Minnesota Police Chief Says Federal Agents Stopped People Without Cause, Demanded Legal Status Papers
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota police chief Mark Bruley confirmed Tuesday that his department and local law-enforcement partners are receiving repeated complaints about federal agents stopping people without lawful cause and demanding paperwork to prove they are in the United States legally. The remarks came at a Twin Cities press briefing where Chiefs and Sheriffs raised concerns about civil-rights violations amid a surge of federal immigration enforcement.
The tension is rising as residents and officers alike report similar interactions. According to Bruley, these stops often happen during routine traffic engagements or while people are on the street, with agents allegedly asking for legal status documentation without any clear reason for the stop.
Bruley said that every individual involved in these complaints has been a person of color, and that similar reports have come from his own officers when off duty. One Brooklyn Park officer recounted being boxed in by federal agents who demanded she show paperwork. When she tried to record the encounter her phone was knocked away, and only after identifying herself as law enforcement did the agents leave.
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These remarks come amid broader scrutiny of federal immigration operations in Minnesota, including allegations of aggressive enforcement tactics and lawsuits accusing racial profiling.
“It has to stop,” Bruley said, urging respect for constitutional rights even during immigration enforcement.
Local leaders warned that perceived civil-rights violations could erode trust between communities and law enforcement, complicating public safety cooperation.
Federal agencies have not directly addressed these specific accusations, though Homeland Security spokespeople have previously denied engaging in racial profiling. Follow-up inquiries and oversight efforts are expected as tensions around immigration enforcement continue.
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