By Newspot Nigeria Global Desk
Minneapolis officials have condemned the wrongful arrest of a 20-year-old U.S. citizen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, calling the episode a blatant violation of constitutional rights and an alarming escalation in federal immigration crackdowns targeting Somali communities.
The victim, identified only as Mubashir, recounted during a Wednesday press conference that he was on his lunch break in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on Tuesday when a masked man sprinted toward him, tackled him, and forced him inside a restaurant.
“The agent never identified himself. He didn’t say ‘ICE, stop.’ I felt like I was being assaulted or kidnapped,” Mubashir said.
Despite repeatedly telling agents he was a U.S. citizen and offering to present his passport, Mubashir said he was placed in a headlock, dragged into a vehicle, and transported to a federal building miles away. He was released only after officers allowed him to show his passport hours later.
When he asked to be returned to the place of arrest, agents allegedly told him to “walk in the snow.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara publicly apologized to the victim, calling the conduct “embarrassing” and unacceptable.
Mayor Jacob Frey also condemned the action, saying the arrest was “for no reason at all, in clear violation of law and the Constitution of the United States, for simply walking down the street and looking like he’s Somali.”
Governor Tim Walz has written to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, warning that U.S. citizens have been unlawfully detained as part of the ongoing federal immigration sweeps. He demanded an urgent review of the operation.
“The forcefulness, lack of communication, and unlawful practices displayed by your agents will not be tolerated in Minnesota,” Walz wrote.
ICE has not responded to media inquiries.
The incident comes amid “Operation Metro Surge,” a new DHS enforcement effort launched in the Twin Cities following President Donald Trump’s intensified rhetoric against Somali Minnesotans, whom he recently described as “garbage” while vowing to stop them from entering the United States. The administration has also ordered fresh reviews of green-card holders from Somalia and moved to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in Minnesota.
A bystander’s video of the arrest was presented at the press conference, adding to growing concerns over racial profiling and constitutional violations linked to the operation.
Newspot Nigeria will continue monitoring developments as the federal and state governments clash over immigration enforcement practices in Minnesota.
