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Examining federal agents' use-of-force procedures
Observers are questioning if ICE agents are following the rules of engagement set by courts, while federal authorities say they are facing dangerous crowds during their operations. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the full report.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Federal agents are encountering challenging situations with crowds during a surge, leading to the use of force in some cases.
Federal agents face dangerous crowds
What we know:
Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino reported that a crowd followed him and his agents, becoming violent at their last stop. In response, they used chemical munitions to clear the area.
A federal judge had ruled that ICE couldn't use tear gas or pepper spray on peaceful protesters. However, another judge temporarily halted this ruling before the incident in the East Isles neighborhood, and Bovino stated that it did not alter their approach.
FOX 9 reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) regarding the crowd of protesters and agents.
MPD says it has "no record of a request from federal agents for assistance on January 21, 2026." Minneapolis police officers did respond to the intersection of 25th Street West and Colfax Avenue South, where the clash between protesters and agents occurred, to recover a magazine loaded with ammunition that was left by a federal agent.
MPD has a full-time leadership position dedicated to processing 911 calls related to ICE activity. The police department says that "the presence of protesters alone is not sufficient reason for MPD to respond where ICE activity is occurring."
The policy on home entries
Why you should care:
ICE's policy allowing forced entry into homes without a judicial warrant is under scrutiny. Marcos Charles, ICE Associate Director, claimed that they only enter homes during hot pursuits with criminal or administrative arrest warrants, which courts have deemed justified.
But administrative warrants are only reviewed by ICE supervisors, not judges. Courts have consistently ruled against using them to forcefully enter homes, but agents reportedly did so at ChongLy Thao’s St. Paul house days after a judge deemed it unconstitutional in a similar case.
Dr. David Schultz, a law professor, emphasized that this practice contradicts constitutional law and judicial rulings requiring a judicial warrant.
What they're saying:
"It goes against an enormous body of constitutional law and judicial rulings, including by the Supreme Court, that are unequivocally clear that you need a judicial warrant," he said.
What we don't know:
It's unclear how many warrantless entries have occurred and what specific actions the state attorney general’s office might take.
The Source: FOX 9's Corin Hoggard contributed to this report.