Video shows forceful ICE arrest in Robbinsdale

Video recorded from multiple angles shows two US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wrestling 45-year-old Robbinsdale resident Jose Ruelas Viorato to the ground on his front porch, with one agent punching him in the face before dragging him into an unmarked vehicle as his young daughter screams and films the encounter.^[1]

The arrest happened early in the morning outside the family's home, prompting the daughter to dial 911 at 7:13 a.m., telling dispatchers that men were taking her father. A Robbinsdale police officer arrived within minutes, but body-camera and dispatch records show the officer did not see any other law enforcement on scene, spoke briefly with the girl, then cleared the call in about two minutes, with the department later stressing it was not involved in the arrest and that the city follows a separation agreement limiting cooperation with ICE.^[1]

FOX 9 confirmed Thursday that Ruelas Viorato, who was born in Mexico and lives in Robbinsdale, is now being held at the Sherburne County jail, which has a long-standing contract to house immigration detainees. Court records reviewed by the station show no violent criminal history for him in Minnesota, only multiple traffic violations and a petty misdemeanor trespass, a profile that quickly became central to neighborhood outrage and local officials' criticism of the operation.^[1]

Robbinsdale City Council Member Alejandro Caceres Aranda said ICE had "taken one of our neighbors" who has no criminal record beyond minor offenses, and he spent much of the day with the family, helping them navigate what he described as a terrifying and confusing experience. He and other city leaders pointed to Robbinsdale's formal separation agreement with federal immigration enforcement as evidence that the city neither requested nor assisted in the operation, even as residents questioned why the responding officer left so quickly and whether local police could have done more once they learned federal agents were involved.^[1]

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not responded to FOX 9's questions about why agents targeted Ruelas Viorato, what his immigration case involves, or whether the punching and takedown seen on video followed agency policy on use of force. Civil rights advocates say scenes like the Robbinsdale arrest feed long-running fears in Latino communities that even people with no violent record can face aggressive tactics and sudden detention, while local officials brace for renewed debate over how cities should distance themselves from, or cooperate with, federal immigration enforcement.^[1]

1. FOX 9