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A Minnesota woman and her husband say the police chief of their small city of Saint Peter helped prevent federal immigration agents from taking her into detention this past week. The city denies that the department intervened. Minnesota Public Radio's Hannah Yang has the story.
HANNAH YANG, BYLINE: Thursday afternoon, the woman was in her car observing and recording video of immigration agents in Saint Peter, about 70 miles south of Minneapolis. The woman, who does not want to be identified because she fears retribution, is a U.S. citizen and a resident of Saint Peter. She told NPR News that agents in three vehicles chased her and boxed her in. Her dashcam video shows three agents getting out of their car with guns drawn.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED ICE OFFICER #1: Get out of the car.
UNIDENTIFIED ICE OFFICER #2: Get out of the car right now.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Nope.
UNIDENTIFIED ICE OFFICER #1: Get out of the car.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: No. I will not.
UNIDENTIFIED ICE OFFICER #2: Get out of the car.
UNIDENTIFIED ICE OFFICER #1: Get out of the car.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: I will not get out of the car.
UNIDENTIFIED ICE OFFICER #2: Get out of the car right now.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: No. No. I will not get out of the car.
YANG: The agents dragged her out of the car, pinned her to the ground and handcuffed her. The woman's husband arrives and tries to intervene, but the agents put her into one of their vehicles and drove off. The woman told us they began driving her towards the Twin Cities where there is a federal immigration detention facility. Meanwhile, the husband said he called his attorney and then got a call from Saint Peter chief of police, Matt Grochow, whom he said he has known for years.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: He asked me, what was your wife's name? I told him my wife's name. He said, was she picked up in a Bronco? And I said, I'm not sure but it was an SUV, dark colored. I'd have to look at my video. He goes, I think I got her. I'll call you back.
YANG: Several minutes later, the man says the chief called him back.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: He called me immediately after they left and said, I got her. I'm bringing her home. I'll talk to you in a little bit more here. I was just so relieved that she got released and was able to come home.
YANG: The woman says about 20 minutes into the drive, one of the agents got a call. Then they turned around and took her to the Saint Peter police station. Chief Grochow met her there and then took her home. In an email to NPR News, Chief Grochow confirmed that, saying, quote, "ICE returned the female to our police department. I saw her, and I gave her a ride home." In a statement later, the City of Saint Peter said the police department did not participate in, coordinate with or intervene in any federal enforcement activity.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security responded to an inquiry about the incident by asking for the woman's name, date of birth and an A number, which we would not provide. With reporting by Matt Sepic, for NPR News, I'm Hannah Yang in Mankato.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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