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Last week, two Democrats in the Senate hosted a “bicameral public forum to receive testimony on the violent tactics and disproportionate use of force by agents of the Department of Homeland Security.” Here in Minnesota, we continue to deal with the thousands of immigration enforcement agents who have unleashed unspeakable violence on our state. Flights leave daily with men, women, and children, some of whom are citizens, green-card holders, or asylum-seekers with pending cases, to detention centers with a prevailing culture of abuse. Countless other legal observers and protesters, including myself, have been handcuffed and detained for hours without being charged with a crime, or intimidated with weapons and threats.
In the spirit of the public forum held in the District of Columbia last week, I collected the following set of comments ICE agents have made to my community, pulled from video recordings, sworn affidavits, and media reports. (A sourced list of these interactions is being compiled here.) We may not know their names or see their faces, but we hear what they say.
“He’s gonna run us over.”
—Anonymous
Agent standing in front of a truck and aiming a gun at Adan Nunez Gonzalez, while other agents rip Gonzalez out of his vehicle. Gonzalez was an asylum-seeker with no criminal record but was deported to Mexico. Nov. 11.
“Hit me and you’ll see what happens. You don’t want to see what happens if you hit me.”
—Anonymous
Agent standing in front of a car with an assault rifle pointed at the driver. Dec. 7.
“Fucking bitch!”
—Jonathan Ross
After moving in front of Renee Good’s car, then shooting her three times. Jan 7.
“I don’t care.”
—Anonymous
Responding to a civilian shouting “I’m a physician!” The physician was desperate to try to check Good’s pulse and offer help but was told to stay back. Emergency services arrived later but were unable to save her life. Jan. 7.
“I can hear you don’t have the same accent as me. That’s why I’m asking.”
—Anonymous
To a Somali citizen told to prove his citizenship. Jan. 7.
“Well, you’re white. You wouldn’t be fun anyway.”
—Anonymous
To a pastor released after a warrantless detainment. He had been detained because he said he wasn’t afraid of them. An agent pointed a gun at him and asked, “Are you afraid now?” They handcuffed him, and agents repeatedly asked, “Are you afraid yet?” He kept responding no until he was eventually released. Jan. 7.
“[You’re] not from here.”
—Anonymous
To an Ojibwe citizen born in Minneapolis, according to his sister, who saw his arrest. He was punched, handcuffed, and held at the Whipple Federal Building for hours. Jan. 8.
“We are trying to implement the law of the land; if you are good and you are OK, we will let you go. … You see. We are just good guys. We are trying to implement the law. Trump is the president. This is what he wants. He is the president, and we have to listen to him.”
—Anonymous
To a Somali legal resident after tackling him without identifying themselves, putting him in a headlock, shoving him inside an unmarked car to check for his documentation status, then releasing him. Jan. 8.
“Have y’all not learned from the last couple of days? [The agent snatches a woman’s phone and handcuffs her.] You don’t look like you could be more than 18 years old. Is this how you want to die? With a bullet in your skull? [He grabs her shirt collar, then makes her lie on the ground while another agent holds a gun.] We’re gonna let you go. But first, have you learned your lesson?”
—Anonymous
To a 5-foot-5, 120-pound woman with a medical condition. She lost consciousness after being yanked up off the ground. Jan. 9.
“You’re not from here. Where are you from?”
—Anonymous
To a Hispanic legal resident. The agents then took $130 out of his wallet. Jan. 10.
“Where are you from? Where is ‘here’? I don’t know that place.”
—Anonymous
To a Hispanic citizen born in Minnesota. Jan. 11.
“You have three seconds. Three, two, one.”
—Anonymous
To a Somali citizen desperately trying to get her husband to text a photo of her passport. She was subsequently handcuffed, driven around for an hour, and dropped off in a random parking lot. Jan. 12.
“We don’t need a warrant.”
—Anonymous
While pointing assault rifles at a terrified woman, who asked if they had a warrant and pleaded with them to stop because there were children inside the house they were breaking into. Jan. 12.
“You got papers?”
—Anonymous
After crashing into a Hispanic citizen’s car. The anonymous agent did not leave any insurance information. Jan. 12.
“Yes, but it’s fake.”
—Anonymous
Regarding a man’s green card. Jan. 13.
“Move! Or I will break your fucking window!”
—Anonymous
To an autistic woman with a brain injury who stumbled across agents on the way to a medical appointment. They cut her seat belt, dragged her out of the vehicle by each of her limbs, laughed at her, and drove her to Whipple, where she was denied medical treatment and lost consciousness. Jan. 13.
“That’s why you roll your window down.”
—Anonymous
While brandishing a window-breaking tool to threaten a citizen showing their ID through the window. Jan. 14.
“N—er.”
—Anonymous
While arresting a Somali citizen. Jan. 14.
“Shut the fuck up, son of a bitch. … What country are you from? Why don’t you go back to your country?”
—Anonymous
To a Somali citizen screaming in pain as his arms were twisted behind him. He responded, “My country is the USA.” Jan. 15.
“You were interrupting an investigation.”
—Anonymous
Responding to the question “Why would you pepper-spray a 15-year-old kid?” Jan. 15.
“Where were you born?”
—Anonymous
To a Hmong citizen after breaking down his door, pointing guns at his family, then dragging him outside and into an unmarked car in nothing but his boxers and a pair of Crocs. Jan. 18.
“Boo-hoo.”
—Anonymous
Mocking the shocked witnesses who saw Alex Pretti shot 10 times. Jan. 24.
“It’s like Call of Duty! So cool, huh?”
—Anonymous
While shooting chemical weapons at protesters at the site of Pretti’s death minutes later. Jan. 24.
“You raise your voice, I erase your voice.”
—Anonymous
Threatening an observer. Jan. 27.
“We’re just going to check his documentation. … If he checks out, we’ll give him.”
—Anonymous
As they detained a restaurant worker who had the necessary documents. Instead of bringing him back, agents sent him to a Texas detention center that night, before his loved ones could bring him his medication. Feb. 2.
