Minnesota

ICE agents drew guns on off-duty officer in Minnesota, chief says

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2 months ago

January 20, 2026

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ICE agents drew guns on off-duty officer in Minnesota, chief says

Federal agents stopped an off-duty officer in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, stopped her from recording the interaction and drew their guns, a local police chief said.

Immigration agents stopped off-duty officers in Minnesota “solely because of the color of their skin,” a group of local police chiefs alleged, as concern grows over the ongoing immigration enforcement in the state.

American citizens are being stopped “on the streets with no cause and being forced to produce paperwork to determine if they are here legally,” said Mark Bruley, chief of the Brooklyn Park Police Department, which operates in a suburb north of Minneapolis.

He added that police officers “fell victim to this while off duty” and that the stops appear to “target” people of color.

In one encounter, a Brooklyn Park police officer was boxed in by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who “demanded her paperwork,” Bruley said.

Agents “had their guns drawn,” he said, adding that one agent knocked the police officer’s phone out of her hand when she tried to record the interaction.

“I wish I could tell you this was an isolated incident,” Bruley said, flanked by several local chiefs of police. “If it is happening to our officers, it pains me to think of how many of our community members are falling victim to this every day. It has to stop.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The police chiefs’ remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of the tactics being used by federal immigration agents after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7.

Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have defended the actions of federal agents in recent weeks, insisting that operations are targeted. Noem and other Homeland Security officials have said that people near their alleged targets may be subject to questioning.

“In every situation we are doing targeted enforcement,” said Noem while speaking to reporters on Jan. 15. “If we are on a target and doing an operation, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal who we may be asking who they are and why they’re there and having them validate their identity.”

Axel Henry, chief of the Saint Paul Police Department, spoke at the Jan. 20 news conference and raised concerns about federal agents’ actions.

“We’ve had employees for our city that have experienced some of the same things. Thankfully not with firearms drawn, but traffic stops that were clearly outside the bounds of what federal agents are allowed to do,” Henry said.

“These processes are clearly failing if American citizens are being grabbed or stopped or seized,” Henry added. “This can’t happen.”

About 3,000 immigration agents are in Minnesota as part of “Operation Metro Surge,” which officials have called the “largest immigration operation ever.” According to the Department of Homeland Security, at least 3,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since the operation began in December.

USA TODAY could not immediately verify those figures as the agency does not release the names of most of those arrested or the breakdown of their charges.

Since the fatal shooting of Good, tens of thousands have taken to the streets to protest the immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and cities nationwide. Rapid response groups have also fanned out across Minnesota, following masked agents and unmarked vans to record the actions of federal agents.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz encouraged civilians to protest peacefully and record federal agents for “future prosecution.”

Local police leaders seemed to doubt that any actions taken by federal immigration agents could lead to criminal charges, saying that federal officers are largely immune from prosecution for actions taken as part of their official duties.

Bruley, of Brooklyn Park, said he’s been met by confusion and more questions when he’s tried to get answers from the Department of Homeland Security.

“When you call ICE leadership or you call Border Patrol leadership … they’re unable to tell you what their people were doing that day,” he said. “They like to give you a website to go file a complaint, but the complaint requires the identity of the agents. The agents don’t have nametags on, they cover their faces.”

Bruley said while most federal agents are “doing focused, legitimate immigration work,” it appears “there are groups that seem to have less supervision.” He did not elaborate on the “groups” but said the most aggressive enforcement didn’t begin until after the deadly shooting of Good.

The state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to halt the ongoing immigration enforcement. A judge declined to issue an emergency injunction expelling the agents.

In a separate case filed in December, the same judge barred federal agents from using pepper spray or arresting peaceful protesters in Minnesota, finding sufficient evidence that agents had used “intimidation tactics,” such as the “drawing and pointing of weapons; the use of pepper spray and other non-lethal munitions,” according to an order filed in federal court.

Christopher Cann is a national breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him via email at ccann@usatoday.com.

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Minnesota

How to buy Minnesota Regional 2026 March Madness women’s tickets

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34 minutes ago

March 20, 2026

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How to buy Minnesota Regional 2026 March Madness women’s tickets

The women’s NCAA Tournament bracket has been revealed, and Minnesota fans can enjoy watching their team’s March Madness run begin at home.

Minnesota will be hosting an NCAA Tournament regional, playing up to two games on its home court during the first weekend of March Madness.

Minnesota is back in the big dance after last qualifying in 2018.

Shop Minnesota Regional women’s basketball tickets

Minnesota played well enough during the regular season to earn a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and a top four seed in the Sacramento 2 region, and will host during the opening weekend of the tournament.

Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Minnesota women’s March Madness tickets.

Minnesota women’s March Madness opponent

Minnesota earned a No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region. It will take on No. 13 Green Bay in its opening game.

Minnesota women’s March Madness regional teams

Minnesota, along with Green Bay, No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 12 Gonzaga will play in Minneapolis for the first and second rounds of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Shop Minnesota Regional women’s basketball tickets

Minnesota women’s March Madness Regional basketball tickets

Limited Minnesota women’s regional NCAA Tournament tickets are still available. Get your Minnesota women’s March Madness tickets today as they start their NCAA Tournament on home court.

More March Madness: Everything fans need to know about the 2026 NCAA Tournament

Minnesota March Madness game schedule

Minnesota will take on Green Bay on Friday, March 20 . The game is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. ET. Shop Minnesota vs. Green Bay tickets now.

Shop Minnesota Regional women’s basketball tickets

Minnesota March Madness game locations

Minnesota will play its Round of 64 and potential Round of 32 games in Minneapolis .

Limited tickets for the first weekend of March Madness in the twin cities are available. Shop your Minnesota NCAA Tournament Tickets now.

