After Citizen Detained By ICE in Robbinsdale, Lawmakers Respond
After a reported U.S. citizen was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) officers at the Robbinsdale Hy-Vee, local lawmakers condemned the agency’s actions.
ICE officers detained Jose Roberto Ramirez of Crystal, who has since been released from federal custody.
One of his family members recorded video of his arrest and posted it to social media. That video now has more than 9,200 reactions on Facebook.
“Yesterday, one of our neighbors, a life-long Minnesotan, was wrongfully detained and not given the opportunity to show identification or proof of citizenship,” said Reps. Mike Friberg (DFL-Golden Valley) and Cedrick Frazier (DFL-Crystal) in a joint statement. “We are appalled at the gross brutality and blatant racial profiling by ICE all over the nation, and it’s clear that that is exactly what happened to Mr. Ramirez. Every day ICE continues its terror crusade in Minnesota is another day where our communities are under direct threat of violence from these untrained and incompetent agents. None of us – regardless of citizenship status – are safe as long as ICE looms in our streets.”
Response from Robbinsdale Police
Robbinsdale police responded to the arrest.
“Officers were verifying that the individuals involved were actual federal agents when the individual being detained punched an agent in the face. Robbinsdale officers did not engage in the incident and kept numerous people back for their safety,” said Robbinsdale police in a statement. “When federal immigration enforcement activity occurs in Robbinsdale, our Police Department will not take an active part of those operations with federal agents. Our jurisdiction has not been notified in advance of current federal operations.”
The legislature’s Native American Caucus also released a statement denouncing ICE’s arrest of Ramirez, who is a descendent of the Red Lake Nation.
“Native peoples are Indigenous to this country, existing on this continent for thousands of years before the colonization of this nation – rendering deportation impossible and absurd,” the caucus wrote. “Snatching a Native person off the street is not a reckless mistake – it’s a direct assault on Indigenous sovereignty and due process. Native Americans are citizens by law, history, and treaty.”
The arrest of Ramirez came one day after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis.
