Homeland Security Makes 3,000 Arrests in Minnesota Operation

MINNEAPOLIS — Officials with U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) held a press conference to provide an update on their operation in Minnesota, saying they've made 3,000 arrests over the past six weeks. Border Patrol Commander at Large Gregory Bovino and ICE Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Marcos Charles spoke about some of the arrests, including people they say have been previously arrested for sexual assault, rape and domestic violence. Bovino also spoke about the resistance they've faced over the past two weeks, claiming Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have played a part in making it a "difficult operating environment at times." "Leaders like Tim Walz or Mayor Frey have relied on heated rhetoric and accusations that distract from the facts," Bovino said. Thousands of federal officers were sent to Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge for immigration enforcement, prompting pushback from local officials and residents. Protests magnified after an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7. Last week, Minnesota leaders filed a lawsuit seeking to end the operation, with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison calling it "a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop." The defendants in the lawsuit include Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons. In their response to the lawsuit Monday, they called Minnesota's arguments an "absurdity." "The basic concept of our system of federalism is simple. The federal government is entrusted with a series of enumerated powers, within which federal law reigns supreme. All other powers are reserved to the States. In this case, the State of Minnesota and certain of its political subdivisions seek to turn that system upside down. They invoke principles of federalism to demand an unprecedented injunction against a federal law-enforcement operation, effectively seeking a state veto over the enforcement of federal law by federal officers. Nothing in the Constitution remotely countenances this absurdity, which would render the supremacy of federal law an afterthought to local preferences." Last week, a federal judge did not take immediate action on the state of Minnesota's request for a restraining order to stop the surge of ICE operations in the state, instead setting timelines for the state and federal government to respond in the case. Earlier Tuesday, local law enforcement held a press conference to share their concerns about the federal agents' conduct and recent interactions, including one instance when a Brooklyn Park officer was pulled over and asked to show proof of U.S. citizenship. "When she became concerned about the rhetoric and the way she was being treated, she pulled out her phone in an attempt to record the incident, the phone was knocked out of her hands, preventing her from recording it," Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. "The [agents] had their guns drawn during the incident and the officer became so concerned she was forced to identify herself as a Brooklyn Park police officer in hopes of slowing and de-escalating the incident." Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said she has seen multiple recent incidents of ICE agents using racial profiling to stop U.S. citizens. "I am seeing and hearing about people in Hennepin County stopped, questioned and harassed solely because of the color of their skin," Witt said. "We cannot let people in our communities think that our local law enforcement leadership is okay with actions that are not only wrong, but illegal." When asked about the concerns being raised by local law enforcement, Bovino responded with support for the agents, saying what he's witnessed has been "professional" and "lawful." Bovino then abruptly ended the press conference while reporters continued asking questions. Multiple videos captured Bovino at the scene of a detainment last week at a gas station in St. Paul, where the man being arrested appeared to lose consciousness. According to reports, the man, later identified as 27-year-old Orbin Mauricio Hernandez Serrano, refused orders to open his car door and window, so officers can be seen smashing the window and forcibly removing him from the vehicle. Pinned on his stomach by four agents, Serrano appears to lose consciousness as they put him in cuffs. Agents then picked up his limp body and carried him by his neck and one leg to a van, still appearing to be unconscious. At no point in the videos are agents seen checking if Serrano had a pulse or was breathing. Serrano's sister spoke to KARE 11 last week, saying that Serrano was "badly injured." ICE records confirmed that Serrano was then transported to a detention center in El Paso, Texas.