WINONA, Minn. — The LaCrosse Tribune reported that that three Winona persons were arrested in the Trump anti-immigrant purge in the second half of January. Despite attempts to verify the report, the Winona Journal has been unable to substantiate the LaCrosse report. The Journal ‘s editor, John Vivian, invited readers to come forward with whatever they know: Contact editor@winonajournal.com. The LaCrosse Tribune story, by Cole Kindiger, quoted Sara Hang that his sister Sue Hang was arrested January 17 in Winona and detained in El Paso, Texas, but later released. Apparently with Sara Hang also as Kindiger’s source, a second Winona resident, unnamed in the article, was arrested January 23 and was still in detention. Also according to Kindiger’s story, a third Winona person, also unnamed, was arrested January 27 at a scheduled immigration status appointment in the Twin Cities. Attempts by the Journal to contact Sara Hands have been unanswered. Winona police have no record of the alleged ICE arrests, although ICE seldom apprises local police agencies of its activities. The LaCrosse story was posted verbatim online by its sister paper, the Winona Daily News. The Daily News itself no longer has a daily print edition or even a resident editor in Winona. Nor has the comoany had a nylocal new reporter fin Winina or two months. None of the other Winona news media, which do have local staffs with their ears to the ground, has information on the alleged Winonan arrests.
