A tense street confrontation in south Minneapolis ended with two teenagers in handcuffs on Wednesday afternoon, after federal immigration officers swarmed a silver SUV as stunned neighbors watched and filmed from the sidewalk. Witnesses described the teens as scared and crying, and said the encounter poured fuel on already smoldering tensions in neighborhoods that have seen frequent federal enforcement activity in recent weeks.
According to MPR News, a photojournalist on the scene said Customs and Border Protection officers appeared to rear-end a silver SUV before pulling a teenage boy out, taking him into custody and photographing his face. The outlet reported that the driver, a teenage girl, handed agents a U.S. passport book, then later ended up cuffed and sobbing in the back of a Border Protection vehicle. MPR also reported that as agents tried to drive away, they used tear gas and pepper spray, and that at least two bystanders were arrested.
Part of a broader enforcement crackdown
The incident unfolded in the middle of Operation Metro Surge, the federal enforcement push that has brought thousands of immigration officers into the Twin Cities and triggered widespread public backlash. As The Guardian has reported, agents in recent weeks have been showing up at schools, churches, and on residential blocks, reshaping day-to-day life for many residents who now brace for unexpected encounters.
On Wednesday, an appeals court temporarily suspended a judge’s order that had restricted the use of tear gas and other crowd-control tactics in Minnesota while the federal government appeals, according to the Associated Press. The timing only heightened anxiety among residents and organizers who have been tracking enforcement actions across the metro.
Legal fights and local blowback
State and local officials have tried to push back on the federal surge, even as federal prosecutors have served grand-jury subpoenas seeking records from the governor’s office and city officials, MPR News reported. Civil-rights organizations, including the ACLU of Minnesota, have filed suit arguing that federal agencies are carrying out suspicionless stops and engaging in racial profiling, and the ACLU has posted the complaint and related documents publicly…