Clayton Kelly, a witness to a deadly federal enforcement action just weeks before his brutal arrest, was thrown face-first onto the sidewalk as federal agents attempted to silence him.
Kelly, 37, had watched in horror as an immigration agent shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during a federal enforcement action in north Minneapolis on January 14. He had also witnessed an earlier shooting and provided detailed accounts of both events to local outlets.
Ten days later, Kelly was arrested at the scene of Alex Pretti's fatal shooting in south Minneapolis after a group of protesters gathered. The incident occurred with agents from Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement swarming the area.
According to Kelly, federal agents told him he would be on "the wrong side of history" if he didn't leave the area, but when he turned to walk away, they surrounded him and deployed pepper spray, leaving deep burns in his left eye. The agent's knee was also pressed into Kelly's back, causing him significant pain.
Kelly, a U.S. citizen, was detained for eight hours before being released on his own recognizance. However, the experience has left his family fearing for his safety and livelihood.
"It feels like a really bad dream that I can't wake up from," Kelly's wife Alana Ericson said of the ordeal. "After he spoke publicly about that shooting, I felt like he was already on their radar."
Kelly's story is part of a growing trend of federal agents using excessive force to silence civilians who are simply observing or recording immigration enforcement activity.
In recent weeks, multiple eyewitnesses have come forward detailing encounters with ICE and CBP agents in Minneapolis, including one case where an attorney was followed home by a federal vehicle after monitoring immigration enforcement activity.
Kelly, 37, had watched in horror as an immigration agent shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during a federal enforcement action in north Minneapolis on January 14. He had also witnessed an earlier shooting and provided detailed accounts of both events to local outlets.
Ten days later, Kelly was arrested at the scene of Alex Pretti's fatal shooting in south Minneapolis after a group of protesters gathered. The incident occurred with agents from Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement swarming the area.
According to Kelly, federal agents told him he would be on "the wrong side of history" if he didn't leave the area, but when he turned to walk away, they surrounded him and deployed pepper spray, leaving deep burns in his left eye. The agent's knee was also pressed into Kelly's back, causing him significant pain.
Kelly, a U.S. citizen, was detained for eight hours before being released on his own recognizance. However, the experience has left his family fearing for his safety and livelihood.
"It feels like a really bad dream that I can't wake up from," Kelly's wife Alana Ericson said of the ordeal. "After he spoke publicly about that shooting, I felt like he was already on their radar."
Kelly's story is part of a growing trend of federal agents using excessive force to silence civilians who are simply observing or recording immigration enforcement activity.
In recent weeks, multiple eyewitnesses have come forward detailing encounters with ICE and CBP agents in Minneapolis, including one case where an attorney was followed home by a federal vehicle after monitoring immigration enforcement activity.
... like whats going on with our country rn? this clayton guy was literally just trying to do his civic duty as a witness and report some shady stuff, and what happens next? he gets brutalized by federal agents! i mean, can you believe they told him hes gonna be on the wrong side of history if he leaves? talk about gaslighting 
... and thats not even the craziest part - his own wife is worried sick about him now 
... like what kind of law enforcement agency does that to their own citizens?! 
. Can you even imagine? His fam is FREAKING OUT, and honestly it's super scary because they think he's gonna get hurt or lose his job 
This whole thing is a major red flag for excessive police (I mean federal agent) brutality and we need to be keeping an eye on this stuff 
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federal agents think they're above the law just cuz they got guns and badges... newsflash: they ain't above the law if we don't hold 'em accountable. 
! I mean, he's just trying to speak out about what he saw and now they're throwing him around like a rag doll? And the fact that his family's worried for his safety and livelihood... it's just heartbreaking 
. I'm all for people standing up for what they believe in, but not at the expense of their own well-being. It feels like the system is broken and we need to do something about it 
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. And now his family is worried about him? It's like they're treating citizens like suspects instead of people who have the right to be there. The whole "on the wrong side of history" comment sounds like a pretty thinly veiled threat to me... 
his family is living in fear now, it's like the system is literally trying to silence him 
newsflash: being a witness doesn't make you a threat 
and it's not okay for them to intimidate people into silence 
. More witnesses coming forward means more cases to answer for their actions 
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It's like they're trying to silence anyone who dares to speak out against their actions. And now his family is living in fear for his safety and livelihood? 
and it's sad to think that his witness account was already makin' him a target. i'm so tired of these agents thinkin they can just bully ppl into silence 
and then have the nerve to say "you're on the wrong side of history" like, what does that even mean? 
. Its like they're trying to silence anyone who dares to speak up about these immigration issues. Eight hours in detention for not leaving the area? That's just ridiculous! 
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. I'm not surprised his wife thinks he's on their radar now, but seriously, shouldn't that be the case for anyone who's speaking out against systemic injustice?! And what's with this "the wrong side of history" rhetoric? Sounds like a bunch of BS to me 
. The fact that he got pepper sprayed and nearly lost an eye is just insane 
.
That's not right at all! The whole thing feels like a setup, you know? They're already watching him because he spoke out about that shooting, so it was only a matter of time before they came for him 
. We need to stand up for our witnesses and advocates here - we can't just let them get silenced by the man 
And now, his family is living in fear? That's unacceptable. We need to stand with him and make sure our voices are heard too! 
No one should ever be silenced or intimidated into staying quiet. Let's keep pushing for justice and equality!