Minn. Police Chiefs Demand Oversight After Reports That ICE Agents Stopped U.S. Citizens — Including Off‑Duty Officers

Law enforcement leaders from multiple Twin Cities agencies urged immediate oversight on Jan. 20 after describing a surge of complaints that U.S. citizens — including off‑duty police officers — have been stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, allegedly because of the color of their skin.

What Officials Said

Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley and other area chiefs held a news conference calling for accountability and clearer limits on federal enforcement activity amid President Donald Trump’s immigration measures and large deployments of federal agents in Minneapolis. Their statements followed the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen who was shot by an ICE agent, an event that has intensified local and nationwide protests and scrutiny.

Stephen Maturen/GettyICE agents cut the seatbelt off a woman and pull her from her vehicle in Minneapolis on Jan. 13

"The truth is, immigration enforcement is necessary for our national security and for local security, but how it's done is extremely important," Bruley said, adding that local agencies have historically worked "exceptionally well" with federal partners, including ICE.

Allegations and a Specific Incident

Bruley described a pattern of recent complaints: residents, including off‑duty officers, being stopped without apparent cause during traffic stops or on sidewalks and asked to produce paperwork proving legal status. He said every person described in the complaints was a person of color.

Bruley related one detailed account: an off‑duty Brooklyn Park officer reported she was boxed in by agents while driving, told to produce immigration paperwork (which a U.S. citizen would not carry), and had her phone knocked from her hand when she tried to record the encounter. Bruley said the agents had their firearms drawn; the agents left after the woman identified herself as a Brooklyn Park officer.

Christopher Juhn/Anadolu via GettyICE agents stand at the site where Renee Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7

"I wish I could tell you this was an isolated incident," Bruley said, adding that other chiefs standing with him had similar reports involving their off‑duty personnel.

Broader Concerns and Calls For Oversight

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said city employees reported encounters that exceeded federal authority, though not all involved weapons drawn. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt — who invoked civil‑rights leaders and the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — warned that these actions are eroding community trust and reversing progress in policing reforms that followed unrest after the 2020 murder of George Floyd.

Steven Garcia/NurPhoto/ShutterstockPeople gather for a vigil and protest in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 after the death of Renee Good

"I know what it's like to be stereotyped, judged and profiled," Witt said. "I know firsthand what it means to be seen before being understood."

Speakers emphasized they were not calling for the abolition of ICE but for oversight and accountability to ensure civil rights are protected. According to the report, PEOPLE reached out to ICE for comment.

The chiefs urged investigations into the complaints and clearer guidelines to prevent racial profiling and inappropriate tactics by federal agents operating in local communities.