Prosecutors in Minneapolis on Thursday charged a federal immigration agent with assault, accusing the agent of pointing a gun at motorists along a state highway during the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities in February. It was a rare instance of state prosecutors charging a federal agent for on-duty actions.
The agent, Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pointed a gun at two people in a car as he attempted to pass them in an unmarked vehicle on the shoulder of a highway, according to the criminal complaint.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not clear if Mr. Morgan had retained a lawyer.
After the incident, Mr. Morgan told state investigators that he “feared for his safety and the safety of others” after a vehicle swerved in front of him and “cut him off,” according to the state complaint.
Local prosecutors have spent weeks investigating the conduct of federal agents who took part in the crackdown in the Twin Cities, which lasted for 10 weeks. The crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, led to near-daily clashes between agents and residents.
Local law enforcement officials have said they were reviewing cases including the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two American citizens who were killed during confrontations with agents in separate incidents in January.
Local officials have also said they were weighing charges against federal agents involved in a Minneapolis shooting that wounded a Venezuelan immigrant and in the arrest of an American citizen who was ordered out of his home in frigid weather wearing only his underwear.
State prosecutors face formidable practical and legal obstacles in pursuing criminal charges against federal agents. State officials say the federal government has refused to provide local investigators with information as basic as the name of agents. Federal agents also have broad immunity from prosecution in state court over on-duty conduct.
Still, the elected prosecutors in the two largest counties in the state have said that their offices will pursue cases.
Last month, Ms. Moriarty and Minnesota’s attorney general filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. asking a judge to force the federal government to turn over evidence from the shootings of Ms. Good, Mr. Pretti, and the Venezuelan migrant, Julio Sosa-Celis.
Earlier this week, John J. Choi, the elected prosecutor in Ramsey County — which includes St. Paul — said his office was considering filing a similar lawsuit as part of its investigation into the Jan. 18 arrest of ChongLy Scott Thao, the man who was detained in his underwear.
Ernesto Londoño is a Times reporter based in Minnesota, covering news in the Midwest and drug use and counternarcotics policy. He welcomes tips and can be reached at elondono.81 on Signal.
The post ICE Agent Charged With Assault in Rare State Prosecution appeared first on New York Times.
