ICE detains Woodbury man for filming agents
Is it legal to follow ICE agents?
FOX 9's Corin Hoggard spoke Tuesday with Ryan Ecklund, a Woodbury native who was detained by ICE agents for more than nine hours after he followed and recorded their actions.
WOODBURY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Woodbury man was detained by ICE agents for more than nine hours because he followed them, marking a new battle over First Amendment rights.
ICE agents detain Ryan Ecklund
What we know:
Ryan Ecklund says he started following ICE agents after noticing them in a grocery store parking lot in Woodbury. He continued to follow them through his neighborhood.
Ecklund said the agents must have run his license plate, because one of them recorded his face and vehicle and then they drove into the cul-de-sac where he lives. He was later stopped and warned by the agents not to follow them or face arrest.
Ecklund says that despite being warned, he believed he was within his rights to follow and record the agents. The third time he interacted with them, they stopped him and told him they were arresting him for following them. A day later, he had some obvious injuries, including a black eye and scuffs across his face, which he says happened when they reached into his car, put him in a headlock, removed him from the vehicle, and threw him on the ground.
ICE agents did not formally arrest Ecklund but held him at a detention facility for over nine hours. His wife, Tamara Ecklund, emphasized the importance of having legal representation to secure his release.
Legal and constitutional perspectives
What they're saying:
Constitutional scholars assert that following and recording law enforcement are protected under the First Amendment. And just last week, a federal district judge found a Trump administration policy unconstitutional for considering recording as "unlawful civil unrest".
ICE argued in a Minnesota court case Tuesday that following them is illegal, but the judge has yet to rule on the matter. ICE has not provided a response regarding Ecklund’s detainment or any potential policy changes.
READ MORE: ICE says it’s illegal to record agents, but is DHS policy actually unlawful?
What we don't know:
ICE has not clarified whether their policy on following and recording agents has changed or if they plan to address the legal challenges raised by Ecklund's case.