Top ICE officials tracked a sharp rise in use-of-force incidents within weeks of President Donald Trump taking office. This was months before federal immigration officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Internal records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit reveal these details.
American Oversight, a watchdog group, reported that emails and documents show the Department of Homeland Security was aware in early 2025 that reports of use of force linked to immigration enforcement were increasing rapidly across the country. The group requested records from DHS, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in early 2025, and then sued in June when the agencies did not release the records on time.
According to American Oversight, DHS recognized a 353% rise in use-of-force incidents during the first two months of Trump’s second term. The documents show that 67 use-of-force incidents were reported between January 19 and March 20, 2025. Additionally, there were 28 reported assaults on ICE agents during this time.
A separate account of the records, referencing emails first reported by Politico, indicated that by March 2025, DHS officials knew the department was experiencing over a 400% rise in use-of-force incidents involving immigration enforcement personnel. The Daily Beast noted that the emails did not show any urgency from ICE leadership to tackle this trend and instead mentioned a different focus: assaults on officers.
American Oversight added that the materials include 10 early 2025 use-of-force reports involving both citizens and noncitizens. These reports detail large ICE operations and instances of agents breaking car windows and using chemical agents and physical force during arrests. One report discussed the death of a U.S. citizen during a traffic stop encounter mentioned in the records.
These disclosures come after a series of notable uses of force in Minneapolis during the Trump administration’s immigration push, including the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. The Daily Beast stated that the internal use-of-force records became public as Noem defended ICE operations following those deaths, stating that agents “are following the law and are running their operations according to training.”
Recent Associated Press reporting described federal investigations related to incidents in Minneapolis. This includes a January 14, 2026, shooting of Venezuelan man Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, where video evidence did not align with initial accounts provided by officers. Reuters reported that on February 13, the Justice Department decided to drop charges against two men arrested after that shooting due to FBI affidavits contradicting claims that the officer acted in self-defense while the men were fleeing.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said a review of video evidence indicated that sworn testimony from two officers “appears to have made untruthful statements.” These officers could face federal charges.
American Oversight also noted that the records include ICE training materials from July 2025, which advised officers on Fourth Amendment limits, warrants, and when to identify themselves as immigration enforcement. The watchdog pointed out a gap between training and real-world behavior during enforcement actions.
The group mentioned that the records reference DHS planning for body-worn cameras and highlight lawmakers’ calls for use following the shootings in Minneapolis. While DHS has not publicly released the complete plan, American Oversight cited ICE guidance from February 2025 that instructs officers to activate cameras “as soon as practicable” at the start of an enforcement activity.
