DHS says immigration brokers seem to have lied about taking pictures in Minnesota : NPR

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John Moore/Getty Photographs Two federal immigration brokers concerned within the taking pictures of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis final month seem to have lied concerning the particulars of the incident, a spokesperson for the Division of Homeland Safety stated Friday.

The brokers have been positioned on administrative depart after "a joint assessment by ICE and the Division of Justice of video proof has revealed that sworn testimony supplied by two separate officers seems to have made untruthful statements," the spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, stated.

The uncommon acknowledgment of potential missteps by ICE brokers comes after the company's performing director, Todd Lyons, informed Congress on Thursday that ICE has carried out 37 investigations into officers' use of power over the previous 12 months. He did not say whether or not anybody has been fired.

McLaughlin stated the company is investigating the January 14 taking pictures of the Venezuelan immigrant, and the officers concerned may very well be fired or criminally prosecuted for any violations.

"The women and men of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of legislation and are held to the very best requirements of professionalism, integrity, and moral conduct," McLaughlin stated in Friday's assertion. "Violations of this sacred sworn oath won't be tolerated."

DHS initially stated the officer fired a shot to "save his life" after being "ambushed and attacked" by three immigrants with a snow shovel and a brush deal with throughout a "focused site visitors cease."

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, the topic of the site visitors cease, was injured after getting shot within the leg. One other Venezuelan man, Alfredo Aljorna, was additionally accused of attacking the officers.

Nevertheless, Minnesota U.S. Lawyer Dan Rosen on Thursday dropped the costs towards them.

McLaughlin didn't reply to questions on whether or not the company stands by its preliminary assertion describing the agent's conduct in the course of the incident as self-defense.

Because the starting, eyewitness accounts contradicted the statements made by DHS associated to the taking pictures of Sosa-Celis.

His companion, Indriany Mendoza Camacho, informed Minnesota Public Radio final week she was current the night time of the taking pictures, and that Sosa-Celis was making an attempt to separate the agent and the opposite Venezuelan man so each the immigrants may get right into a home.

"I am a witness, I noticed every thing, and my companion by no means grabbed something to hit him or something like that," she stated.

The taking pictures occurred throughout Operation Metro Surge, an aggressive immigration crackdown that led to 3,000 federal brokers to Minnesota beginning in December.

The Trump administration on Thursday introduced it was ending Operation Metro Surge. The operation led to greater than 4,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants, in line with White Home border czar Tom Homan, and the killing of two U.S. residents, Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti.

These shootings are additionally being investigated by federal authorities.

An inside preliminary assessment carried out by Customs and Border Safety into Pretti's dying additionally contradicted the Trump administration's preliminary narrative about his taking pictures.