Takeaways from AP report on immigrant who says ICE officers beat him during Minnesota arrest

Immigration Detainee Alleges Severe Beating by ICE Officers During Minnesota Arrest

Alberto Castañeda Mondragón struggles to recall much of his past, but the violence of his January 8 arrest remains vividly etched in his mind. The 31-year-old Mexican immigrant says Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers pulled him from a friend’s car outside a St. Paul shopping center, threw him to the ground, handcuffed him, and then severely beat him with fists and a steel baton.

“There was never a wall,” Castañeda Mondragón told The Associated Press, contradicting ICE’s initial claim that he had “purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall.” He recounts officers striking him with the same telescoping baton they had used to break the vehicle’s windows.

Medical records support his account. Doctors at Hennepin County Medical Center documented eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. Medical staff immediately questioned ICE’s explanation, as a CT scan revealed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull—injuries a doctor confirmed to AP were inconsistent with a fall.

Law enforcement protocols across the United States classify strikes to the head, neck or spine with such batons as potentially deadly force, typically authorized only in extreme circumstances. Standard training permits strikes only to arms, legs and body.

Castañeda Mondragón alleges the abuse continued at an ICE holding facility in suburban Minneapolis. “They laughed at me and hit me again,” he said, describing how officers ignored his pleas for medical attention.

The case highlights concerns about accountability within immigration enforcement. Despite the Trump administration’s claims that ICE targets only immigrants with violent criminal histories, Castañeda Mondragón has no criminal record. According to court documents, he entered the U.S. legally in March 2022 and had overstayed his visa—a civil, not criminal, violation.

A federal judge ruled his arrest unlawful and ordered his release from ICE custody. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has repeatedly declined to comment on the case beyond acknowledging in a January 20 court filing that Castañeda Mondragón “had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment” during his arrest.

The incident occurs amid increased scrutiny of ICE operations in Minnesota. This week, the Trump administration announced plans to deploy body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis while simultaneously reducing ICE’s presence in the area. It remains unclear whether Castañeda Mondragón’s arrest was captured on body cameras or security footage from the detention center.

The case has drawn attention from Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz. Several Democratic representatives have called for a thorough investigation and accountability measures similar to those applied to local law enforcement.

“We are seeing a repeated pattern of Trump Administration officials attempting to lie and gaslight the American people when it comes to the cruelty of this ICE operation in Minnesota,” Senator Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement.

Representative Kelly Morrison, also a Democrat and a physician, recently toured the ICE facility at Fort Snelling and reported severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and an almost complete lack of medical care.

“If any one of our police officers did this, you know what just happened in Minnesota with George Floyd, we hold them accountable,” said Democratic Representative Betty McCollum, whose district includes St. Paul. “There’s no reason why federal agents should not be held to the same high standard.”

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has urged Castañeda Mondragón to file a police report to initiate an investigation, which he plans to do. A St. Paul police spokesperson confirmed the department would investigate “all alleged crimes that are reported to us.”

Castañeda Mondragón’s case joins an unknown number of excessive-force claims against immigration authorities that the federal government has thus far declined to investigate. As his physical recovery continues, questions about oversight, accountability, and the treatment of immigration detainees remain unanswered.