Although the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents may be greatly reduced in Minnesota, the remnants of their destruction are still felt by everyday Minnesotans. Besides the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the hundreds of people in the state who were terrorized and injured from the actions of ICE agents, there are many whose torture is not yet over.

What follows are stories of three people whose lives have been turned upside down by illegal ICE detainments and/or threats. In the third example, the person in question is still in a life-or-death situation. Federal authorities could remove her from harm’s way. But they chose not to.

ICE Road Rage

In what can only be described as a clear case of “road rage,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty last week filed criminal charges against ICE agent Gregory Donell Morgan Jr. for allegedly pointing his gun at two victims in another vehicle. The incident occurred at a busy Minneapolis freeway interchange. The victims witnessed Morgan driving on the right shoulder of the highway while passing other vehicles.

Unaware that the unmarked vehicle was being driven by an ICE agent, the driver veered onto the shoulder to stop the agent from illegally passing other vehicles. The driver immediately pulled back into their commuter lane, but as soon as they did, Morgan pulled up beside them, opened his window, and pointed his service revolver at them. Upset by what happened, they immediately called 911 to report the incident. The two victims had not been involved in any of the metro-wide anti-ICE protests.

Morgan later admitted to authorities that he was driving the SUV while he was returning to his office after finishing his shift. Moriarty believes this is the first time in the U.S that a federal immigration agent will face local criminal charges for conduct while on duty. ICE did not comment further on the incident. There is an active warrant for Morgan’s arrest, but he is not yet in custody. Moral of the story. Even in your own vehicle, you are not safe from the long arm of immigration agents.

When Your Home is Not a Sanctuary

Meanwhile, over in St. Paul, Ramsey County authorities are investigating potential crimes committed by federal agents during Operation Mero Surge. In one of the more egregious cases, U.S. citizen ChongLy Scott Thao was forcibly removed from his home, clad in only Crocs and boxer shorts. The agents were purportedly looking for an individual on federal drug charges, but they mistakenly detained Thao for an hour before returning him home. They had entered his home without presenting a warrant.

Thao assured them he had no idea who they were looking for and that he had no affiliation with that type of person. The agents then implied that Mr. Thao resembled the suspect in question.

This prompted Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher to laugh and comment that the only resemblance between Mr. Thao and the suspect was their shared skin color. According to Fletcher, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice have, to date, refused to provide any information on the incident.

A Matter of Life and Death

This next story cuts to the core of what is really evil, sinister, and cruel about the Trump administration’s immigration plan. On Feb. 5, Andrea Pedro-Francisco left her Burnsville, Minnesota, home on her way to work to clean houses. She came to Minnesota from Guatemala with her mother in 2019, seeking asylum.

She was 16 years old at the time. Andrea and her mother have built a solid life in Minnesota. She works, sings in the church’s choir, and is preparing to become a deacon. Ms. Pedro-Francisco has no criminal record, there is no final order for her removal, and no outstanding warrants for her arrest.

Her dream, idyllic life was interrupted that day when she was picked up by ICE agents, detained, and then moved to the infamous tent detention center, Camp East Montana, just outside of El Paso, Texas. In case you haven’t heard of Camp East Montana, it is a disease-ridden facility that has already experienced outbreaks of COVID-19, measles, and tuberculosis.

There have been at least three deaths recorded at the center, including a man who was suffocated by guards. His death was ruled a homicide. Conditions are so bad that ICE canceled the contract with the private firm that was managing the facility, and a new facility management company has been brought in.

All of this would be bad enough for anyone subjected to these conditions. But for Ms. Pedro-Francisco, it is ten times worse. You see, she is suffering from a tennis ball-sized ovarian cyst, and she is at grave risk of rupture, requiring immediate medical treatment. She was detained a week before she was to have surgery to remove the cyst. Her case has been taken up by Rep. Angie Craig’s office and a pro bono attorney from a Texas law firm.

In terms of her treatment, her doctors had prescribed opioids to help her manage her pain, but while in detention, she has only received ibuprofen and Tylenol as pain relievers. DHS has stated that she has been seen by medical staff seven times since her detention and, in one incident, was transported to an emergency room, where a doctor confirmed the existence of the cyst. Craig’s office has been working on 20 cases of people who have been detained by ICE from her district, five of whom have severe medical issues.

The Problem is Far from Over

Even with the departures of Board Control Commander Greg Bovino, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the suspension of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, people continue to suffer from ICE’s illegal invasion of the state. People like Ms. Pedro-Francisco are still in harm’s way, and they and others who are trying to ease their suffering are being met by intransigent, stonewalling federal officials.

Perhaps we should not be surprised by any of this. This is consistent with the manner in which this administration has invaded the lives of ordinary people. Civil and human rights are of secondary consideration to these oligarchs, who seek only to increase their wealth and expand their power base. Such is our existence under Trump 2.0.