MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who fled civil war in Liberia as a child expressed deep fear since his re-arrest in Minneapolis as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Garrison Gibson spoke Saturday about his anxiety and the impact of aggressive federal actions on his life and community.
Video footage showing federal agents breaking down Gibson's door with a battering ram on January 11 has catalyzed protests against the administration's immigration policies in Minneapolis and St. Paul, leading to over 2,500 arrests in the area.
On Saturday, further protests were expected in response to what many consider an unjust enforcement campaign. Gibson, 38, faces deportation linked to a drug conviction from 2008, which was subsequently dismissed, yet he remains legally in the country under supervision. After his arrest, a judge found the federal authorities had failed to provide adequate notice of revocation of this status.
During a routine check-in with immigration officials, he was briefly taken back into custody, under orders allegedly from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a claim denied by the White House.
Gibson shared that his family struggled to keep their damaged door secured during frigid temperatures, emphasizing the trauma and distress of the situation, stating, 'I don’t leave the house.'
The Department of Homeland Security criticized the judge’s intervention as activism and reaffirmed their commitment to deporting individuals they deem unlawfully present in the U.S.
As the crackdown takes a toll on the immigrant community, some residents feel caught between a strict enforcement regime and fears for their safety. The Department of Homeland Security claims this operation is the largest yet, carried out with significant federal resources, further fueling protests in the region.
