Federal Claim Alleges Border Patrol Assault on Roosevelt High School Staff

On January 7, 2026, Quentin Williams, a special-education assistant at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, filed a Federal Tort Claims Act suit claiming that Border Patrol agents shoved him, pulled his hair, tackled him to the ground and pressed on his neck and back during an immigration enforcement operation outside the school. Williams says he was assisting with transportation for special-education students, stepped onto the school lawn to see if colleagues needed help, and did not threaten, attack, or resist the officers. The filing alleges that multiple agents—including Border Patrol Agent Joshua McBee, Agent Christopher Velez, and commander Greg Bovino—repeatedly shoving, tackling, and handcuffing Williams while he raised his hands and tried to assist a fallen coworker.

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The incident occurred during “Operation Metro Surge,” an immigration enforcement campaign that began in December 2025 and deployed more than 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations agents to the Minneapolis area. The operation was launched to target alleged fraud in Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community and was quickly overshadowed by the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good (by an ICE agent) and Alex Pretti (by two Border Patrol agents) in early January 2026. Hours after the Good shooting, a convoy led by Greg Bovino was conducting enforcement actions in South Minneapolis when the pursuit of a driver led to the confrontation at Roosevelt High School.

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also said agents used “targeted crowd control” after repeated warnings and that no tear gas was deployed.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi later posted on X that Williams and fifteen others had been arrested, labeling them “rioters” who resisted federal officers. The post included booking photographs and was issued while Williams’s criminal case remained sealed.

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Williams voluntarily surrendered on January 28, 2026, was handcuffed and shackled, and later released after roughly three hours. Federal prosecutors reduced the felony assault charge to a misdemeanor on February 4, 2026, moved to dismiss the case on March 20, 2026, and a judge dismissed it on March 24, 2026. Despite the dismissal, Williams says DHS, ICE and the White House have not removed the arrest images or statements from social media.

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• “My life completely changed when federal agents invaded my school community, attacked and falsely arrested me,” — Quentin Williams

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• “Quentin Williams is known as a teacher who loves his students fiercely and deeply cares for their well-being,” — Danielle Berkowsky, attorney at the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois office

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