JD Vance is being accused by Minneapolis police of lying about claims that ICE protesters mobbed immigration agents following the killing of Alex Pretti.
After the death of the 37-year-old ICU nurse on Sunday, Vance rushed to X to recount a ‘crazy’ story alleging that two off-duty ICE and Border Patrol officers were doxed while heading to dinner in Minneapolis, had their location exposed online, and were then confronted by a mob at a restaurant.
The officers, according to the vice president, ‘were locked in the restaurant, and local police refused to respond to their pleas for help (as they’ve been directed by local authorities). Eventually, their fellow federal agents came to their aid.’
Vance reportedly heard the story during his visit to Minneapolis last week during a roundtable discussion with immigration officers.
A DHS official had previously told Vance that 30-50 agitators ‘locked them inside the restaurant,’ referring to two off-duty officers.
The Minneapolis Police Department, however, says the vice president’s claim that local law enforcement did not help the federal agents is a lie, according to an account by Politico.
‘MPD monitored the situation and determined that the federal agents had sufficient resources available to manage the incident,’ a public information officer for the Minneapolis Police Department told Politico.
A local police officer later claimed that records show the two agents ‘were able to leave the area within approximately 15 minutes of the initial 911 call.’
JD Vance is being accused by local law enforcement of misrepresenting incident involving protesters surrounding immigration agentsÂ
Minneapolis has seen an uptick in demonstrations following Trump’s immigration crackdown earlier this monthÂ
Vance retold the ‘crazy’ story following the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti on SundayÂ
‘MPD was later notified that one of their vehicles had been left behind,’ Sgt. Garrett Parten said in a statement. ‘MPD monitored the vehicle until the agents were able to return and recover it.’
In response, DHS provided Politico with a report that details the incident from the perspective of the immigration officers.
The report claims on January 19th, that a young adult male wearing a black mask was seen walking around the rental vehicle of the officers at a restaurant in southwest Minneapolis.
‘The subject accused agents of being ICE personnel, referencing the Ford Expedition as a known ICE vehicle and claiming access to a database of such vehicles,’ according to the report.
Soon after 30 individuals had gathered around the area while ‘a female subject behind the agents locked the restaurant doors, preventing exit.’
The encounter lasted less than ten minutes and agents noted that local law enforcement did not respond, according to DHS.
Vance’s spokesperson declined to comment but DHS said the vice president’s statement was accurate.
Vance’s story frames immigration agents as victims of law enforcement missteps amid outrage over the fatal shooting of two Americans in Minneapolis during Trump’s crackdown.