A man from Minneapolis alleges that federal agents forcibly removed him from his car and detained him for eight hours without charging him. Identified only as Brandon, he recounted being held by ICE on January 11 after participating in protests following the shooting of local mother-of-three Renee Good.
Brandon claimed he was arrested without a valid cause, stating, “I was arrested for obstruction. I was never officially charged with any offense. I believe I was obstructing them from behind, as we were behind them when they broke our car windows. They pulled me out, placed me in an unmarked vehicle, and kept me detained for eight hours.”
He detailed his detention at the Whipple Federal building, a key location for protests against immigration raids in the city, describing the conditions as deplorable. Brandon mentioned the lack of food provided and the agents not displaying badge numbers, making it impossible to identify them if mistreatment occurred during detention.
Following his release, Brandon faced online backlash labeling him as an agitator after writing an opinion piece for the Star Tribune. Despite the criticism, he remained resolute, feeling compelled to stand in solidarity with others at the site where ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents.
Joining hundreds of protesters at an intersection in the morning, Brandon witnessed tear gas canisters being deployed by agents, causing chaos as people tried to shield themselves from the effects. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara appealed for calm, urging protesters not to engage in destructive behavior.
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