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DFL lawmakers outline bills to respond to ICE
Minnesota DFL lawmakers and the ACLU of Minnesota are calling for accountability following "Operation Metro Surge."
(FOX 9) - The ACLU and several individuals detained by ICE are seeking legal intervention to stop warrantless arrests and what they describe as racial profiling by immigration agents in Minnesota.
ACLU lawsuit challenges ICE practices
What we know:
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, demands a judge intervene in what the plaintiffs call "suspicion-less arrests" that they argue violate constitutional rights.
Several immigrants, including American citizens, testified under oath about their experiences at a Tuesday afternoon hearing in St. Paul.
They told Judge Eric Tostrud, they believe they were singled out by immigration authorities because of their race, ethnicity, or use of a foreign language.
Arrest sparked outrage
What they're saying:
Mubashir Hussen, a 20-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, testified about his arrest in Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood last December.
"I was feeling really scared," said Hussen. "I didn’t know what was going on."
Attorneys for Hussen played several videos of Hussen’s arrest for the court.
Hussen described being "roughed up" by a pair of agents, testifying that he was in pain while handcuffed behind his back.
He claimed the agents ignored a U.S. passport photo he had on his phone and a copy that his employer attempted to show authorities at the scene of Hussen’s arrest outside his workplace.
Hussen's arrest sparked outrage from both the community and city officials.
He was eventually released after being taken to the Whipple Federal Building.
The other side:
Attorneys for the government argue that immigration enforcement operations adhere to constitutional policies, stating there is no evidence of racial or ethnic profiling.
In one filing, writing in opposition to the plaintiff’s motion for an injunction that none of the evidence "support(s) the fantastic inference that Defendants have an unofficial but explicit policy and practice of stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion or arresting individuals without probable cause of immigration law violations or likelihood of escape."
Court arguments continue Wednesday
What's next:
Judge Tostrud has scheduled additional arguments for Wednesday morning.
He said, he is interested in understanding the impact of the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge drawdown on the case.