A spate of Minnesota reports describes ICE agents disguising themselves as everyday figures—construction workers, delivery drivers, and other public-facing roles—to conduct surveillance or operations, fueling fear and distrust in immigrant communities.

Analysts say this may reflect a tactical shift in response to activist monitoring and increased enforcement, with more extreme deception tactics than seen in other regions.

Residents and legal advocates report more encounters with impersonating agents, including visible disguises and tactical gear, raising concerns about deception in enforcement.

The discussion includes questions of legality and policy, noting past settlements that restricted deceptive tactics in some jurisdictions while acknowledging such practices may still be legal elsewhere.

DHS officials have not commented on the specific incidents, but governors and DHS acknowledge ongoing ICE operations and related public concerns.

The report places these incidents in a broader context of past legal challenges to ICE disguises and ongoing debates about the legality and ethics of deception in enforcement.

It situates the events within national debates over ICE tactics across administrations, civil liberties, and trust in law enforcement among immigrant communities.

The broader context includes a community-wide sense of vigilance and fear as ICE tactics and civil liberties questions remain hotly debated.

Some incidents involve individuals attempting to buy or observe vintage license plates, suggesting efforts to evade surveillance databases tracking immigration enforcement.

Anecdotes describe people like Candice Metrailer noting license plate research linked to prior ICE activity, underscoring ongoing surveillance concerns.

Vehicles associated with ICE have been identified via crowdsourced databases and eyewitness reports, with at least one license plate observed and reported to authorities.

Past uses of ruses by ICE are acknowledged, with legal actions and settlements limiting such tactics in some areas but not universally.