In brief
Garrison Gibson, detained by immigration agents during a raid on his home, has been released after a federal judge ruled that the agents violated his constitutional rights. The decision follows increased immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. Gibson, who fled the Liberian civil war, had checked in with officials just days before his arrest, raising questions about the legality of his detention.
A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered the release of a Liberian immigrant, Garrison Gibson, days after heavily armed immigration agents forcibly entered his home without a warrant and arrested him. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan ruled that Gibson's Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure were violated.
Judge Bryan stated, To arrest him, Respondents forcibly entered Garrison G.'s home without his consent and without a judicial warrant. This order comes amid a large-scale immigration enforcement operation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Minnesota, which has seen over 2,500 arrests since late November.
Gibson's attorney, Marc Prokosch, expressed his satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing that the arrest was a blatant constitutional violation since the agents lacked a proper warrant. His wife and their 9-year-old child were home during the raid, with Prokosch noting she was deeply shaken by the incident.
After his arrest, Gibson was initially held at an immigration detention center in Albert Lea. He had reportedly been ordered removed from the U.S. due to a 2008 drug conviction that had since been dismissed. Following stringent immigration regulations, he had been living legally under an order of supervision, which required regular check-ins with immigration authorities.
In the judge's ruling, he agreed with Gibson’s claims that the authorities had failed to provide adequate notice before revoking his order of supervision, as well as neglecting to conduct an interview right after his detention. The case unfolds against a backdrop of heightened fear and scrutiny in the Twin Cities following a series of confrontational incidents involving immigration officers.
