Minneapolis Residents Detail Disturbing ICE Detention Experience Amid Crackdown

Wed Jan 14 2026 04:08:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Two Minneapolis residents describe their harrowing detention experience at the hands of ICE, alleging mistreatment and pressure to expose protest organizers during a crackdown on immigration.

Brandon Sigüenza and Patty O’Keefe, U.S. citizens, were detained without charge by ICE in Minneapolis while monitoring immigration enforcement actions. They report distressing treatment, including being denied the ability to make phone calls and being pressured to reveal the identities of protest organizers. Their experience highlights ongoing aggressive tactics employed by immigration authorities, raising concerns about the treatment of detainees in similar facilities across the country.

Brandon Sigüenza and Patty O’Keefe, residents of Minneapolis, claim they were subjected to distressing treatment by ICE agents during a crackdown on immigration enforcement. Detained for hours without charges, they report being denied access to phone calls and pressured to provide names of individuals living in the country illegally who were involved in recent protests.

Similar tactics have been reported in other cities across the nation, casting a shadow over the actions of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Sigüenza noted that an immigration officer even suggested financial or legal incentives in return for information about protest organizers. As citizens seeking to shine a light on immigration practices, their experiences raise critical questions about First Amendment rights and ethical enforcement by federal agents.

During their detention, both reported harrowing similarities to conditions faced by other detainees, including overcrowding and inadequate access to basic needs such as water and medical attention. They recounted seeing other detainees in distress, further underlining the gravity of what's happening within these facilities. As immigration crackdowns escalate, concerns persist regarding the treatment of detainees and the implications for civil rights.

After several hours of confinement, Sigüenza and O’Keefe were released without charges, only to face clouded air as chemical agents were deployed on peaceful protesters outside the facility. Their harrowing account amplifies the urgent conversation about immigration practices in America, revealing a need for public scrutiny and a shift in policy.