ICE detains asylum seekers in Minnesota, uses facial recognition in enforcement operations
Feb 6, 2026·Location: Minneapolis, MN

ICE agents detained at least 100 asylum seekers and refugees in Minnesota and transported them by air to detention facilities in Texas for questioning and reprocessing, with some released without documentation, money, or phones. During enforcement operations across multiple cities, federal immigration agents used facial recognition technology via smartphones and professional cameras to photograph and scan faces of people, including bystanders and activists, often without consent. The practices have sparked panic in immigrant communities, with residents afraid to seek medical care, send children to school, or leave their homes. Civil rights groups are challenging the facial recognition program through lawsuits and legislation, citing Fourth Amendment privacy violations.
Sources
- How ICE agents are using facial recognition technology to bring surveillance to the streets
NBC News·Feb 6, 2026·archived copy
- Alight: CNN: They were asylum seekers and refugees in Minnesota. Still, ICE detained and flew them to Texas to face deportation
- DHS ramps up surveillance in immigration raids, sweeping in citizens
twincities.com·Jan 30, 2026·archived copy
- gvwire.com
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- Mexican man re-arrested by plainclothes agents seconds after court-ordered releaseSep 25, 2026 · Fort Snelling, MN