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Minnesota curler at Olympics speaks out against ICE actions in home state, calling them unconstitutional

By
Eric Henderson
Managing Editor, Midwest
Eric Henderson is Managing Editor, Midwest for CBSNews.com. He has won three Emmy Awards, an Eric Sevareid Award and two Edward R. Murrow Awards.
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Eric Henderson

/ CBS Minnesota

A Minnesotan competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy took a moment to address the situation closer to home in his home state, calling the practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge unconstitutional.

Rich Ruohonen, a curler with Team USA and a , is the oldest American to ever compete at the Winter Olympics, according to Team USA, at age 54.

During a press conference, Ruohonen took time to voice pride in representing the country, but then spoke out on "what's going on in Minnesota," adding that "there's no shades of gray."

White House officials say there have been thousands of arrests in Minnesota since Operation Metro Surge began on Dec. 1, 2025. There have also been widespread mass demonstrations against ICE and Border Patrol, following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

"This stuff is happening right, right around where we live. And I am a lawyer, as you know, and ...  we have a constitution, and it allows us to freedom of the press and freedom of speech, protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures and makes it that we have to, you know, have probable cause to be pulled over. And what's happening in Minnesota is wrong," Ruohonen said.

He said he loves seeing Minnesotans "coming out, showing the love, the compassion, integrity and respect for others that they don't know, and helping them out."

Among the comments was one from Nick Ruohonen, saying, "Proud to call him my father."

Ruohonen is not the only U.S. Olympian to speak out in opposition to the practices of immigration enforcement officers in recent months. Team USA freestyle skier Chris Lillis told journalists, "I feel heartbroken about what's happened in the United States." Hunter Hess, another freestyle skier on Team USA, said, "Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S."

In response, President Trump lashed out at Hess on social media, calling the Olympian "a real Loser."

Haley Ott contributed to this report.

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