Twin Cities resident says she is being targeted for documenting ICE agents
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It's estimated there are nearly 30,000 people who've been trained as observers to document the actions of federal agents in Minnesota. And some observers are reporting being watched themselves.
“I first became trained in October when I saw this stuff happening elsewhere. Little did I know, three months later, I would be detained at Whipple myself,” said Beth Jackson, a concerned Twin Cities resident and constitutional observer.
The Trump administration’s stated goal has been to arrest the “worst of the worst” criminals, who are in the United States illegally. But often the reality, as documented by bystander video, looks different: government agents dragging people out of their cars, assaulting protesters, and shooting and killing two Minneapolis residents — both of whom were U.S. citizens.
Jackson said when she was picked up by ICE, the vehicle and officers that took her, seemed unprepared or off-duty.
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“Two men in gym shorts and sweatshirts in a white minivan that did not look like law enforcement. As a matter of fact, one of the border patrol officers didn't have any ID on him to show me that he was indeed an agent,” she recalled.
An investigative report by the Associated Press uncovered that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using sophisticated technology to surveil observers and protesters. Jackson said days after she taken to the Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul, which has become a headquarters for ICE in the Twin Cities, ICE showed up on her block in full tactical gear.
"Part of the punishment is the process, because now also I have a felony hanging over my head for five years,” she said.
Jackson also noted that she received a letter from DHS under a letterhead of the Transportation Security Administration. The letter alleged illegal conduct against a border patrol agent in Bloomington. Jackson was picked up in St. Paul after observing agents.
“So that tells me that this is probably a form letter, and that they’re sending out a lot of them,” she said.
The letter also stated she has 60 days to defend her case or else her TSA precheck status would be revoked.
“Mind you, I haven’t been charged, so I don’t even know what to defend myself against,” Jackson said. “How many ways can they inflict pain on me, personally and us collectively?”
Despite all this, Jackson said she’s not going to stop standing up for her neighbors. But not without giving a word of caution to others.
“Don’t be like me three months ago — and think that this is a fictitious possibility in some other city,” she said. “I think we're a practice ground for something bigger, and people need to be ready. Get trained. Know your rights.”
Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player above.