Minnesota best NCAA Tournament result

Minnesota’s best result in the NCAA Tournament: Reached Final Four in 2004.

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Minnesota

Bill introduced to repeal Cesar Chavez Day in Minnesota amid sexual abuse allegations

Published

13 hours ago

March 19, 2026

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Bill introduced to repeal Cesar Chavez Day in Minnesota amid sexual abuse allegations

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota lawmakers have introduced a bill to repeal Cesar Chavez Day in the state after the civil rights leader was accused of sexual abuse.

Cesar Chavez Day could be repealed

What they’re saying:

Minnesota State Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega (DFL-St. Paul) introduced the bill to repeal Cesar Chavez Day in the state.

She says the bill comes after a New York Times investigation shed light on sexual abuse and “predatory behavior” by Chavez against women and girls, including his co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, Dolores Huerta.

In the New York Times investigation, two other women came forward saying Chavez sexually abused them when they were minors.

READ MORE: Dolores Huerta issues statement amid César Chávez scandal: ‘My silence ends here’

“The pain and trauma survivors carry is a weight that can’t be erased by replacing signs and names on buildings or repealing this state holiday, but it’s a step forward for healing,” said Rep. Pérez-Vega. “The harm has been done; the only way forward is believing survivors, providing resources for their healing, and staying committed to the fight for every victim silenced by sexual assault.”

“The New York Times report yesterday was horrifying and deeply troubling,” said House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson. “We believe women who come forward in these difficult situations, and this is yet another example of men in a position of power taking advantage of women. We have a responsibility to hear these stories and act. House DFLers are prepared to move quickly to pass this legislation, and I’m grateful to Representative Pérez-Vega for bringing this bill forward.”

The other side:

The Minnesota House GOP say they are “absolutely in support of renaming Cesar Chavez Day” and look forward to passing the bill as soon as possible.

Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673

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Minnesota fraud is just the tip of a growing iceberg | Opinion

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

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Minnesota fraud is just the tip of a growing iceberg | Opinion

Minnesota’s scandals have showcased just how vulnerable large public systems can be to mismanagement, weak oversight and exploitation, especially since Democratic leadership failed to take action.

The great American author Mark Twain is purported to have said that it’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. Such has been the case with the latest developments in the bevy of fraud scandals that have enveloped my home state of Minnesota – so many that it’s hard to keep track – and now others.

Once a beacon of what a progressive utopian state could look like, full of nice people, beautiful lakes and leftist politicians like Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota’s scandals have showcased just how vulnerable large public systems can be to mismanagement, weak oversight and exploitation, especially since Democratic leadership failed to take action.

Minnesota fraud looks worse than ever

A report released by the Office of the Legislative Auditor on March 17, about the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention Program, revealed that Minnesota’s Department of Human Services failed to fully investigate allegations that Medicaid programs were receiving kickbacks because agency officials didn’t think they had the authority. This turned out to be untrue.

Members of the Legislative Audit Commission wrote, “We disagree with DHS’s assertion that it did not have the authority to investigate allegations of kickbacks alone. Based on our analysis, DHS has had the authority to investigate allegations of kickbacks in MA (Medical Assistance) since the late 1990s.”

That audit report is the latest in the ongoing cases of fraud. So far, at least two Minnesota autism centers are under federal investigation on fake billing and kickbacks to parents who enrolled their kids in the programs, whether or not they even had an autism diagnosis.

On March 2, Abdinajib Yussuf pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud related to Medicaid billing for the Star Autism Center, which Yussuf opened in 2020. He submitted millions of dollars worth of claims for Medicaid reimbursement and collected more than $6 million in reimbursement funds, which he sometimes shared with parents of kids “enrolled.”

In December, Asha Hassan pleaded guilty to a similar scheme via Smart Therapy. Hassan agreed to pay nearly $16 million in restitution and faces potential time in prison.

There may be fraud happening in other states

Minnesota might not be the only state with rampant fraud related to government programs. On March 16, President Donald Trump signed an executive order launching a national task force led by Vice President JD Vance to uncover whether what happened in Minnesota is happening in other states.

A White House fact sheet said California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine and New York and are states with “insufficient” fraud oversight. On March 17, Trump also added Florida to the list of states to probe.

In June, the Department of Justice charged 15 people in a $10.6 billion health care fraud and money laundering scheme in New York, the DOJ announced charges in Medicare and Medicaid fraud schemes in Arizona totaling more than $1.1 billion, and it charged five defendants in California with over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings in a health care fraud and illegal drug diversion scheme.

In Texas, where I live now, in February federal authorities charged a Russian national with more than $1.8 billion in alleged schemes. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, vowed to “strengthen” the state’s efforts to combat abuse.

Walz and others should be held accountable

Due to the scale and perpetual nature of the fraud scandal in Minnesota, Democratic leaders must be held accountable for their lack of oversight and failure to act. I’d say the same for Republican leadership.

On March 4, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released an interim staff report showcasing just how poor leadership fueled Minnesota’s “fraud explosion.”

The report is based on interviews with former Minnesota state employees and documents showing that Gov. Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison knew about “fraud concerns” as early as 2019, but that their failures to act allowed an “estimated $300 million in federal child nutrition funds and potentially $9 billion in Medicaid-related funds to be lost or placed at serious risk.”

I’m glad Walz bowed out of his reelection bid for governor, but I still can’t believe the Democratic Party tapped him as its vice presidential nominee in the 2024 election. He can’t govern Minnesota, much less help lead a nation.

In any case, to the horror of Minnesota taxpayers, these fraud scandals have already followed Walz much longer than his campaign for vice president ever has: Their loss is our gain.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.

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