Introduction
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ICE agents detained a Woodbury man for more than nine hours after stalking them.
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The man, Ryan Ecklund, claimed he was exercising his First Amendment rights.
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ICE has not responded to inquiries about the detentions or policy changes.
Woodbury, Minnesota (FOX 9) – A Woodbury man was detained by ICE agents for more than nine hours for stalking them, marking a new fight over First Amendment rights.
ICE agents detain Ryan Ecklund
what we know
Ryan Ecklund said he began following ICE agents after noticing them in a grocery store parking lot in Woodbury. He continued to follow them through his neighborhood.
Eklund said the agents must have run his license plate because one of them recorded his face and vehicle, and then they drove into the cul-de-sac where he lived. He was later stopped by agents and warned not to follow them or face arrest.
Eklund said that despite the warnings, he believed he had the authority to track and record the agents. When he interacted with them for the third time, they stopped him and told him they were arresting him for following them. A day later, he suffered some visible injuries, including a black eye and scratches on his face, which he said happened when they reached into his car, put him in a headlock, pulled him from the car and threw him to the ground.
ICE agents did not formally arrest Eklund but held him in a detention facility for more than nine hours. His wife, Tamara Eklund, stressed the importance of having legal representation to secure his release.
Legal and Constitutional Perspectives
what are they talking about
Constitutional law scholars claim that tracking and recording law enforcement actions is protected by the First Amendment. Just last week, a federal district judge ruled that a Trump administration policy that considered recordings to be “unlawful civil disorder” was unconstitutional.
ICE argued Tuesday in a Minnesota court case that tracking them is illegal, but a judge has yet to rule on the matter. ICE has not yet responded to Eklund’s detention or any potential policy changes.
Read more: ICE says it’s illegal to log agents, but is DHS policy actually illegal?
what we don’t know
ICE has not yet clarified whether their policy on tracking and recording agents has changed or whether they plan to address the legal challenges posed by Eklund’s case.
