St. Paul Hotels Reopen After ICE Operation, Businesses Still Recovering

Reopening of Downtown St. Paul Hotels and the Path to Recovery

Two downtown St. Paul hotels that had closed in January due to concerns over their potential use by federal agents have now reopened, but local businesses are still struggling to bounce back from the period when the area turned into a “ghost town.”

The IHG Intercontinental and Hilton DoubleTree confirmed their reopening during the first week of February. Both hotels cited safety concerns as the reason for their temporary closure in January, which coincided with protests against the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the early stages of Operation Metro Surge. Activists claimed that these hotels were being used to house agents, leading to several demonstrations throughout the winter.

Protesters gathered at the hotels, making noise late into the night to disrupt the agents’ rest. However, hotel staff did not confirm the specific reasons for their closures, and an IHG representative was unavailable for comment. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe owns both properties.

The closures had a significant impact on nearby businesses, forcing some to reduce staff and cut operating hours. Sue Zumberge, owner of SubText Bookstore, noted that business dropped considerably during the shutdown, especially on weekends when out-of-state visitors typically came in.

“It hurt because, on weekends especially, we have a lot of people who are visiting from out of state,” she said. “You could see fewer people on the street immediately.”

As customers gradually return, business owners are emphasizing the need for more efforts to ensure continued economic activity in the city’s core. On Friday, the area saw a surge in activity with the boys hockey tournament filling local hotels. Parents with young children and teenagers moved through downtown St. Paul, some using umbrellas to protect their jerseys while others skipped across bustling streets, avoiding open construction sites.

It was a welcome change after months of decline. Zumberge reported that business was slower during the hotel closures and when many residents stayed indoors out of fear of being targeted by federal agents. She had to cut hours and increase book deliveries via mail.

Unsheltered residents became more desperate during this time, with incidents such as stealing reading glasses and an employee’s purse reported. Staff at Ruam Mit, a Thai and Lao restaurant downtown, also had to reduce staff and hours. Although business has returned to normal recently, employees still carry passports and escort each other to and from work daily.

Mike, who owns a business downtown and chose to remain anonymous due to fears of retribution from federal officials, also faced challenges when business slowed down. He described the area as feeling like a “ghost town” but hopes that an influx of new residents will help turn things around.

“Most other places now turned into apartments, so we’re hoping things are going to change,” he said. “But the businesspeople, they’re gone forever. Most of the business people, they’re working from home so that really killed us.”

He suggested that St. Paul should widen streets and restructure bike lanes to accommodate more traffic downtown. Zumberge proposed bringing more tournaments to the city and reducing parking prices to attract more visitors. She highlighted events like the Skyway 5K, which attracted 906 registrants, as examples of how such events can boost the city’s image.

However, Archer Dickens believes the solution is simpler. Dickens, who has lived downtown for the past 12 years of his five decades in Minnesota, wants to see more retail and grocery stores catering to current residents. He also advocates for the urban core to house more college students.

“That way you guarantee your income [and] you get a better mixture of people,” Dickens said. “Because you’ve got young people coming in, you’ve’ve got old people living downtown, and you’ve’ve got an urban mix. You have a neighborhood. In short, make it a miniature Dinkytown.”