Federal immigration agents detained two people inside the Hennepin County Government Center on Thursday after separate court appearances, setting off a wave of anger from local defense attorneys and courthouse staff. Video and bystander accounts show at least one person in handcuffs being walked through the building’s public atrium, and attorneys say the arrests disrupted court business and rattled everyone from clerks to crime victims. Lawyers and advocates warn the growing presence of federal agents is making people think twice about showing up to court at all.
Two Taken Into Custody After Separate Hearings
The two people taken into custody were identified as Daniel Alejandro Torrealba Mendez and Joseelin Josimar Castillo Sequera, according to reporting by the Star Tribune. Torrealba Mendez was awaiting a hearing on charges that he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old, and Castillo Sequera is charged with aiding and abetting that alleged assault, the outlet reported. Video shared with the paper shows masked federal agents alongside Hennepin County deputies escorting handcuffed people out through the building’s busy public atrium.
Public Defender Says Arrests Undercut Due Process
Hennepin County Chief Public Defender Mike Berger called the detainments unconstitutional and said attorneys were not allowed to speak with their clients before they were taken away, according to Sahan Journal. Berger told the outlet he has previously seen people taken into federal custody before their criminal cases were resolved and warned that courthouse arrests could scare off victims and witnesses who might now fear they will be grabbed in the hallway on their way out of a hearing.
Officials Defend Federal Authority in Public Courthouse Spaces
A spokeswoman for the Fourth Judicial District told reporters that federal agents with proper documentation are allowed to pass through security and be present in public areas of the courthouse where they may detain people. A Hennepin County sheriff’s spokeswoman said deputies were dispatched after a reported fight and encountered federal agents who were already attempting to take two people into custody, according to the Star Tribune. The paper also reported that officials circulated internal messages acknowledging that the agents’ actions were affecting staff, victims and witnesses.
Policy Shift Behind Uptick in Courthouse Arrests
Advocates and local attorneys point to a January 2025 change in federal guidance that broadened the circumstances under which Immigration and Customs Enforcement can carry out civil enforcement “in or near courthouses,” a shift noted by policy researchers. The interim guidance says enforcement actions should take place in non-public areas and be coordinated with court security when practicable, but local lawyers say arrests in highly visible public spaces have nonetheless increased, a trend already being felt in Hennepin County, according to MinnPost and Immigration Policy Tracking.
Legal Questions
Court filings and internal memoranda show the January 2025 directives permit courthouse enforcement in specific categories of cases but leave gray areas around so-called collateral detentions of witnesses or family members. That ambiguity is now at the center of federal litigation and local policy fights. The guidance repeatedly says enforcement should, “to the extent practicable,” occur in non-public areas and be coordinated with court security, yet critics argue that standard is not consistently followed in the field. Recent court documents outlining the policy language and legal challenges can be found at Justia.
Berger and other defense lawyers are urging judges and county leaders to adopt clearer protections so people can attend hearings without fear of immediate federal detention as they exit a courtroom, according to local reporting. Hennepin County officials say they are reviewing the incidents while lawyers, advocates and lawmakers press for answers on how far immigration agents can go in the middle of a Minnesota workday at the county’s busiest courthouse.
