In brief
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara has publicly criticized federal immigration agents following a confrontation with protesters during an attempted arrest. In a notable incident, federal officers were observed using aggressive tactics, including kneeling on an individual, sparking public outrage. O'Hara emphasized the importance of de-escalation techniques, which he believes are not being adhered to by federal agents. The tensions arise amid a concentrated immigration crackdown targeting the region's Somali population, as former state legislator Hodan Hassan highlights a shift towards more aggressive tactics by ICE. The protest occurred close to the site of George Floyd's death, evoking the city's recent history of police violence and calls for reform.
Minneapolis’ police chief is criticizing federal immigration agents after a confrontation with protesters and an attempted arrest of a woman in which an officer kneeled on her back while she lay atop a snow bank and then tried to drag her to a car.
Tensions have been rising in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area as federal authorities continue an immigration crackdown focused on the region’s Somali community, the largest in the country.
Onlooker video of the confrontation showed people yelling at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to release the woman, claiming she is pregnant and couldn’t breathe. After kneeling on her, an agent later dragged the woman by one arm on her back toward a vehicle, prompting cries from the crowd, Let her go! Let her go! The woman was eventually released.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara told a news conference that Minneapolis police were called to the confrontation by a federal agent who needed assistance. Upon arrival, police did not observe violence against the federal officers and left the scene in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. O’Hara expressed concerns that other law enforcement agencies may have been employing questionable tactics.
“We have been training our officers for the last five years very, very intensely on de-escalation,” O’Hara commented, noting that this approach is often not reflected in the actions of federal agents in the city.
Conversely, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that federal officers were targeting a vehicle when protesters allegedly assaulted them, throwing rocks and using pepper spray. Multiple injuries were reported among the officers, and charges were brought against two individuals for assaulting federal officers.
Clouded by the recent clashes, Hodan Hassan, a former Minnesota state legislator, voiced her belief that ICE's tactics are becoming increasingly harsh. The first week, they were not very aggressive. They were stopping people. Second week, we saw them really aggressive,” she explained.
This incident occurred close to the site of George Floyd's death, where a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, an event that ignited nationwide protests and calls for racial justice and police reform.
