also anchored WCCO Saturday Morning for 6 years. Then in early 2024 she focused on her new role as Senior Investigative Reporter.
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Jennifer Mayerle

/ CBS Minnesota

A Minnesota congresswoman got her first look inside the Whipple Federal Building, calling the conditions heartbreaking and unacceptable.

The building is a hub for federal agents in town and is supposed to be a temporary home for people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"There were no medical protocols. They couldn't answer basic questions that I had, like how many people are currently being detained," Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison said.

Morrison said her office has been flooded with reports of inhumane, unsanitary and cruel conditions inside the Whipple Federal Building. She details what she says she witnessed on Saturday. 

"There were people in leg shackles. There were cold cement floors, no beds, no blankets; they did have showers, but told me no one had ever taken a shower," Morrison said. 

What she says she heard is similar to what people are telling WCCO:

"All night sleep on the floor," Juan told WCCO.

"Just cold all around. It's just sucking the life out of you," Javier said.

"I was knocking on the door, pushing the bars, no one care about me," Hani Duglof said.

Morrison said it was imperative to see what was happening with her own eyes after she and colleagues were denied a congressional oversight visit in early January, the feds saying they'd need to give a seven-day notice, which she complied with for this visit.

"The conditions in Whipple, and again this is with seven days' notice, were unacceptable," Morrison said. 

So did Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. 

"I am more convinced than ever that we need to end Operation Metro Surge and we need to get ICE out of Minnesota," Smith said.

On Monday, a judge granted a temporary restraining order, restoring congressional rights to conduct unannounced visits. 

"My experience on Saturday certainly indicates that we need to have very frequent oversight visits. Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately," Morrison said.

Smith shared this statement: 

"On Saturday, Senator Klobuchar and I inspected the Whipple detention facility in Minneapolis where many Minnesotans, including American citizens, are detained. What we saw is a facility that is in no way set up to hold large numbers of people. We talked to detained men and women who said they've been held for days and transferred back and forth between facilities in Texas and Greater Minnesota, winding up at Whipple for days. I will be using all of my oversight authority as a United States Senator to get some answers and make sure the people detained have access to their medications and proper medical care, access to legal counsel, and the ability to communicate with family or loved ones. This is about how we treat people as a nation, and this needs to end. ICE needs to leave Minnesota now." 

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