ICE agent Gregory Morgan pointed handgun at civilian motorists on Minneapolis highway during Metro Surge

On Feb. 5, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Enforcement and Removal Operations officer Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. pointed a handgun at two civilians on Highway 62 in Minneapolis while working as part of Operation Metro Surge, the roughly 3,000-agent federal immigration-enforcement deployment to the Twin Cities. According to the criminal complaint, Morgan was driving an unmarked black SUV on the highway shoulder near the Portland Avenue exit, appearing to bypass traffic, when another driver briefly moved onto the shoulder to block him from passing. Morgan then pulled alongside the vehicle, rolled down his window, and pointed his duty weapon at the driver and passenger, who had no way of knowing he was a federal officer. The victims called 911 and photographed the SUV's license plate, which state investigators traced to ICE.

Operation Metro Surge, which began in early January 2026, had already produced fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents and a warrantless raid in St. Paul before this incident.

Updates

2026-04-16 — ICE agent Morgan charged with two counts of second-degree assault [1, 2, 3]

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged Morgan with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon — the first criminal charges against a federal officer for on-duty conduct during the Minnesota immigration surge — and a nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest. "There is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal agents who violate the law in the state of Minnesota," Moriarty said, adding that Morgan had acted outside the scope of a federal officer's authority. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to press inquiries about the charges. Morgan's attorney, Ryan Pacyga, disputed the criminal complaint's account, saying it contains "inaccurate and incomplete information" and that Morgan did not initiate the encounter.

2026-05-21 — ICE officer Morgan surrendered, barred from possessing a firearm [4, 5]

Morgan turned himself in to Hennepin County authorities on May 21, 2026, more than a month after being charged, and made his first court appearance the same day. A judge barred him from possessing firearms and leaving the country while the case proceeds and set bail at $100,000, with a $200,000 no-conditions option to retain his firearm. Morgan's attorney said he planned to seek transfer of the case to federal court.

2026-06-17 — Morgan sought removal of case to federal court; prosecutors opposed [6]

Morgan's defense team filed a motion in early-to-mid June 2026 to move the criminal case from Hennepin County to federal court, arguing under the Supremacy Clause that his conduct fell within the scope of his federal duties. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's office filed its opposition on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, calling Morgan's actions "unlawful and in violation of Minnesota law" and arguing his conduct was "a simple act of road rage" outside any legitimate federal function. The U.S. Department of Justice joined Morgan's removal effort, and DHS publicly characterized the state prosecution as a "political stunt." A federal judge will decide whether the case is heard in state or federal court.