Image: from Ever Gray X@Ever__Gray
By Open Chronicle News Desk
ST. PAUL, MINN. – A coalition of Minnesota law enforcement leaders has come forward with explosive allegations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claiming that federal agents are racially profiling and harassing off-duty local police officers. At a tense press conference on Tuesday, chiefs from across the Twin Cities metro area described a “performative show of force” that they say has crossed constitutional lines.
The outcry follows an intensified federal surge in Minnesota, part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge,” which has deployed thousands of agents to the state in response to recent civil unrest and fraud investigations.
WOW! Minnesota Police chief says that ICE agents violated his own officers' civil rights while off-duty.
A female officer was boxed in by ICE agents who demanded her papers, pulled their guns on her, and knocked her phone down as she tried to film.
pic.twitter.com/wFucvO9bW4— Lucas Sanders 👊🏽🔥🇺🇸 (@LucasSa56947288) January 20, 2026
The “Boxed In” Incident: Gunpoint Confrontation
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley shared the most harrowing account, detailing an incident where an off-duty female officer was “boxed in” by multiple federal vehicles while driving. According to Bruley, federal agents approached the vehicle with weapons drawn and demanded paperwork to prove her citizenship.
“She is a U.S. citizen and clearly would not have any paperwork,” Bruley stated. He further alleged that when the officer attempted to record the encounter on her phone, an agent knocked the device out of her hand. The federal agents reportedly fled the scene immediately after the woman identified herself as a fellow law enforcement officer.
“It’s Based on the Color of Their Skin”
Chief Bruley emphasized that every off-duty officer targeted in these stops has been a person of color. St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry echoed these concerns, noting that city employees have also been subjected to similar “random” stops.
“We know our officers know what the Constitution is. They know when people are being targeted, and that’s what they were,” Bruley said. The chiefs clarified that while they do not oppose legitimate immigration enforcement, the current tactics are “outside the bounds” of federal authority.
Federal Denial and Political Escalation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pushed back against the claims, stating they have “no record” of ICE or Border Patrol stopping local police officers. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin maintained that agents are following constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law.
However, the friction has reached the highest levels of government:
-
Governor Tim Walz: Labeled the federal presence an “occupation” and a “campaign of organized brutality.”
-
DOJ Subpoenas: In a retaliatory move, the Department of Justice served grand jury subpoenas this week to Gov. Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, investigating potential “conspiracy to obstruct” federal operations.
-
Insurrection Act: President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to restore order as protests against ICE continue to escalate following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal agent earlier this month.
As Vice President JD Vance prepares to visit Minneapolis on Thursday for a “law and order” roundtable, the rift between local protectors and federal enforcers has never been wider.