MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota has filed a federal lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging that ICE agents repeatedly violated the constitutional rights of legal observers and protesters during recent immigration enforcement operations in the state. The lawsuit names six plaintiffs and accuses federal agents of unlawful arrests, intimidation, and retaliation tied to public opposition to immigration raids.
According to the complaint, the incidents occurred as ICE expanded enforcement actions in Minnesota under directives issued by the Trump administration, with a particular focus on areas with large Somali-American populations. The plaintiffs include observers who say they were detained or threatened while standing on sidewalks, filming arrests, or following ICE vehicles at a distance.
One plaintiff, Susan Tincher, alleges she was thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and held for hours after calmly asking agents to identify themselves during a Dec. 9 operation in north Minneapolis. Others describe being boxed in by unmarked vehicles, threatened at gunpoint, or pepper-sprayed while documenting arrests, including the detention of a U.S. citizen.
The lawsuit argues these actions violate the First Amendment’s protections for free speech and assembly, as well as the Fourth Amendment’s ban on arrests without probable cause. Attorneys also allege ICE agents misused law enforcement databases to identify observers and intimidate them at their homes, conduct the complaint likens to organized intimidation tactics.
ACLU attorneys say they will seek a temporary restraining order to immediately halt what they describe as systemic constitutional violations.
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