Jonathan A.G.: 17-year-old U.S. citizen tackled by Border Patrol agents at Minnesota Target
Jonathan Aguilar Garcia, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen working at a Minnesota Target, was tackled, handcuffed and detained by Border Patrol on January 8, 2026, despite showing his passport. He was released hours later with injuries.
Jan 13, 2026Richfield, MN

Jonathan Aguilar Garcia, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen working at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota, was tackled to the ground, handcuffed, and forced into a van by federal immigration agents on January 8, 2026, after being asked if he was a citizen. Video captured by Bring Me The News shows Garcia repeatedly shouting, "I'm literally a U.S. citizen," as he presented identification including a passport while being restrained. His sister said on Facebook that he hit his head during the confrontation but was otherwise safe. Garcia was released hours later with injuries at a Walmart parking lot after agents verified his citizenship. A coworker, Christian Miranda Romano, was also detained in the same incident and later released. The Department of Homeland Security said one of the two employees was arrested for assaulting a federal officer, though no charges have been filed. The detention occurred during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota that began December 1, 2025, and is among more than 500 cases ProPublica has documented of U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents under the Trump administration.
“I'm literally a U.S. citizen. I'm literally a U.S. citizen.”
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- Newsweek
- Detention of Jonathan Aguilar Garcia
- Prismedia
- More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
ProPublica·Oct 6, 2026
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