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Nieuws
- 30 Jan 2026
Minnesota United facing potential player crisis due to ICE raids as stars living in fear
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 31 Jan 2026 05:26 CST
- 7 min read
Nieuws
The current unrest in the United States and in Minnesota in particular has left players of Minnesota United questioning their status at the club.
At the moment, there is political and social tension in the USA that has catalysed violence on the streets. US President Donald Trump has deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents throughout the country, leading to deadly clashes.
Over the last two weeks, two citizens have been shot and killed by ICE agents - Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Both illegal and legal immigrants have been targeted for searches by ICE, and that is causing footballers to consider leaving Major League Soccer, while it may be the case that some players think twice about moving to the competition.
The spotlight is on Minnesota here as not only did the recent shootings take place there, but they have one of the most ethnically diverse teams in MLS, with players from the US, Argentina, Italy, Australia, Panama, Senegal, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Paraguay and more.
One of their current foreign stars is Joaquin Pereyra, who moved to Minnesota from Atletico Tucuman in 2024.
"People are scared. We are, too,” Pereyra told the Pioneer Press on Wednesday.
“Fewer and fewer people want to be out on the streets because of what might happen to them."
Upon moving to Minnesota, he went through the correct channels to eventually obtain his green card, making him an American citizen.
“Whether I’m walking around the neighbourhood, at the supermarket, anywhere. Obviously, that doesn’t guarantee me anything because we’ve seen on the news that people who have had their Green Card and passport in their car, or whatever, are still taken away or treated badly," he added.
Minnesota United have apparently held a meeting with their foreign players to tell them exactly what to do if they are confronted by ICE agents. The 25-year-old says the fear he and his colleagues live in is the opposite of what they dreamed of when they left their countries to come to the USA.
“In South America, I can tell you from experience, life is sometimes very difficult. There is a lot of poverty,” he confessed.
“And for those of us from Latin America, coming here is a huge step up in terms of quality of life. So, the fact that they want to do what they’re doing, and in the way they’re doing it, is something I obviously don’t agree with at all.
“All I hope is that, as I said, this will finally end. The mistreatment of people cannot exist anywhere in the world. I understand that it’s a position of authority that they take advantage of, but I think it’s a lack of respect for all people. Even the people of Minnesota, who were born here and are also having a hard time because I see that many people who are from here are protesting for the same reasons.
"Let’s hope this calms down for the good of everyone.”
The club's longest-serving player is New Zealand native Michael Boxall, who has been with the club since 2017. He says he's had to explain to his children what's happening in the state of Minneapolis after they asked questions and pointed the finger at those in charge for the chaos.
“It’s just a failure of leadership at so many levels,” Boxall said. “Obviously federally, we’ve got a bunch of people here who aren’t capable of doing what they are meant to do. They have been sent to what is now a high-stress environment and are not capable of doing their job properly.
“No one should be dead for just expressing their thoughts or peaceful protesting. There are instances with (Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey) as well, (who) seems to incite violence. … There is a lot of edginess all around, I think it leads to people ending up in circumstances (where) a lot of people are getting injured, which is awful to see.
“Being an immigrant myself, and coming from a country where there are a lot of immigrants, I know they bring a lot of value to a country. So, I just hope that things can be resolved in a way that there are no more lives lost, no more families hurt and separated needlessly.”
Recruitment issues
The MLS transfer window is currently open as teams look to improve their squads ahead of the new campaign.
However, sources have told TwinCities Pioneer Press that Minnesota United are currently struggling to attract new players due to the unrest in the state.
The deal for Slovenian midfielder Tomi Horvat and Dutch defender Cherrion Valerius fell through after both players raised concerns about living in Minnesota.
They have secured the addition of Colombian attacking midfielder Mauricio Gonzalez, but that deal was concluded before the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
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