Minnesota Residents Claim ICE Agents Are Disguising Themselves as Utility Workers Amid Surge
Community members across Minnesota say they believe federal immigration agents are now operating in disguises, intensifying fear during ongoing enforcement around the Twin Cities. Witnesses report vehicles marked with utility logos and men dressed as construction or service workers outside local businesses, raising questions about federal tactics.
The tension stems from growing concern over the Trump administration’s expanded Operation Metro Surge and widespread ICE activity statewide. Observers tracking immigration enforcement say an unusual number of sightings have been reported recently, though federal officials have not confirmed disguised operations.
Local restaurant owner Luis Ramirez first noticed a vehicle bearing what appeared to be an electric company logo parked in his Shakopee lot on Jan. 28. When neither his restaurant nor a neighboring laundromat had reason for electrical work, Ramirez approached and asked the two men wearing white hard hats and reflective vests to leave. One week later, on Feb. 4, the same car returned and Ramirez again confronted the occupants on video.
Observers and members of a broader community network say reports of similar encounters vehicles with fake plates, people posing as delivery drivers or utility workers have increased across both urban and rural Minnesota. But a former deputy director of ICE enforcement told the Associated Press he hasn’t seen this level of public disguise before and noted that the agency might adapt in response to growing activist monitoring.
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“You’re going to tell me this is what our taxpayer money goes to?” Ramirez said in one of the videos shared with reporters.
The controversy matters because Minnesota communities are already on edge from heightened enforcement, and claims of disguised agents could further erode trust between residents and federal authorities.
State and federal authorities have not publicly clarified whether such tactics are being used, leaving unanswered questions about legality and oversight.
What happens next will likely depend on whether DHS or ICE offers a formal explanation of these alleged tactics and whether state officials pursue further inquiry or legal challenges.
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