An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer walks back to his vehicle after checking the documentation of a construction worker during a stop in Minneapolis on January 9. Law enforcement officials said ICE agents have targeted U.S. citizens — including off-duty police officers — for immigration checks. Photo by Craig Lassig/UPI | License Photo
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have targeted off-duty police officers in the Minneapolis area based on race, including one who said federal agents drew their guns on her, Brooklyn Park police Chief Mark Bruley.
He shared the encounter Tuesday during a news conference calling for accountability and oversight of the influx of ICE agents sent to Minnesota to boost immigration enforcement. Bruley said his department has received “endless” complaints from U.S. citizens, including off-duty police officers and city employees who said ICE agents stopped them “with no cause” and demanded proof of citizenship.
St. Paul police Chief Axel Henry, who said city employees have also been targeted, described the traffic stops as “clearly outside the bounds of what federal agents are allowed to do.”
“We watch the news and we see very, very angry groups of people out protesting, but the people that we’re dealing with as police chiefs are the people that are scared to death, that are afraid to go outside,” Henry said at the news conference.
He said they’re not afraid because of their status, but because they “are getting stopped by the way that they look, and they don’t want to take that risk.”
Bruley said one off-duty officer found herself “boxed in” by federal immigration agents while in her vehicle. When she tried to use her phone to record the encounter, the agents allegedly knocked her device out of her hand.
“They demanded her paperwork, of which she’s a U.S. citizen, and clearly would not have any paperwork,” Bruley said, adding that the agents had their guns drawn. When the woman identified herself as a law enforcement officer, the federal agents “immediately left,” he added.
He said the agents appear to be stopping off-duty officers “solely because of the color of their skin.”
“I wish I could tell you this was an isolated incident,” Bruley added. “If it is happening to our officers, it pains me to think of how many of our community members are falling victim to this every day. It has to stop.”
Bruley said he’s not against immigration enforcement, nor is he calling to abolish ICE. He blamed the allegedly improper enforcement actions on a “small group” of agents.
“The truth is, immigration enforcement is necessary for national security and for local security, but how it’s done is extremely important.”
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said she’s also seen evidence of people “questioned and harassed solely because of the color of their skin.” She said the interactions are eroding public trust in law enforcement.
“We demand lawful policing that respects human dignity. We will all continue to show up, even though times are hard, even though our law enforcement is exhausted.”
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement to USA Today saying it was unable to find a record of ICE or Border Patrol agents questioning a police officer.
“Without a name, we cannot verify these claims. We will continue to look into these claims.”
The Trump administration deployed thousands of federal immigration agents to the Minneapolis region this month as part of Operation Metro Surge.
The deployment has been met with demonstrations throughout the area, including one on Jan. 7 in which residents of a neighborhood protested a convoy of federal vehicles.
One anti-ICE activist, Renee Good, blocked the ICE vehicles with her own and during an interaction with officers, one ICE agent shot and killed her. Federal authorities said Good tried to use her vehicle to run over the agent, but bystanders and local officials said it appeared as though she was trying to drive away from the scene.
Another ICE-involved shooting injured an undocumented Venezuelan man who allegedly fled during a traffic stop and, with two other men, assaulted an ICE officer.
In response to the unrest, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday mobilized the state’s National Guard, though they were not deployed. They’re eventually expected to help state and local police enforce peace in the state.
Minnesota, along with Illinois, has also sued the Trump administration over its immigration crackdown in Democratic-led states.
Chicago protestors gather at ICE detention center
Protestors confront Illinois State Police near an ICE detention center as they protest against the immigration policies of the Trump administration in Chicago on October 17, 2025. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo
