Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies reportedly drag woman off Government Center elevator, hand her over to ICE agents
Darcy Sherman, an assistant public defender who witnessed the incident, speaks to WCCO's Laura Oakes
After a Wednesday morning press conference from White House border czar Tom Homan announced more cooperation between local and state authorities, and federal immigration officials, there were questions about what that may look like.
An incident at the Hennepin County Government Center Thursday seems to show what some of that potential cooperation might look like. There were initial reports of some activity in the building, which houses several county courtrooms, from immigration agents.
It also appears Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies were involved according to the eye witnesses, but that information has been cleared up somewhat later in the day by Hennepin County officials.
UPDATE:
A spokesperson for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office told WCCO Radio late Thursday afternoon that the deputies involved were dispatched on a reported fight call. They arrived on scene to find federal agents attempting to take into custody two individuals. "Deputies’ actions were focused on de-escalation and protecting life," said spokesperson Megan Larson.
The Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty also released a statement on the incident late Thursday.
"This morning, ICE arrested two individuals charged with criminal sexual conduct before we had an opportunity to hold them accountable for their alleged offenses. ICE is harming crime victims by denying them a court process. ICE is degrading public safety by detaining individuals who have not been convicted of a crime and preventing victims and witnesses from seeking the accountability they deserve.
Our courts are not staging grounds for federal immigration enforcement. These actions make it more difficult, and in some cases impossible, to get victims and witnesses to come to court to testify. Using local taxpayer resources to assist the federal government in civil immigration enforcement is inappropriate.
We are reviewing the situation to provide transparency about who was involved and what precisely transpired."
The Minnesota Star Tribune is also reporting that Mike Berger, the chief public defender in Hennepin County, whose office represents the two individuals, now identifed as Torrealba Mendez and Castillo Sequera, said the detainments were unconstitutional. He told the Star Tribune he was "incensed that federal agents and state law enforcement did not allow" either to speak to their assigned attorneys.
A spokeswoman for the Fourth Judicial District says immigration detainments are legally allowed in the courthouse.
Eye witness account
WCCO's Laura Oakes talked with Darcy Sherman, an assistant public defender in Hennepin County, who described what happened.
"I left a court hearing and I got onto an elevator here in the Government Center," Sherman described. "Came down to this space and when the when the door opened. I heard screaming. I heard crying. I heard, even though I don't speak Spanish and didn't know the words, 'I'm begging.' I looked into the hallway in front of the elevators and I saw several Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies pulling on a woman who was hysterical, trying to drag her."
Sherman says she was then ushered out of the area through an exit, and says she then waiting there, while realizing there were ICE agents at the door.
"There were at least four of them, and they stood on this side of the barrier where people don't go through security," Sherman said. I watched our Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies drag - drag - this woman through the exit and hand her off to these presumably ICE agents, not that they wear uniforms. I did see one badge on a lanyard. Then, at that point, I realized there was another person in custody, a man who was being pulled by other ICE agents."
She says the she sheriff's deputies surrounded them, provided a barrier, and then people began to show up starting to film the incident.
"Obviously, a lot of attorneys in this building, and so we started to ask questions," Sherman adds. "I asked, you know, 'have you seen a warrant? Is there a warrant for these people's arrests? Have you confirmed that there's a warrant?' And none of the deputies would respond. I couldn't even get to the ICE agents because the deputies were forming a barrier. One of my colleagues who speaks Spanish began yelling, you know, 'is there someone we need to call? Is there a phone number? Can we talk to someone?' And they would not stop to allow the women to respond."
Sherman described the situation as 'completely hysterical.'
"The deputy, the ICE agents then ushered these two individuals over to the Government Center parking ramp elevators," she adds. "They were surrounded by the sheriff's deputies, they went down to the parking ramp. And my understanding is that they then were out of the building very quickly. I can't imagine that this wasn't coordinated ahead of time. I've worked in this building since 2009 and this was a really horrifying. Terrifying moment. And, I don't even know what else to say about it. You think that process would be sacred here."
Sherman says she also saw deputies take a man into custody and hand him off to federal agents.
Meanwhile, local attorney and WCCO Radio legal expert Joe Tamborino says it's possible deputies were making these arrests on the federal government's behalf for an ICE or deportation hold, which may be part of a new agreement reached between local officials and the federal government.
