Minnesota Charges ICE Agent With Felony
Ren?e Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP
A federal immigration officer is facing serious criminal accusations in Minnesota after an alleged highway encounter during a broader enforcement operation in the Twin Cities region.
Minneapolis prosecutors have charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges stem from an incident in which he is accused of pointing a firearm at two people traveling in a passenger vehicle while both cars were moving along a highway. According to the criminal complaint, Morgan was driving an unmarked vehicle and attempted to pass the other car on the shoulder when the confrontation occurred.
Investigators say Morgan later claimed he believed he was in danger after being cut off in traffic. Authorities, however, allege that after the other vehicle briefly moved ahead and then returned to normal lanes, Morgan continued driving on the shoulder and pointed his gun toward the occupants. Prosecutors emphasized that the two people in the car were civilians out shopping and were not involved in any activity targeting immigration officers.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described the conduct as highly reckless, arguing that discharging or brandishing a weapon from a moving vehicle toward another moving vehicle could have created a serious public safety disaster. A nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for Morgan.
The case is notable because it involves state felony charges brought against a federal officer for actions taken while on duty. Officials said Immigration and Customs Enforcement cooperated with investigators, allowing Minnesota State Patrol to interview Morgan after his vehicle was traced to a federal facility. Morgan told investigators he had been returning to the Whipple Building with his partner at the end of a shift.
The incident is tied to heightened tensions surrounding “Operation Metro Surge,” a 10-week immigration enforcement effort in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area that has led to multiple confrontations between federal agents and residents. Local prosecutors are also examining several other use-of-force cases involving federal personnel, including fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the shooting injury of Venezuelan immigrant Julio Sosa-Celis, and the arrest of US citizen ChongLy “Scott” Thao, who was reportedly taken into custody while dressed only in underwear.
County officials say they are reviewing at least 17 separate incidents involving federal force, but argue that their investigations have been complicated by limited cooperation from federal agencies and questions surrounding legal protections for officers. Moriarty’s office has also joined legal action against the Trump administration, seeking access to evidence connected to several of the shooting cases under review.
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