Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been placed on administrative leave and are under investigation for allegedly lying under oath about the mid-January shooting of a Venezuelan national in Minneapolis, according to ICE officials. The announcement came after a review of video evidence revealed inconsistencies in the officers' sworn testimony, prompting the Justice Department to drop charges against two men previously accused of assaulting the ICE officers.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stated that the officers' "untruthful statements" were discovered during a joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Lyons emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, "Lying under oath is a serious federal offense." He added that the agency "will not tolerate" violations of the officers' sworn oath.
The charges against the two men, who had been accused of assaulting the ICE officers, were dropped with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled. The U.S. Attorney in Minnesota, Daniel Rosen, cited "newly discovered evidence" that was "materially inconsistent" with the initial allegations. A judge granted the request to dismiss the charges on Friday.
The incident occurred in the context of heightened scrutiny of ICE's actions. Democrats had sought to include provisions for judicial warrants, improved identification of DHS officers, new use-of-force standards, and an end to detaining people without verifying their citizenship in a funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security. However, an agreement could not be reached, and the Department of Homeland Security was facing a potential government shutdown.
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