Minneapolis Resident's Accent Gets Him Arrested, Detained by Border Patrol

A Minneapolis resident was arrested by Border Patrol agents in front of his young daughter after officers questioned his accent and cited it as grounds for detainment, according to video footage that has sparked widespread condemnation. Ramon Menera, a US passport holder since 2019, was temporarily detained on Wednesday before agents released him after verifying his citizenship status.

The incident comes amid escalating tensions over immigration enforcement tactics, following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis by an ICE agent and a massive data breach that exposed the personal information of 4,500 federal immigration officers. The case has intensified scrutiny of Border Patrol operations and raised questions about racial profiling in immigration enforcement.

Border Patrol Questions Citizen Over Accent

Video captured on Wednesday showed Border Patrol agents confronting Menera in a Minneapolis suburb, with one agent demanding to see his paperwork after hearing him speak. When Menera pointed out that the agent questioning him also had an accent, officers immediately seized and arrested him.

Despite Menera stating he is a US citizen, the agent appeared unconvinced, citing his accent as reason to believe he was in the country illegally. Menera was detained temporarily before agents searched his name and discovered he had been a US passport holder since 2019. Officers also inspected his passport card, which he carried in his wallet.

Speaking with CNN, Menera recalled the incident, sharing that his daughter was shaken. 'Even if I'm a citizen, I'm still a little afraid because they don't care if you're a citizen or not, and especially because I know I have a really strong accent speaking English,' said Menera. 'I know I can be a target because that's well, who are they targeting? Just because of our appearance and because of our accent.'

Data Breach Exposes Thousands of Agents

The arrest follows the fatal shooting of Good in Minneapolis by ICE Agent Jonathan Ross. The shooting triggered widespread protests across the city and resignations from Department of Homeland Security employees. A DHS whistleblower subsequently leaked the personal information of around 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol agents in what is known as the ICE List, described as an accountability initiative.

The data breach included names, work email addresses, telephone numbers, roles, and some résumé information, including previous jobs of federal immigration staff. Speaking to the Daily Beast, ICE List founder Dominick Skinner said the list was a sign that the American people are not happy with their government. Skinner added that the shooting of Good 'was the last straw for many people'.

Public Reports Surge After Shooting

Skinner revealed that the dataset includes information on around 1,800 on-the-ground agents and 150 supervisors. An early analysis by the initiative showed that around 80 per cent of the staff identified are still working for the DHS. Skinner also revealed that individual reports from the public have increased since Good's shooting.

'I've had hotel staff sending post-it notes, bar staff sending DHS IDs, and loads of people saying their neighbour is an agent,' said Skinner.

Prior to the data breach, Skinner said ICE List had already obtained information on 2,000 federal immigration staff. Around 800 of the names are frontline agents or are permitted to deputise for them on the ground. The latest data leak would bring the number of names and information obtained up to 6,500.