The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused staff members at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during the arrest of an illegal immigrant student who is also a registered sex offender.
According to DHS, on December 6, ICE officers arrested Jesus Saucedo-Portillo—a criminal illegal alien with a prior DUI conviction—while he was getting into his vehicle. University administrators and campus security attempted to interfere with the arrest process.
DHS stated that during the incident, “a university administrator told ICE officers they were violating university policies.” When confronted, agents informed the administrator that “federal law supersedes any University policy and that if campus security would not stop blocking the law enforcement vehicle from exiting, they would be obstructing justice.” The DHS report confirmed that the administrator ordered campus security to block the ICE vehicle. Officers followed training protocols to use minimal force necessary to clear the area and completed the arrest.
Following the incident, Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow defended his staff’s actions in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio. Pribbenow claimed ICE agents did not present a warrant for Saucedo-Portillo’s arrest and that it was “illegal.” He also alleged ICE officers drew weapons on students and staff present at the scene. Pribbenow noted that students alerted school security, which activated campus protocols for ICE presence. “We’re proud of [students] for the fact that they did that, despite the kind of hectic and traumatic nature of the event itself,” he said.
