One of the individual plaintiffs named in the lawsuit, Susan Tincher, claims that she attempted to observe Immigration and Customs Enforcement-related activity on December 9. However, within 15 seconds of her arrival, she was “on the ground in handcuffs.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have violated the constitutional rights of people throughout the state.
According to CBS News, in a statement announcing the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota said that it filed the claim on behalf of six residents. In a press release, the organization said that ICE, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, has “engaged in a series of indiscriminate immigration raids in which masked … officers in militarized gear brandish rifles and abduct community members from local businesses, streets, and homes.”
Attorneys for the ACLU say that immigration officials have violated local residents’ rights to free speech through repeated instances of “harassment, intimidation, force, and detention.” The lawsuit notes that, in some cases, ICE responded to peaceful protest and community objections with rubber bullets and tear gas.
“This lawsuit asks the court—on behalf of those ordinary people who have come together courageously to stand up for the rights of all Americans—to halt ICE’s attack on First and Fourth Amendment rights,” the ACLU said in its release.
One of the individual plaintiffs named in the lawsuit, Susan Tincher, claims that she attempted to observe Immigration and Customs Enforcement-related activity on December 9. However, within 15 seconds of her arrival, she was “on the ground in handcuffs.”
“There was no warning, no explanation, no chance to comply,” Tincher said.
Tinder claims that, after being detained, she was transported to a facility. Shortly after arriving, Tincher weas allegedly “put in shackles” and “held for five hours” before being released.
“I did not obstruct. I did not disobey. I did not provoke violence,” Tincher said. “I was on a public street and what followed was sudden, brutal and terrifying.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which administers ICE, said in a statement that it is “taking reasonable and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers.”
“ICE and CBP are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and themselves,” the department said. “Our officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training.”
CBS News notes that ICE’s professionalism has been criticized by Minnesota’s own law enforcement community. On Tuesday, for instance, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara questioned ICE’s use of force after agents restrained a woman before dragging her along the ground. During the same incident, ICE officers also deployed “chemical irritants.” One agent also unholstered a Taser before yelling, “Who wants more?” to a gathering crowd.
“We have been training our officers for the last five years very, very intensely on de-escalation, but unfortunately that is … often not what we are seeing from other agencies in the city,” O’Hara said.
ICE, in contrast, claimed that its agents had “conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism.”
ACLU of Minnesota Executive Director, Deepinder Mayell, said in a statement that the organization is expecting to take additional legal action later this week.
“Since the launch of Operation Metro Surge, we have witnessed a remarkable string of unlawful activity targeting Minnesota communities and Minnesota values,” Mayell said. “This affects us all.”
Sources
ACLU of Minnesota filing suit alleging ICE agents have violated constitutional rights
ACLU of Minnesota sues ICE over alleged mistreatment of observers
Lawsuit alleges ICE is violating rights of people observing immigration operations in Minnesota
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