Minneapolis Observers Say ICE Detained Them, Pressured Them To Name Protest Organizers

Two Minneapolis residents who were monitoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity say they were detained for several hours without charge, held in harsh conditions, and pressured to identify protest organizers and neighbors who might be undocumented.

What Happened

Brandon Sigüenza and Patty O’Keefe told The Associated Press that the pair were following ICE officers as they made arrests in the Twin Cities when agents stopped in front of O’Keefe’s car, sprayed chemical irritants through a windshield vent and smashed the vehicle’s windows even though the doors were unlocked. The two were then handcuffed, placed in separate unmarked SUVs and transported to a highly restricted federal facility on the edge of Minneapolis serving as the operation’s hub.

The car of Patty O'Keefe, a U.S. citizens who was arrested while following federal agents' vehicles and briefly held at a federal facility in Minneapolis, shows glass on the ground after her front driver's side window was smashed in, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Detention Conditions And Treatment

Sigüenza and O’Keefe say they were held in small adjacent cells designated for U.S. citizens — each no larger than about 10 by 10 feet — that included a concrete bench, a flat-screen TV, a two-way mirror and a surveillance camera. They described hearing other detainees in visible distress, seeing detainees with injuries who received no obvious medical attention, and being denied basic requests for water or permission to use the restroom outside the cell. Both were allowed to speak with lawyers; Sigüenza was the only one permitted a phone call.

Allegation Of Coercion

Sigüenza, a U.S. citizen, said DHS investigators briefly took him to another room and offered him money or legal protection for family members in exchange for the names of protest organizers or neighbors believed to be undocumented. He said he refused the offer and does not have family members without legal status. Both were released the same evening without charges; they say they were exposed again to chemical agents as they left the facility.

Patty O'Keefe, a U.S. citizens who was arrested while following federal agents' vehicles and briefly held at a federal facility in Minneapolis, stands next to her car showing that her front driver's side window was smashed in, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

“At one point, the officer said in vague terms that it looks like I’m in trouble, and he could possibly help me out,” Sigüenza said. “We were released and then tear-gassed on our way out.”

Broader Context

Organizers and an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit allege immigration officers have been surveilling activists who monitor enforcement operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, a practice they say violates First Amendment protections. Sigüenza and O’Keefe’s account echoes reports from Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans of roving patrols, warrantless arrests and aggressive tactics, including the use of chemical irritants and recording protesters. Officers reportedly recorded footage of Renee Good and her vehicle moments before an ICE officer fatally shot her.

Responses And Legal Rights

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and the Border Patrol, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DHS has previously defended detention conditions broadly, saying detainees are fed and their medical concerns addressed, and has highlighted arrests made during recent enforcement operations.

Immigration attorney Lynn Damiano Pearson of the National Immigration Law Center noted that some rights differ between immigration detention and criminal custody, but basic protections apply in both settings: access to counsel and a phone, food and water, and privacy from the opposite gender when using the restroom.

Associated Press reporter Sophia Tareen contributed to this report.