A state prosecutor in Minnesota launched a series of investigations on Monday into the conduct of immigration officers during immigration protests over the winter in Minneapolis.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty revealed her office’s creation of the Transparency and Accountability Project in a statement on Monday. Per the announcement, TAP allows users to submit photos and videos “of potentially unlawful behavior by federal agents.”
“TAP’s purpose is to collect and assess evidence submitted by the public of potentially unlawful behavior by federal agents,” Moriarty said.
She reported that her office and TAP are investigating 17 incidents that occurred during the DHS operations in Minneapolis, including one focused on former field commander Gregory Bovino.
“We will investigate and pursue charging where appropriate,” Moriarty said. “Make no mistake, we are not afraid of any legal fight. But we will do this ethically, responsibly, and vigorously. This is just the beginning.”
The investigation into Bovino stems from an altercation on Jan. 21 in a Minneapolis suburb that ended with Bovino throwing a canister of an unknown gas into a crowd protesting immigration officers’ presence.
Three days after the incident, Alex Pretti was killed by immigration officers, setting off a new wave of protests and drawing nationwide condemnation of ICE. Bovino has claimed that the officers were the real “victims” in the killing, and that Pretti “was intending to massacre law enforcement.” Bovino left his role shortly afterward.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the investigations into tactics of the officers “does nothing to make Minnesota safer,” in a statement to NBC.
“What these states are trying to do is unlawful, and they know it,” the spokesperson said. “Federal officials acting in the course of their duties are immune from liability under state law.”
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ICE in Minnesota
