Misconduct Charges Against ICE Agent Amid Minneapolis Crackdown
In a significant development addressing misconduct by federal agents, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. is facing serious felony charges. The charges relate to an incident that took place on February 5th on Highway 62 in Minneapolis, during a period characterized by what authorities termed ‘Operation Metro Surge’—a large-scale federal immigration crackdown that garnered considerable protest and media scrutiny throughout the Twin Cities area. Moriarty detailed that, according to a criminal complaint, Morgan’s actions included speeding up and aggressively pulling alongside a vehicle carrying two individuals. Crucially, the prosecution alleges that Morgan then opened his window and pointed his service weapon directly at both victims’ heads, raising serious questions about the use of force and protocol adherence by federal agents in civilian areas.
The timeline of the alleged incident was near the Interstate 35W interchange, as traffic was slowed down into a single lane. Prosecutors noted that Morgan allegedly drove onto the shoulder to bypass the congestion before executing the maneuver involving the weapon. According to investigators, Morgan was not responding to an immediate emergency when this confrontation occurred, and he had notified authorities that he was merely heading back to the Whipple Federal Building to conclude his shift and obtain gasoline. In his statement to investigators, Morgan reportedly expressed fear for his own safety, shouting “Police! Stop,” and characterized the individuals in the vehicle as ‘agitators’ who had created a traffic obstruction because he was identified as a federal agent.
The charges filed classify Morgan with two counts of second-degree assault. Each count could potentially carry a penalty of up to seven years in state prison. To secure his release pending trial, bail has been set at $100,000, conditional upon him not possessing weapons and adhering to all mandated court appearances. This case, Moriarty stated, moved quickly because the investigative process proceeded