Minnesota prosecutors announced second-degree assault charges against an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agent on Thursday, in what they said is the first criminal case against a federal immigration officer involved in President Donald Trump’s immigration campaign in the Twin Cities.
Prosecutors said the federal immigration agent was on duty at the time of the alleged assault. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said at a press conference announcing the charges that she believes it is the first case of its kind across the country.
“Today’s charges reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Moriarty said. “Our community is still navigating the effects of the federal occupation.”
The agent, Gregory Donnell Morgan, has been charged with two felony counts of second-degree assault after he allegedly pointed his gun at two drivers while driving an unmarked SUV on Feb. 5. Moriarty said at the press conference that the victims called 911 following the encounter, after which an investigation was opened.
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Morgan could face up to 36 months in prison.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moriarty said that a nationwide warrant has been issued for the officer, who is not currently in custody. Morgan was part of the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge, a deportation campaign in the Twin Cities, during which federal immigration agents detained more than 3,700 people, according to the Deportation Data Project.
It was one of DHS’s most fraught immigration campaigns to date. Widespread protests erupted across the nation following the killings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal immigration agents
The Justice Department is currently conducting a civil rights investigation into the death of Pretti. DHS has also said it is conducting internal investigations into the death of Good and into the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, was shot in the leg by ICE agents during a traffic stop. DHS acknowledged in February that federal agents had made “untruthful statements” in relation to the shooting.
Moriarty said at the press conference Thursday that her office is still weighing charges against officers involved in the Pretti, Good, and Sosa-Celis incidents.
In March, Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued the Trump administration for access to evidence in the three shootings, which they have said the federal government is withholding.
“Our work continues on all fronts, from the killings of Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti to the shooting of Mr. Sosa-Celis, to the incidents being investigated by our transparency and accountability project,” Moriarty said. “We will not rest until we get the answers we seek about federal agent conduct across Hennepin County, and accountability is delivered wherever appropriate.”
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