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ICE agent appears in Minnesota court
An ICE agent charged with assault during an incident along a Minnesota highway where he allegedly pulled on gun on someone made his first court appearance on Friday. FOX 9’s Paul Blume has the details.
(FOX 9) - An ICE agent accused of pointing a gun at a pair of motorists during rush hour, is facing assault charges and made his first court appearance as his legal process begins.
ICE agent court appearance
What we know:
ICE agent Gregory Morgan Jr. appeared in court Friday, facing two assault charges related to a brief encounter with motorists on the Highway 62 Crosstown interchange during Operation Metro Surge in February.
The hearing focused on Morgan’s bond conditions, which were initially set at $100,000 and included restrictions such as no contact with his ICE partner, who is a witness, and a ban on firearms and ammunition.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Hennepin County District Court Judge Paul Scoggin set Morgan’s unconditional bond at $200,000 without the restriction on possessing a firearm.
This means if Morgan can pay the higher bond, he can keep his gun, which could impact his ability to continue working in immigration enforcement.
"We will have to confer with ICE and determine how important that is or isn't to them," explained Ryan Pacyga, Morgan’s defense attorney. "So, I don't know what that is going to be. That is going to be a decision that ICE is going to have to make in conjunction with Mr. Morgan."
‘Not going to let that happen’
Why you should care:
The case is the first Operation Metro Surge-related prosecution to reach a judge in Minnesota, drawing attention to the intersection of law enforcement duties and legal accountability.
The defense argues the incident happened while Morgan was performing his immigration enforcement duties, which they say should place the case under federal jurisdiction.
Pacyga told reporters after the hearing that his next move will be to file a motion to have the case transferred into U.S. District Court.
He said he does not want his client getting caught up in the politics or the fallout of the immigration crackdown across the state.
"That's the political struggle that is happening," said Pacyga. "And he is going to get thrown around like a pawn if they are allowed to do that, and I am not going to let that happen."
Gun pointed at motorists’ heads
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victims reported seeing Morgan point a gun — either a Glock or Sig Sauer — directly at their heads and yell something at them after the two vehicles were involved in an incident at the height of the evening rush.
Meanwhile, Pacyga says, "There’s more to the story, a lot more to it."
What's next:
Morgan, who is from Maryland, was allowed to head home following the hearing.
His next court appearance in state court is set for June 29.