After St. Paul raid, questions remain over warrant found outside

Questions remain about ICE warrant for St. Paul family

The warrant used to detained a Venezuelan family in St. Paul is still raising questions. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has the story. 

Questions remain about a warrant after a family of six were detained by immigration enforcement agents in St. Paul. 

Questions linger over warrant after raid in St. Paul

What happened:

Federal agents armed with assault rifles stormed into a house on Nevada Avenue East on Thursday evening, detaining six people, including a 12-year-old boy, according to a family friend and neighbors. 

The agents were recorded on home surveillance cameras going from room to room. A woman and an infant were the only two in the home not detained, neighbors said. 

Frances Clatworthy, a friend who has been trying to get answers for the family, said the agents claimed to have a warrant but never showed one.  

The next day, a warrant appeared on the doorstep, though its authenticity could not be verified. She said agents told the family that the raid was part of a narcotics investigation. But she said the six residents were taken to Texas, where they are split across two immigration detention centers.

Judge orders feds to produce warrant

What we know:

On Monday, a federal judge ordered the government to release the family after it missed a deadline to produce a warrant for the raid. The judge gave the government 72 hours to release them, which means they must be released by Thursday.

Questions about the warrant:

The warrant that appeared outside the day after the raid raised questions. Firstly, it was from a state court, not a federal one. 

In addition, a court spokesman could not verify its authenticity. The court provided a real warrant in an unrelated case for comparison, and there are several differences between the two. 

The warrant that appeared on the doorstep does not have a case number or a file stamp. And although it has the address of the house, it does not have a name or date of birth. (The real warrant has both.) 

It also does not include a narrative that explains what led investigators to seek the warrant, though it does specify that agents were searching for guns, ammo and drugs, among other items. 

The document bears the signature of a Ramsey County judge, but the court could not confirm whether she signed it. The court noted that law enforcement agencies have 10 days after a search to file a warrant, meaning it is possible that it is authentic but has not yet been filed.

The other side:

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday did not immediately respond a request for comment.