Did A U.S. Curler Help End The ICE Occupation In Minneapolis?

United States curler Rich Ruohonen spoke out Tuesday during an Olympic news conference against “what’s going on in Minnesota." Soon after, Tom Homan officially announced the full withdrawal of ICE from Minneapolis.
By Ed Scarce — February 13, 2026

Rick Ruohonen is a lawyer and a lifelong resident of Minnesota, so when he was given the opportunity to speak at the Winter Olympics, he said what needed to be said:

"I'm proud to represent Team USA. But we'd be remiss if we didn't mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been. What's happening is wrong. There's no shades of gray. We are playing for the people of Minnesota and the people around the country who show compassion, love, and respect."

Source: New York Times

United States curler Rich Ruohonen spoke out Tuesday during an Olympic news conference against “what’s going on in Minnesota,” while also emphasizing that “we’re playing for the U.S.”

Although Ruohonen, 54, didn’t mention any specific governmental agency, he appeared to be alluding to the actions of agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS has sent thousands of heavily armed agents to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, and federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month.

“I’m proud to be here, to represent Team USA and to represent our country,” Ruohoen said. “But we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention what’s going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it’s been for everybody.

“This stuff is happening right around where we live. And I am a lawyer, as you know. We have a constitution. It allows us freedom of the press, freedom of speech, protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures, and makes it so we have to have probable cause to be pulled over. And what’s happening in Minnesota is wrong. There’s no shades of gray.”

Curler Rich Ruohonen made history on Thursday, becoming the oldest American ever to compete in the Winter Olympics.

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