MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Garrison Gibson, a Liberian man arrested by federal immigration agents using a battering ram, has been taken back into custody just a day after a federal judge ruled his initial arrest unlawful.
Gibson, 37, fled Liberia as a child and has been living in the U.S. legally under an order of supervision. His original arrest stemmed from a 2008 drug conviction that was later dismissed. Agents broke down the door of his Minneapolis home to arrest him over the weekend, an operation captured on video. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan ruled that the arrest was unlawful. However, Gibson was detained again when he appeared for a routine check-in at an immigration office, according to his attorney, Marc Prokosch.
The arrest is part of a broader federal crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where more than 2,500 arrests have been made over several weeks, intensifying after the fatal shooting of Renee Good on January 7. President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy troops to quell protests over these immigration sweeps, a move Minnesota’s attorney general says he would challenge in court.
Context and Broader Impact
- Tribal leaders across the U.S. are warning Native Americans to carry tribal IDs after reports of ICE stops and detentions.
- Organizers in Minneapolis have set up ID assistance booths.
- FBI Director Kash Patel reported at least one arrest connected to stolen property from a government vehicle during unrest in the city.
The incident highlights tensions between federal authorities, local officials, and residents amid aggressive immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
