Minneapolis Officials Say ICE Wrongfully Tackled, Detained U.S. Citizen During Enforcement Operation
Minneapolis officials are demanding answers after a Somali-American man says he was wrongfully tackled, wrestled to the ground and detained by federal ICE agents, despite repeatedly identifying himself as a U.S. citizen. At a Wednesday press conference, city leaders said the incident highlights serious concerns about immigration enforcement practices in Minnesota’s largest Somali-American community.
The 20-year-old, who asked to be identified only as Mubashir, said he stepped outside a restaurant during his lunch break Tuesday in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood when two masked individuals suddenly rushed him. According to his account and video shown at the news event, he was tackled, pushed inside the restaurant, and then dragged back out into the snow by agents who did not identify themselves as ICE before placing him in custody.
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In the footage shared publicly, Mubashir repeatedly tells the agents he is a U.S. citizen and offers to show his passport or ID. He says the agents did not take his documents at the scene, instead transporting him to a federal facility and holding him for several hours before verifying his status and releasing him.
“This was a person out on the street doing literally nothing wrong,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at the briefing, condemning the force used by ICE agents.
Civil rights advocates and local leaders are calling the arrest unlawful and racially discriminatory, saying the episode has eroded trust between federal agents and immigrant communities.
The incident occurred amid a larger ICE operation in Cedar-Riverside targeting undocumented immigrants, which has drawn criticism from city officials who say such raids ensnare lawful residents.
What happens next is unclear but legal advocates and Minneapolis officials say they are considering formal inquiries into the conduct of the ICE agents involved.
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