Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are accused of pulling guns on off-duty police officers of color Minnesota, demanding proof of citizenship in encounters that local law enforcement leaders call unconstitutional and terrifying. The allegations, confirmed by multiple sources, have sent shockwaves through communities and law enforcement alike.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley revealed the disturbing claims at a press conference Tuesday, emphasizing that this wasn’t a political stunt. “Recently, as the last two weeks, we as law enforcement community have been receiving endless complaints about civil rights violations in our streets from U.S. citizens,” Bruley said. Citizens and off-duty cops alike are being stopped “with no cause and being forced to show paperwork to determine if they are here legally.”
Bruley described one officer being boxed in on a roadway by ICE agents demanding her papers. “She’s a U.S. citizen and clearly would not have any paperwork,” he said. When the officer tried to record the interaction, “the phone was knocked out of her hands, prevented her from recording it.” The agents reportedly had their guns drawn and only left after the officer identified herself as Brooklyn Park police.
Multiple chiefs across the Twin Cities have reportedly faced similar complaints from off-duty officers of color, according to MPR News and Sahan Journal. “This isn’t just important because it happened to off-duty police officers,” Bruley said. “Our officers know the Constitution, they know right from wrong, and they know when people are being targeted — that’s what they were.”
The incidents raise urgent questions about ICE’s tactics in Minnesota, where the agency has been criticized for warrantless raids, racial profiling, and overreach in enforcement operations. Local reporting from KARE 11, CBS Minnesota, and Bring Me The News indicates that the pattern of civil rights complaints extends beyond law enforcement officers to ordinary community members, suggesting a systemic problem.
Chief Bruley warned the public that if trained, off-duty police officers are subject to intimidation and potential civil rights violations, then ordinary citizens are likely facing far worse. “If it is happening to our officers, it pains me to think of how many of our community members are falling victim to this every day. It has to stop,” he said.
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