Minnesota Police Chiefs Say ICE Surge Has Led to Racial Profiling of U.S. Citizens
- Rebecca Gilbuena
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
January 20 — Police chiefs and law enforcement leaders from across Minnesota warned Tuesday that a recent federal immigration enforcement surge has resulted in racial profiling of U.S. citizens, undermining civil rights and eroding public trust in policing.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said local departments have received numerous complaints in recent weeks from people of color who say they were stopped by federal agents without cause and asked to provide proof of legal status.
“What we're hearing is they're being stopped in traffic stops or on the street with no cause and being forced to demand paperwork to determine if they're here legally,” Bruley said.
Bruley said every complaint his department has received involved people of color, including off-duty police officers. He described one incident in which an off-duty Brooklyn Park officer, a U.S. citizen, was stopped by ICE agents while driving.
“When they boxed her in, they demanded her paperwork,” Bruley said. “When she tried to record the interaction, the phone was knocked out of her hands.”
Bruley said firearms were drawn during the encounter and that agents left immediately after the officer identified herself as law enforcement. He said similar incidents have been reported by police chiefs throughout the metro area.
“They left without comment or apology,” he said. “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,” he said.
The chiefs emphasized they are not calling for an end to immigration enforcement, but for constitutional policing and stronger oversight. Bruley said the conduct appears limited to a small number of federal agents involved in the surge.
“This is not widespread,” he said. “This is a small group of agents within the surge in the metro area.”
Still, he described major accountability gaps, noting that agents often lack visible identification, wear face coverings, and do not use body cameras, making complaints difficult to pursue. St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry confirmed that city employees have reported similar encounters.
“We’ve had employees for our city that have experienced some of the same things — traffic stops that were clearly outside the bounds of what federal agents are allowed to do,” Henry said.
Henry rejected claims that criticizing federal tactics equates to opposing immigration enforcement.
“If American citizens are being grabbed, or stopped, or seized, this can’t happen,” he said. “We have to make sure that everyone’s civil rights are intact.”
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said the reported incidents threaten years of progress rebuilding trust between law enforcement and communities of color.
“I am seeing and hearing about people in Hennepin County stopped, questioned, harassed, solely because of the color of their skin,” Witt said. “This is not okay now, and it’s never been okay.”
Witt said the actions of federal agents affect all law enforcement agencies. The chiefs said fear has spread beyond immigrant communities, with residents hesitant to leave their homes.
“People are afraid to go outside, not because their status is in question, but because they’re hearing and seeing people get stopped based on how they look,” Henry said.
Bruley said local leaders have struggled to get clear answers from federal agencies about who is overseeing the surge, making the community feel lost, concerned and fearful. The group called for increased federal supervision, consistent training, and an immediate end to unconstitutional stops.
“We demand more professionalism, more accountability, and more humanity,” Witt said.