A Minnesota police chief has been forced to intervene to stop the illegal abduction of a woman from her car by ICE goons.
Dramatic dashcam footage shows the moment three unidentified, masked men swerved to cut off a female driver alone in her car, forcing her to stop. The men then jumped out of their unmarked, unlit vehicle and immediately drew their weapons, while yelling at her to get out of the car.
The officers do not read the woman her Miranda rights, nor do they identify themselves, as they drag her from the car, pin her down, and handcuff her.
The woman, who does not wish to be identified, shared the footage with MPR News, and told reporters that she was left with multiple cuts and bruises following the incident.
Later, her husband arrived on the scene and informed the federal agents that they were acting illegally.
“I’m not getting into the legality of everything,” one of the agents snapped back.
After the woman was detained, her husband said he called his attorney. Shortly after, he received a call from St. Peter Chief of Police Matt Grochow, whom he has known for years.
“I was talking to him, kind of venting some of my frustrations,” the husband told MPR, before encouraging the chief to make sure local officers were more visible during ICE operations. “If [local police] were present and they could see you, I promise you their behavior more than likely, or hopefully, would, you know, be appropriate and law-abiding,” he said.
After the officers put her in their car and drove toward the Twin Cities, they themselves received a call, the woman said, and quickly turned back.
“ICE returned the female to our police department, I saw her, and I gave her a ride home,” Grochow wrote in a statement to MPR about the incident.
The City of St. Peter released a statement following the incident, claiming that they did not intervene in any federal enforcement activity.
“Shortly after the call was received, federal immigration authorities dropped the individual off at the Police Department,” the statement reads. “Police Chief Grochow then ensured the resident was safely transported home and offered assistance, as we would for any member of our community who experiences distress or needs support.”
The video of the incident has drawn widespread condemnation online, with commentators suggesting the federal officers have learned little since the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in separate incidents in Minneapolis.
“This is a) really dangerous driving b) indistinguishable from a kidnap,” wrote technology journalist Charles Arthur.
“This is terrifying. This is like a gang of armed bandits or desperados. Masked highwaymen. Something from the 1600s, 1700s, or 1800s,” wrote Trump biographer Seth Abramson. “Nothing about this is even 1% American—at least not as we have known America to be over the last 50 years.”
“There’s no sign that ICE or DHS have moderated their behavior. They continue to blatantly and willfully violate the Constitutional rights of Americans,” wrote science fiction author Ramez Naam. “This is a rogue and criminal agency. Defund, disband, and detain ICE.”
In a statement published online, the Department of Homeland Security wrote that the woman in question was an “agitator” who was “stalking and obstructing law enforcement.”
“Law enforcement officers attempted to pull her over using their emergency lights to issue her a warning,” their statement reads.
“Ignoring law enforcement commands, the agitator refused to pull over and began driving recklessly, including running stop signs, nearly colliding with multiple vehicles, and driving directly at law enforcement in an attempt to ram their vehicle. Her actions endangered law enforcement officers, the public, and allowed this violent criminal to remain at large. Our officers arrested the agitator.
“Obstructing law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime,” the statement continued.
Following the public backlash over the shooting of VA nurse Pretti, 37, last week, border czar Tom Homan has taken over ICE operations in Minnesota, which have been ongoing since the start of the year.
“You’re going to see some massive changes occurring here in this city,” Homan said in a press conference on Thursday. “The mission is going to improve because of the changes we’re making internally.”
Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino, who was heading the federal operations in Minnesota, was suspended following the killing of Pretti. President Donald Trump subsequently promised to “de-escalate” tensions in the Twin Cities.
The president later reversed course and contradicted Homan, saying that there would be “no pullback.”
“It remains the expectation of President Trump that officers carry out their duties with integrity, professionalism, and compassion,” Homan said.
“I want to be clear: ICE and CBP officers are performing their duties under tremendous circumstances, but they’re trying to do it with professionalism,” he said. “If they don’t, they’ll be dealt with.”
The Daily Beast has contacted MPR News for verification.
