A federal judge in Minnesota on Thursday ordered the release of a Liberian man four days after heavily armed immigration agents broke into his home using a battering ram and arrested him.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan stated in his ruling that the agents violated Garrison Gibson’s Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure.
“To arrest him, Respondents forcibly entered Garrison G.'s home without his consent and without a judicial warrant,” he articulated.
The Department of Homeland Security has been ramping up immigration arrests in Minnesota, dubbing it their largest enforcement operation. DHS reports over 2,500 arrests since November 29.
Marc Prokosch, Gibson’s attorney, expressed his satisfaction with the judge’s order. He had previously filed a habeas corpus petition, asserting the legality of incarceration and labeling the arrest a blatant constitutional violation due to the absence of a proper warrant.
During the raid, Gibson’s wife was at home with their 9-year-old child and was deeply shaken by the incident.
Gibson, aged 37, had been held at an immigration detention center in Albert Lea after being confined at a facility on the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso, Texas.
Gibson, who fled the Liberian civil war as a child, faced removal from the U.S. tied to a 2008 drug conviction, which courts later dismissed. He was legally residing in the U.S. under a supervision order, requiring him to check in regularly with immigration authorities.
Days before his arrest, Gibson had complied by checking in at immigration offices — the same location where agents staged enforcement raids recently.
Bryan noted in his order that Gibson's assertions were merited, emphasizing that the officials “violated applicable regulations” by not providing adequate notice regarding the revocation of his order of supervision and that he did not receive an interview following his detention.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, mentioned Gibson's lengthy criminal records but did not clarify if they referenced arrests, charges, or convictions.
Gibson’s legal history, available in court records, indicates a single felony from 2008, minor drug arrests, traffic violations, and a fare evasion incident.
The Twin Cities have become a notable focus amid President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign, marked by rising fear and anger following recent incidents involving immigration agents, including a shooting on January 7 and another instance where an officer was injured.
