Minneapolis ICE shooting video released; federal officials probed for perjury, immigration charges dropped
Key Takeaways
- City surveillance video released in Minneapolis contradicts initial federal accounts of a January shooting involving ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents.
- Federal prosecutors moved to dismiss all criminal charges with prejudice against two Venezuelan migrants, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
- Two unnamed ICE officers have been placed on leave and are under criminal investigation for allegedly providing false testimony under oath (perjury).
- It has been reported that federal investigators obtained the video hours after the shooting but did not review it for nearly three weeks before charging the migrants, intensifying local-federal tensions.
- The case underscores broader concerns about Metro Surge-era immigration enforcement and the risk to immigrants who face criminal and immigration consequences based on contested accounts.
What the video shows
Minneapolis released a dark, long-range surveillance video that officials say challenges the federal narrative of the January incident. The footage, as described by city officials and news reports, shows one man holding a snow shovel who retreats and tosses it into a yard, another man falling while fleeing and then running again, and a brief scuffle at a doorway lasting roughly ten seconds. It has been reported that the precise moment of the gunshot is not clearly visible on the video. Federal authorities had initially alleged the two Venezuelan men attacked an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel and that an agent then shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the right thigh.
Legal fallout and procedure explained
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen filed an unusual motion to dismiss the indictments "with prejudice," meaning the charges cannot be refiled. Prosecutors cited newly available evidence and "substantial inconsistencies" between the video and sworn statements by federal agents. ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — confirmed two officers were placed on administrative leave while the U.S. Attorney's Office investigates allegations of false testimony under oath. Allegedly false testimony under oath can amount to perjury, a federal crime that could lead to criminal charges and administrative termination if proven. It has been reported that investigators had access to the surveillance footage within hours after the shooting but delayed viewing it for nearly three weeks, a timeline now central to local criticism.
Why this matters for immigrants and enforcement policy
Two men who were pursuing legal status are now free of these criminal charges, but the impact is broader. Cases like this can trigger immigration detention, removal proceedings, or bar applicants from relief even before criminal adjudication. The episode amplifies scrutiny of the Trump-era Metro Surge enforcement initiative and fuels lawsuits from state and county prosecutors demanding federal transparency in officer-involved shootings. For immigrants and their lawyers, the case is a cautionary example: criminal allegations tied to enforcement operations can derail immigration cases quickly, and prompt access to evidence — body-worn camera, surveillance footage, or officer reports — can be decisive.
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