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Pastor Kenny Callahan says he was detained by Minneapolis ICE after going to protest near church
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He told Fox 9 Minneapolis that agents repeatedly asked him, “Are you scared right now?” while he was handcuffed and sitting in an SUV.
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Callahan said an agent allegedly told him “you’re white, you’re not going to be interesting no matter what,” and he was eventually released.
A Minneapolis pastor says he was detained by ICE after attending a protest near his church. Pastor Kenny Callaghan of All God’s Children MCC shared his experience with Fox 9 Minneapolis, saying the encounter happened on the morning of Wednesday, January 7.
Callahan told the outlet he realized something was happening nearby when he heard whistles and car horns outside. He said he grabbed his whistle and walked in the direction of the commotion, only for the situation to quickly escalate.
He told Fox 9 he managed to snap a few photos as the car drove down Portland Avenue, then pocketed his phone when he noticed agents surrounding a “brown-skinned woman.”
Callahan said he joined in as the crowd chanted “We’re not afraid,” and tried to draw attention to himself, telling agents to arrest him rather than the women around them.
“Before I knew it, they put handcuffs on my arms and asked me, ‘Are you scared now?'” he recalled.
He said he responded, “No, I’m not,” and the agents continued to detain him. Callahan told Fox 9 he was held in the SUV with two other detainees and agents returned multiple times to question him.
Callahan said the message remained the same during those inspections, with staff repeatedly asking him if he was scared. He also said they asked for his ID and cellphone while he remained in the back seat of the car.
At one point, Callahan said, he asked if he was under arrest and was left alone for a while. He also told Fox 9 that an agent allegedly pointed a gun in his face and that while fear flashed for a moment, it was quickly replaced by anger.
“Then they came back one last time and said, ‘Are you still scared?'” he said. “I said, ‘No.'” “
Callahan said he was eventually released after an agent made comments he found to be both dismissive and disturbing. “Well, you’re white, you’re not going to have any fun no matter what. Get out of the car,” he recalled being told.
Callahan said he was detained for less than an hour but came away shocked by what he thought the interaction revealed. “Now I’m faced with the fact that these ICE agents who are supposed to be keeping my community safe are actually there to have fun,” he said.
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Although Callahan called the encounter a daunting one, he told FOX 9 he would not hesitate to step in again. “I will always stand up for people who are being abused for being human,” he said, adding, “This is not right. This is wrong.”
There was no immediate response when we reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
The incident involving Callahan occurred amid unrest in Minneapolis after the driver, Renee Nicole Good, 37, a mother, was shot and killed by ICE agents during an immigration enforcement operation.
Read the original article on People