A viral video from Minneapolis has captured a chilling confrontation where a federal ICE agent openly threatened a legal observer, stating, “You raise your voice, I erase your voice.” The exchange occurred on Tuesday during ongoing federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, which have already resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens this month. When the stunned onlooker asked the agent to clarify the threat, the officer, sitting in his vehicle, doubled down and confirmed the statement.
The threat comes as tensions in the Twin Cities reach a breaking point following the deaths of ICU nurse Alex Pretti and poet Renee Nicole Good at the hands of federal agents. Thousands of Minnesotans have taken to the streets to protest “Operation Metro Surge,” a massive deployment of over 2,000 DHS agents that local officials have described as a “federal invasion.” The agent’s comment has fueled accusations of authoritarian “police-state” tactics being used against American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.
In response to the mounting violence and public outcry, President Donald Trump announced that “border czar” Tom Homan will be sent to Minnesota to take over the operation. While the administration continues to defend the aggressive tactics as necessary to fight fraud, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have called for the immediate withdrawal of federal forces. The video of the “erase your voice” threat is now part of a growing body of evidence in multiple civil rights lawsuits filed against the DHS.
