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Minnesota Woman Arrested After Following ICE Agents in Suburban Surveillance
Becky Ringstrom, a mother of seven, was arrested in Minneapolis after following federal immigration agents in her SUV. Authorities cite obstruction of law enforcement; critics call the arrest excessive.
ND
by News Desk
2026-02-10
Minnesota Woman Arrested After Following ICE Agents in Suburban Surveillance

Becky Ringstrom, 42, a mother of seven, was arrested in suburban Minneapolis on January 29 after following federal immigration officers in her SUV for about 45 minutes, according to court documents and video reviewed by Reuters.

Ringstrom was boxed in by unmarked vehicles and confronted by at least six masked agents, one of whom appeared to threaten her windshield with a metal object. She was transported to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, where she received a citation under Title 18, Section 111 of the U.S. Code, a statute criminalizing obstruction of federal officers.

Federal Enforcement and Statistics

A Reuters review found that the Trump administration has prosecuted at least 655 people nationwide under this statute since city-focused immigration crackdowns began last summer — more than double the prosecutions in 2024-2025. The law can carry up to 20 years in prison if a deadly weapon or injury is involved, though lighter penalties apply otherwise.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly been tracking protesters in an internal database, logging names, photos, license plates, and behaviors to identify potential charges. DHS officials say this is intended to prevent interference with federal operations.

Controversy and Legal Questions

Ringstrom said she was simply observing and following the agents at a safe distance. Legal experts question the arrest’s justification:

“Without any physical contact, just following an agent in a car, it’s not clear to me that that’s resistance or impeding in the first place,” said Seth Stoughton, policing professor at the University of South Carolina.

A federal judge had recently ruled in Minneapolis that following ICE vehicles at an “appropriate distance” does not justify an arrest or traffic stop, though that ruling was temporarily paused by an appeals court.

Former top ICE official Deborah Fleischaker called the arrest “inappropriate and unconstitutional,” noting that peaceful observation is protected and should not be criminalized.

Escalating Tactics and Intimidation Concerns

Video evidence shows ICE officers drawing weapons when approaching vehicles that followed them, while some residents reported ICE tracking them to their homes after license plate checks. DHS says it reviews these incidents and investigates inappropriate conduct, but ICE officials maintain that officers used “minimum force necessary.”

Ringstrom said she was terrified, fearing she might be shot like previous protesters in Minneapolis. Her court date is currently “to be determined.”

Critics argue that such enforcement and intimidation tactics may chill public protest and violate First Amendment rights, while federal officials insist obstruction of law enforcement cannot be tolerated.
Tagged:

FirstAmendment

USLaw

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