A Minneapolis resident, identified as Mubashir, recounted his experience at a news conference after a video of his arrest gained significant attention on social media. He stated that federal immigration officers pursued him on foot in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on Tuesday, tackled him, handcuffed him, and arrested him, despite being a U.S. citizen.
“I just felt targeted,” Mubashir expressed. “That shouldn’t happen to anyone; that’s not right.”
The video shows a federal officer placing Mubashir in a chokehold and forcing him onto his knees in the snow while he was on his way to get food. Mubashir claims he repeatedly informed the officers of his citizenship and requested to show his I.D., but they ignored him, dragging him through the snow and pushing him into a car as bystanders yelled and blew whistles.
Witnesses were seen chasing the officers’ vehicle, with one person even standing in front of it at one point.
The arrest coincided with federal agents entering nearby businesses in the Somali-heavy neighborhood, questioning individuals and asking to see their passports.
Mubashir reported that he spent approximately 20 minutes in the car with the officers, continually asking to show his I.D. They allegedly refused his request. When officers asked to take his picture to verify his citizenship, he declined, stating, “How would a picture prove I’m a U.S. citizen?”
Eventually, he was taken to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling, home to immigration court and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices. There, they fingerprinted him and, after one officer allowed him to present his I.D. confirming his citizenship, he was permitted to leave.
Mubashir requested to be taken home to Cedar-Riverside, but the officers denied his request and told him to walk. His parents later picked him up.
“I deserve to be here like anyone else—I’m a U.S. citizen,” he said. “I can’t even step outside without being tackled—no questions asked—because I’m Somali.”
These incidents have instilled fear and anxiety within the Somali community, leading many to stay indoors or carry their passports for identification. Abdi, a business owner at 24 Mall who chose not to disclose his last name, noted a drastic decline in sales since the initiation of ICE operations. He remarked, “The majority of my clients are Somali, and they do not come to the mall as they used to.”
Najma Hassan, another U.S. citizen, shared that she always carries her passport to protect herself against potential encounters with ICE officers. “I have to carry my passport, which is an extra burden to prove my citizenship,” she said. “This is not the America I know.”
In response to concerns over these arrests, Governor Tim Walz wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Christin Noem, stating, “The forcefulness, lack of communication, and unlawful practices displayed by your agents will not be tolerated in Minnesota.”
