ICE Raid in Burnsville Detains Four; Couple's 7-Year-Old Left Without Parents, Family Says

Four people were arrested during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation at a home in Burnsville, Minnesota, leaving relatives and neighbors shaken and a 7-year-old reportedly without his parents, family members told NBC affiliate KARE.

Ring camera footage provided to the station shows a couple pulling into the driveway after grocery shopping when agents appear and detain the man. The woman ran toward the house and — according to relatives — hid inside with the couple's 7-year-old son before she was later taken into custody.

Family Allegations

Relatives who spoke to KARE said ICE agents entered the private residence without presenting a warrant. Family members also say agents led several relatives into the kitchen, asked to inspect their phones and that four people were later able to show proof of U.S. citizenship to agents.

“They all were scared, crying,” Angel Alvarado told KARE, adding that agents were pointing guns during the encounter.

In addition to the couple, two other men were arrested inside the home. One of those men is described by relatives as a father of two. His wife — who spoke through an interpreter and asked to remain anonymous — said she hid with her 7-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old who was sleeping on her shoulder at the time of the raid.

She said she is six months pregnant and has since been caring for her own children as well as the 7-year-old boy whose parents were detained. Relatives also told KARE that ICE agents urged some people at the scene to consider self-deportation.

Official Responses

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The City of Burnsville issued a statement saying it is "monitoring federal immigration activity," noting local officers are not typically notified about federal immigration enforcement and do not take part in such operations.

The Burnsville mayor's office said public safety teams responded to two calls related to immigration enforcement activity: one for traffic control after residents reported activity on McAndrews Road, and another from a resident at a multi-family complex who reported federal law enforcement activity that had concluded.

It remains unclear whether everyone inside the home was related. The family members' account was reported to KARE and further details are pending responses from federal authorities.