GENEVA - UN human rights experts* today welcomed the establishment of a process to document and report serious human rights violations allegedly committed in Minnesota by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents during Operation Metro Surge and Operation PARRIS. They called for action from authorities in other relevant jurisdictions.
"Victims must know the full truth about the violations, receive comprehensive reparation and be protected from further violence or retaliation," the experts said.
Between December 2025 and February 2026, ICE and CBP officers allegedly shot at close range and killed two U.S. citizens who were defending the rights of migrants, used excessive force against individuals believed to be undocumented and targeted peaceful protesters, human rights defenders and bystanders. The operations reportedly relied on racial profiling and lacked judicial warrants. False accusations of "domestic terrorism" were also made.
"In any democracy rooted in the rule of law, such violations must never be ignored or left unaddressed," the experts said.
On 25 March, the Governor of Minnesota signed an Executive Order establishing the Minnesota Truth Council. The Council aims to provide a safe forum for victims and community members to share their stories, and will operate under the principles of independence, impartiality, transparency and victim-centered inquiry. Its findings and recommendations will be distinct from and without prejudice to any ongoing or future legal proceedings.
"We commend the authorities in Minnesota for acting swiftly to establish a process to document, record and report on the violations. The initiative will help reveal the harm inflicted and the circumstances and responsibilities that led to it. It will be critical to provide redress to victims and healing to the community, " the experts said.
The experts stressed that the United States of America - across federal, state, and local levels - has a binding duty under international law to document and conduct prompt, effective and independent investigations into grave human rights violations committed by its agents, in compliance with the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death and international standards applicable to truth-seeking processes, with a view to holding those responsible to account and ensuring non-recurrence.
"Minnesota's initiative is a decisive step forward in that direction."
"We encourage authorities in all relevant jurisdictions to conduct investigations on any violation of this nature. We are ready to provide technical assistance where needed," the experts said. "We also urge federal authorities to cooperate with criminal investigations by providing access to crime scene evidence and other relevant information."
"Documenting, seeking the truth and ensuring accountability for serious human rights violations is not optional," the experts said. "It is a legal obligation and a prerequisite for justice and guarantees of non‑repetition."
The experts have been in contact with the authorities.
