Army Vet Held 8 Hours by ICE Says He Wasn’t Allowed to Call Lawyer
An Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient says ICE agents detained him for eight hours in Minneapolis and never let him call an attorney, raising fresh questions about detainees’ access to legal counsel.
The alleged denial of the right to counsel comes as federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota is under intense scrutiny over other controversial operations and civil liberties concerns.
According to ABC News, William Vermie told reporters that on Jan. 13 he was watching ICE agents detain two young men in his neighborhood when officers approached and tackled him. He said agents read his rights and asked if he wanted to answer questions without a lawyer, then told him he would be able to contact one “later.”
Vermie, who was medically evacuated during combat in Iraq and earned a Purple Heart, said he was then transported to the Whipple Federal Building and held in a cell for eight hours without a phone call to an attorney or his family, despite his wife’s lawyer attempting to reach him.
Attorneys who have dealt with other detainees recently picked up in ICE operations allege similar restrictions on access to counsel at the facility, which they say can violate due process rights. The Department of Homeland Security has disputed those claims, stating that all people in ICE custody “have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”
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“We’re entitled to counsel. It’s part of the Bill of Rights…” Vermie told ABC News.
The case highlights rising concerns over how immigration enforcement is being carried out, especially in places like Minnesota where federal operations have sparked protests and legal challenges.
Legal experts and civil rights advocates say access to counsel is fundamental, and restrictions could prompt further complaints or litigation.
ICE officials have not publicly clarified why Vermie was denied contact with a lawyer.
Observers will be watching to see whether local or federal officials investigate the handling of counsel access in this and other recent immigration detentions.
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