A vehicle pursuit by federal immigration agents ended in a multi-vehicle crash in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday (February 11), leaving one person injured and drawing a large crowd of protesters to the scene.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, the crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Western and Selby Avenues in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood. St. Paul Police confirmed they were called to the scene at approximately 9:39 a.m. after reports that “a large crowd had formed.”
“The preliminary information we received was that federal agents were pursuing a person in a vehicle when the vehicle crashed,” St. Paul Police said in a statement. “The person that was being pursued sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital by Saint Paul Fire medics.”
Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin later confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were attempting “a targeted vehicle stop” of a man from Honduras suspected of being in the country illegally when the chase began.
Witness Brandon Reader told the Star Tribune he saw a Prius “barreling down the road crazy fast” on southbound Western with a vehicle with sirens and flashing lights close behind. The Prius reportedly ran a stop sign and collided with another car before hitting a minivan and an icy snow mound, going airborne, and landing on the other side.
“There were at least 100 people on scene blowing whistles, yelling at agents,” said Star Tribune photographer Leila Navidi, who was at the scene. The intersection returned to normal by 11 a.m. after agents departed.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between federal immigration agents and local communities. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her criticized the operation in a statement, saying, “Because of the reckless way that ICE is running their operation, one person ended up in the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, and several bystanders had their cars damaged. This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately.”
The crash follows the January fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests and congressional hearings. Just a day before the St. Paul crash, ICE Director Todd Lyons testified before Congress, defending his agency’s tactics and stating, “We are only getting started.”
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