A viral video showed federal border patrol officers stepping in front of a car with guns drawn during an attempted arrest in southern Minnesota. This sparked a wave of anger online over the weekend. Lawmakers and commentators questioned why officers used such force and why the person in the car was later released without charges.
David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, highlighted the clip in a post on X. He wrote that “DHS agents in MN swerved in front of an unarmed woman who was recording them. They walked in front of a car with guns drawn.” Bier added, “A local cop intervened to stop the illegal arrest!”
The incident occurred in St. Peter, where the city’s police chief got involved after agents took the woman into a federal vehicle, according to a report by The Daily Beast. The outlet reported that the woman, a U.S. citizen who wished to remain anonymous, shared dashcam footage showing masked agents pulling her over, drawing weapons, and taking her into an unmarked vehicle. Police Chief Matt Grochow later ensured her return.
DHS agents in MN swerved in front of an unarmed woman who was recording them, once again WALK IN FRONT OF A CAR with guns drawn. The only thing they’ve learned from Renee Good is how to get away with killing people. A local cop intervened to stop the illegal arrest! pic.twitter.com/hzND9dyzUS
— David J. Bier (@David_J_Bier) January 31, 2026
Bier stated that the police chief got the woman out of the federal vehicle. One agent responded to objections about authority by saying, “I’m not getting into the legality of everything.” That quote also appears in The Daily Beast’s account of the confrontation.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the operation in public statements on social media. They said officers were conducting a targeted enforcement action to arrest someone described as a “serial criminal illegal alien.” They claimed interference during the stop “endangered officers” and “allowed the suspect to evade arrest,” before the suspect was later arrested.
The video and conflicting accounts quickly became a heated issue online. Critics focused on the border officers’ tactics and the choice to draw firearms during the encounter. Rep. Ted Lieu wrote on X, “Dear @DHSgov: What was the basis for drawing guns on this American and for arresting her? Why did agents then later release her without charges?”
Veteran conservative legal commentator Ed Whelan also pressed border officials for an explanation. He asked, “What did she do that warranted three officers pointing their guns at her?” He added, “Sincere question. There might be a good answer. But without one, this approach sure seems thuggish.”
Carla Marinucci, a former Politico reporter, reposted Bier’s clip, calling it “Horrifying.” Columnist Michael A. Cohen wrote, “The level of unprofessionalism and needless escalation in this video is simply astonishing.”
Mark Joyella remarked that “Nothing about this even vaguely resembles law enforcement.” He called it “roaming gangs of untrained thugs with marching orders to generate maximum fear.” Economist Tony Annett asked on X, “Why didn’t the local cop arrest the Gestapo thugs?”
This reaction came as Minnesota is still on edge after two high-profile deaths in January involving federal immigration enforcement, including the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. A Reuters investigation published on January 27 reported that evidence in several violent encounters has conflicted with initial public statements by immigration officials about what happened.
