Minnesota Charges ICE Agent for Brandishing Gun at Civilians

Prosecutors say this could be the first case of its kind nationwide.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 3:25pm

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Minnesota state prosecutors have charged a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., with two felony counts of second-degree assault for pointing his gun at two Minnesota residents as they sat in their car in February 2026. Prosecutors believe this could be the first charge of its kind nationwide against a federal immigration agent.

Why it matters

The case presents an opportunity for Minnesota to hold ICE agents accountable after the state has failed to get the Trump administration to hand over evidence in the shooting deaths of two other civilians, Alex Pretti and Renee Good. If successful, the prosecution could set a new precedent for holding federal law enforcement accountable and provide a roadmap for other states to follow.

The details

On the evening of February 5, 2026, Morgan, a 35-year-old ICE agent from Maryland, was ending his shift and driving back to a Minnesota federal building that had become ICE's de facto headquarters during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, dubbed Operation Metro Surge. As he drove an unmarked SUV, Morgan encountered rush-hour traffic and decided to bypass it by unlawfully driving on the highway's shoulder. He eventually encountered a white Cadillac slowly attempting to merge into a single lane of traffic. The Cadillac driver, unaware that the SUV riding the shoulder was a federal agent, partially blocked the shoulder to prevent the SUV from cutting off the Cadillac. Morgan then pulled his SUV alongside the Cadillac, rolled down his window, and pointed a handgun directly at both the driver and front-seat passenger, who said Morgan was wearing a black T-shirt and yelling something they could not hear. Terrified, they did not roll down their windows and immediately called 911.

  • On February 5, 2026, the incident occurred.
  • On April 17, 2026, Minnesota state prosecutors announced the charges against Morgan.

The players

Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr.

A 35-year-old Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from Maryland who was charged with two felony counts of second-degree assault for pointing his gun at two Minnesota residents.

Mary Moriarty

The Hennepin County Attorney who said she believes this might be the first charge of its kind nationwide against a federal immigration agent.

Alex Pretti

A Minnesota resident who was shot and killed by federal agents, with the state filing a lawsuit to try to force the Trump administration to hand over evidence in the case.

Renee Good

A Minnesota resident who was shot and killed by federal agents, with the state filing a lawsuit to try to force the Trump administration to hand over evidence in the case.

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What they’re saying

“This kind of incident in which at least it's alleged the person brandished their weapon kind of as part of a road-rage incident, that seems to be on the outer boundary of whether an officer is on duty or off duty.”

— Harrison Stark, Senior Counsel and Director of Special Projects at the University of Wisconsin Law School's State Democracy Research Initiative

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to allow Morgan to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges of holding federal immigration agents accountable, even as states seek to rein in aggressive tactics that may violate state laws. A successful prosecution could set a new precedent and provide a roadmap for other states to follow.