Top German Soccer Team Cancels MN Trip Over Immigration Crackdown

In a statement obtained by Politico, Christoph Pieper, the club’s head of communications, said visiting Minneapolis would not align with the team's values. “Playing in a city where there’s unrest and people have been shot, that does not fit with our values here at Werder Bremen,” Pieper said. “Furthermore, it was unclear for us which players could be able to enter the United States due to the stricter entry requirements.” Thousands of officers were sent to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area in December for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's “Operation Metro Surge.” The Department of Homeland Security said it was its largest immigration enforcement operation ever and proved successful. But the crackdown came under increasing criticism as the situation grew more volatile and two U.S. citizens were killed. Protests became common. A network of residents worked to help immigrants, warn of approaching agents or film immigration officers’ actions. The shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers drew condemnation and raised questions over officers’ conduct, prompting changes to the operation. Last week, the Trump administration said it planned to end immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, according to border czar Tom Homan. Homan said enforcement would not stop in the Twin Cities and that mass deportations will continue across the country. Officers leaving Minnesota will report back to their stations or be assigned elsewhere. When asked if future deployments could match the scale of the Twin Cities operation, Homan said, “It depends on the situation.” Werder Bremen, one of the founding members of the Bundesliga and a winner of four German championships, has a reputation as one of the most progressive clubs in Europe, according to Politico. The club left X for Bluesky in 2024 due to “hate speech, hatred towards minorities, right-wing extremist posts and conspiracy theories” that had “been allowed to spread on X at an incredible pace,” it said in a statement.