Last week, a video surfaced showing a man being pinned facedown on the pavement in south Minneapolis by US Border Patrol agents, sparking widespread backlash. In the footage, one agent can be seen kneeling on the man's head multiple times as bystanders plead for them to stop. The man is then lifted and taken away by the agents.
According to Minnesota Reformer, bystanders can be heard asking the man his name. Over the sound of blaring whistles, he responds, "Juan Carlos. Juan Carlos," as an agent tells him, "Get in the f-----g car."
GoFundMe launched
A GoFundMe has since been launched by Ismael Cordova-Clough, part of a team of legal observers monitoring law enforcement activity in Minneapolis. The fundraiser confirms that Juan Carlos is a US resident living in Minneapolis.
According to the GoFundMe, "Juan Carlos is a U.S. resident who is currently unhoused and living in his car. Yesterday, 1/9, around noon, while observing ICE activity near 22nd & Chicago in Minneapolis, he was targeted and assaulted. He was taken first to Whipple and then transported to the hospital because he was having difficulty breathing. After holding him in shackles for two hours and intimidating hospital staff, La Migra left him at the hospital."
{{/usCountry}}According to the GoFundMe, "Juan Carlos is a U.S. resident who is currently unhoused and living in his car. Yesterday, 1/9, around noon, while observing ICE activity near 22nd & Chicago in Minneapolis, he was targeted and assaulted. He was taken first to Whipple and then transported to the hospital because he was having difficulty breathing. After holding him in shackles for two hours and intimidating hospital staff, La Migra left him at the hospital."
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: ICE going door‑to‑door? Here's what to do and know about your rights
Funds raised will be used to support Juan Carlos with immediate and short-term needs, including:
- Retrieving his car from the impound lot
- Paying the $80 ticket issued after the incident and any legal fees
- Placing him in a hotel for safety and recovery
- Assisting with a short-term rental once he is stable
- Covering basic necessities and follow-up needs related to his safety and recovery