Violent clashes involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota are reportedly being fueled by external forces rather than genuine protest movements. A protest insider has issued a warning that the situation is deteriorating rapidly.

Adam Swart, CEO of Crowds on Demand, shared with Fox News Digital that numerous agitators are backed by “shadowy interests” which thrive on disorder and conflict. He emphasized that law enforcement’s concerns about the escalating tensions are justified.

“It appears that the individuals most aggressively targeting ICE are not genuine protesters,” Swart explained. “Instead, they are being funded by obscure entities that benefit from the ensuing chaos and confrontations.”

This alert comes amid several days of unrest linked to ICE enforcement actions around the Twin Cities. These protests have been characterized by blocked federal vehicles, direct threats against agents, and doxxing campaigns aimed at ICE personnel and their families.

Demonstrators gathered to protest the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a rally outside the Whipple Building on January 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Tim Evans/Reuters)

Swart, who previously told Fox News Digital that his company rejected getting involved in the Minneapolis protests — calling the unrest “illegal chaos” — said his firm “would not touch the Minneapolis protests with a 10-foot pole” due to what he described as unsafe and unlawful tactics on city streets.

“Blocking roadways, obstructing federal agents, and threatening authorities are illegal, and we don’t engage in any form of illegal protest,” Swart said in that earlier interview, warning the chaos could backfire and prompt increased enforcement rather than reform.

According to Swart, confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents have devolved into a self-perpetuating escalation cycle.

A man, center left, next to a Minneapolis police officer grabs a protester in the doorway during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP)

“When anti-ICE activists threaten agents personally, doxx their families, and use their cars to impede them, those actions cause agents to act more aggressively,” Swart said. “ICE acting aggressively in turn causes people to act more aggressively toward ICE, perpetuating the cycle.”

Swart called on President Donald Trump to adopt an immediate “cease-fire posture” in Minnesota, not as a retreat from immigration enforcement, but as a tactical reset to de-escalate tensions and prevent further harm to agents, protesters, and civilians.

He also outlined a series of policy recommendations he said could narrow flashpoints, including prioritizing the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants, ensuring non-criminal undocumented immigrants can report crimes without fear of deportation, clarifying sanctuary city policies, requiring ICE to operate in clearly marked uniforms and vehicles, and limiting ICE’s role in crowd control.

Demonstrators protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.  (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While condemning protesters who interfere with federal operations, Swart also said there are instances in which ICE has used disproportionate force, warning that continued escalation risks turning Minnesota into a sustained flashpoint.

Swart’s comments come as the Trump administration shifts its response in Minnesota. The White House confirmed that border czar Tom Homan has been deployed to the state to oversee enforcement operations and assess the unrest.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.