A 20-year-old Somali American man has been violently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis. This is despite him being a US citizen and repeatedly offering to show his identification.
The incident, which saw the man tackled, handcuffed, and placed in a chokehold, occurred in the city's Cedar-Riverside neighbourhood as part of a federal operation. Local leaders have condemned as unconstitutional racial profiling.
Citizen Detained Despite Proof of Legal Status
Video footage shows masked federal agents shoving the man, identified only as Mubashir, to the ground before one agent wraps his arm around the young man's neck. Bystanders can be heard shouting as witnesses attempted to intervene, but the agents proceeded to place him in their vehicle without examining any documents.
'I told him, "I'm a US citizen, what is going on?" He didn't seem to care,' Mubashir said at the news conference alongside Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara. According to CNN, Mubashir said he was outside for 'mere seconds' before he saw the masked person running towards him at full speed. The agent never identified himself as ICE, leaving Mubashir feeling as though he was 'getting assaulted' or 'kidnapped'.
The agents transported Mubashir to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which houses an immigration court and ICE offices, where they attempted to scan his face and fingerprints multiple times without success. During the roughly 20-minute drive, Mubashir repeatedly asked to show his identification but was refused. He requested water and medical assistance for his numb hands and injured back whilst in custody, but these requests were declined, according to his account.
It was only after a female official 'finally' listened to him that Mubashir was allowed to use his phone and show a digital copy of his passport as proof of citizenship. He was released after approximately two hours in detention, but when he asked agents to drive him back to where they had apprehended him, they told him to walk back through the snow.
City Leaders Condemn 'Unconstitutional' Arrest
Mayor Frey sharply criticised the federal agents' actions during a news conference. 'Taken into custody 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,' Frey said.
Police Chief Brian O'Hara apologised to Mubashir for what happened 'in my city with people wearing vests that say police', calling the incident 'embarrassing'.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota chapter reported receiving numerous calls from Somali residents who are US citizens reporting they were arrested or questioned by federal agents since Operation Metro Surge began on 1 December. Jaylani Hussein, the organisation's executive director, said at least two other local Somali residents who are US citizens were arrested by federal immigration officers on the same day as Mubashir and then released.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on 11 December, urging her to review the arrests of multiple US citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis. 'The forcefulness, lack of communication, and unlawful practices displayed by your agents will not be tolerated in Minnesota,' the letter stated, according to KSTP.
ICE Defence and 'Reasonable Suspicion'
ICE defended the detention in a statement, claiming Mubashir was arrested based on 'reasonable suspicion' because he turned away from agents after exiting a restaurant. The agency denied allegations of racial profiling, calling such claims 'disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE', and stated that what makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether they are illegally in the US, not their 'skin colour, race, or ethnicity'.
@couriernewsroom Mubashir, a Somali man from Minneapolis, was forced to his knees by ICE in the snow. He has lived in the U.S. since he was just a year old.
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Understanding the Broader Immigration Enforcement Context
The incident has highlighted growing concerns about federal immigration enforcement practices and their impact on communities. 'Operation Metro Surge' represents part of a broader immigration crackdown in major US cities, with the Department of Homeland Security announcing at least 12 arrests in Minneapolis as of early December.
The operation has particularly affected the Cedar-Riverside neighbourhood, home to one of the largest Somali populations in the United States. Local businesses in the area have reported significant economic impact as residents stay home to avoid potential encounters with federal agents.
In response to the incidents, the Minneapolis City Council was set to consider strengthening the city's separation ordinance, which prohibits city workers from assisting with federal immigration enforcement.
