Federal Agents Accused of Racial Profiling in Minneapolis Immigration Crackdown
A class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleges that federal agents, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have been engaging in racial profiling against Somali and Latino individuals in Minnesota. The lawsuit claims that ICE agents are making indiscriminate arrests without warrants or probable cause based solely on perceived ethnicity.
The ACLU cites instances of U.S. citizens being stopped, detained, and questioned by federal agents due to their supposed racial background. For example, Mubashir Khalif Hussen, a 20-year-old Somali-American who is the manager of a local mental health provider, was stopped by ICE agents on December 10th during his lunch break. Despite repeatedly stating that he was a U.S. citizen, Hussen claims that the agents refused to inspect his identification and shackled him without reason.
Similarly, Mahamed Eydarus, another Somali-American who is a personal care assistant, was questioned by federal agents while shoveling snow out of his parking space with his mother on the same day. The agents allegedly inquired about their foreign language skills, despite both being U.S. citizens and speaking English fluently.
The lawsuit demands justice for those affected by what it calls "discriminatory enforcement." It highlights the Trump administration's alleged attempt to target these communities through Operation Metro Surge. The Department of Homeland Security has denied wrongdoing, stating that its agents use "reasonable suspicion" to make arrests and are not engaging in indiscriminate stops.
The ongoing immigration crackdown in Minnesota has sparked protests and violent clashes since the shooting death of an unarmed U.S. citizen. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a separate lawsuit seeking to declare the surge of 3,000 DHS agents unconstitutional and unlawful, and to immediately stop operations.
A class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleges that federal agents, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have been engaging in racial profiling against Somali and Latino individuals in Minnesota. The lawsuit claims that ICE agents are making indiscriminate arrests without warrants or probable cause based solely on perceived ethnicity.
The ACLU cites instances of U.S. citizens being stopped, detained, and questioned by federal agents due to their supposed racial background. For example, Mubashir Khalif Hussen, a 20-year-old Somali-American who is the manager of a local mental health provider, was stopped by ICE agents on December 10th during his lunch break. Despite repeatedly stating that he was a U.S. citizen, Hussen claims that the agents refused to inspect his identification and shackled him without reason.
Similarly, Mahamed Eydarus, another Somali-American who is a personal care assistant, was questioned by federal agents while shoveling snow out of his parking space with his mother on the same day. The agents allegedly inquired about their foreign language skills, despite both being U.S. citizens and speaking English fluently.
The lawsuit demands justice for those affected by what it calls "discriminatory enforcement." It highlights the Trump administration's alleged attempt to target these communities through Operation Metro Surge. The Department of Homeland Security has denied wrongdoing, stating that its agents use "reasonable suspicion" to make arrests and are not engaging in indiscriminate stops.
The ongoing immigration crackdown in Minnesota has sparked protests and violent clashes since the shooting death of an unarmed U.S. citizen. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a separate lawsuit seeking to declare the surge of 3,000 DHS agents unconstitutional and unlawful, and to immediately stop operations.
- Edmund Burke
ICE agents are like the ultimate "look at me, I'm watching you" police 
But what's good is this Somali-American dude getting shackled without reason 
meanwhile his mom was just trying to shovel snow lol... meanwhile, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is like "Hey, can we stop ICE from being racist? 
And also can we get back our $5 from the protest food truck? 
. I mean, can you imagine being stopped by law enforcement just because of your ethnicity? It's like something out of a science fiction movie 
. The fact that these young men were able to assert their citizenship and still faced shackles and intimidation tactics is just unacceptable.
. I'm not surprised, though - we've seen time and time again how certain communities of color are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement.
. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out in court and whether justice is truly served for those affected 
.
What's next? Asking people if they can speak with an accent? 
