US Citizen Files Federal Claim Alleging Border Patrol Agents Assaulted Him - Newsweek

A Minneapolis special education assistant has filed a federal claim against the U.S. government, alleging that Border Patrol agents assaulted and wrongfully detained him outside his school before the Trump administration publicly accused him of attacking federal officers in a criminal case that was later dismissed.

Quentin Williams, who works at Roosevelt High School, alleges that federal agents shoved him, pulled his hair, tackled him to the ground and pressed on his neck and back during an immigration enforcement operation outside the Minneapolis school on January 7, 2026. Williams says he did not threaten, attack or resist the officers.

The allegations are detailed in a Federal Tort Claims Act claim, a filing used to seek compensation from the federal government. The document represents Williams' account of what happened and does not constitute a court finding that his allegations are true.

"My life completely changed when federal agents invaded my school community, attacked and falsely arrested me," Williams told Newsweek. "Every day, I look forward to going to school to be with my kids at Roosevelt. Some days are harder than others, but I am trying my hardest to heal."

The incident happened during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement campaign that brought thousands of federal immigration agents to the Minneapolis area beginning in December 2025. The operation, which included more than 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents, was launched in part to target alleged fraud within Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community but was quickly overshadowed by the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent and Alex Pretti by two Border Patrol agents in January 2026, as well as allegations of misconduct, racial profiling and violations of due process.

Hours after federal agents shot and killed Good on January 7, a convoy of federal officers commanded by Greg Bovino was carrying out enforcement operations in South Minneapolis when agents pursued a driver through the neighborhood around Roosevelt High School, the filing says.

Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment on Tuesday.

A DHS spokesperson previously told Newsweek that Border Patrol agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis on January 7 when a U.S. citizen allegedly impeded officers, rammed a government vehicle and led agents on a five-mile pursuit that ended near Roosevelt High School. DHS said that “at no point was a school, students, or staff targeted,” and that agents would not have been at the school “if not for the dangerous actions of this individual.”

The department said that while agents were removing the driver, “an individual who identified himself as a teacher proceeded to assault a border patrol agent,” as a crowd formed and threw objects and paint at officers and their vehicles. DHS said officers used “targeted crowd control” after repeated warnings and added: “No tear gas was deployed.”

Agents boxed in the driver's vehicle outside the school shortly after 3:30 p.m., smashed its windows, pulled the driver out and made an arrest, according to the claim. The filing says the driver had been handcuffed and placed in a government vehicle by around 3:33 p.m. and that bystanders had not interfered with the arrest.

Williams alleges that agents then moved onto school property while dismissal was wrapping up and students were still present. School administrators identified themselves and instructed the agents to leave, but the officers instead began shoving and yelling at staff, according to the filing.

Williams had been behind the school helping with transportation for special education students when he came to the front to see whether colleagues needed assistance. The claim says he stood alongside other school staff and community members and did not yell at or engage with the agents.

As officers began leaving, Border Patrol Agent Joshua McBee allegedly turned back and began forcefully shoving Williams and two other school employees while ordering them to move back. Williams raised his hands to show that he was not threatening or resisting the officers, according to the filing.

Another Border Patrol agent, Christopher Velez, then ran onto the lawn and shoved one of Williams' colleagues before slipping on the snow, the claim alleges. From the ground, Velez allegedly grabbed the employee by the collar and pulled the employee down.

Williams alleges that Bovino then ran toward him and shoved him as Williams looked toward his colleague on the ground. Multiple agents subsequently grabbed and shoved Williams as he attempted to help the employee get up, according to the filing.

McBee allegedly pulled Williams backward by his hair and collar. Velez then tackled Williams, causing his head to hit the ground, before getting on top of him and pressing down on his neck, according to the filing.

Williams alleges several officers restrained him as he said he could not breathe. The filing says Bovino pointed pepper spray inches from Williams' face and threatened to spray him before officers forced Williams onto his stomach, pushed his head and jaw into the ground and handcuffed him. Williams maintains that he did not resist.

After the back-to-back killings in Minneapolis, Bovino was relieved of his commander-at-large role overseeing the Minnesota operation and later retired from the Border Patrol. He has since emerged as a critic of the Trump administration from the right, arguing that it has not gone far enough in carrying out its mass-deportation agenda.

Agents took Williams to the Henry Bishop Whipple Federal Building, where he alleges that he was kept tightly handcuffed and forced to stand outside in bitter cold without a coat for more than an hour. He says officers refused to loosen the handcuffs despite his complaints of pain.

Williams also alleges agents taunted him, tugged on his hair and made a comment about potentially killing him. He says he was denied food, water and medical attention and was not allowed to call his family or a lawyer. Williams, a U.S. citizen, also alleges that an officer questioned him about his citizenship and whether he belonged to a gang.

He was released after approximately three hours. Williams alleges that none of the agents could explain why he had been arrested.

Three days later, DHS posted a photo of Williams on X as part of a post announcing arrests of people accused of assaulting law enforcement. Williams alleges that the post falsely implied that he assaulted federal officers.

Federal prosecutors subsequently charged Williams with felony assault of a federal officer. The case relied on an affidavit from Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Richard Berger, according to the claim.

Berger's account said Williams pushed and shoved officers and grabbed and attempted to pick up a Border Patrol agent, according to the filing. Williams says those allegations were false.

His claim alleges that Berger was not at Roosevelt High School during the incident and that Williams did not push, shove, grab or attempt to pick up an agent. It further alleges that DHS and the Justice Department possessed video and other evidence that contradicted Berger's affidavit

The claim points to a separate criminal case stemming from the same day's events in which a federal judge said Berger submitted a "false affidavit." The judge also said the court had become concerned about the accuracy of affidavits Berger submitted in a number of cases involving alleged assaults on federal officers. That finding was made in the separate case, not Williams' prosecution.

Williams voluntarily surrendered to authorities on January 28 and was handcuffed, shackled and placed in a holding cell, according to the filing.

While Williams was in custody, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X that Williams and 15 other people had been arrested and referred to them as "rioters" who had resisted and impeded federal officers, according to the claim. The post included their booking photographs.

Williams alleges his criminal case was still sealed when Bondi published the information.

DHS later posted images of Williams and others on social media, describing them as "violent Anti-ICE anarchists."

Williams' photograph was labeled with his name and the words "ARRESTED: ASSAULT." The filing says DHS, ICE and the White House also distributed the material through social media.

Williams alleges that the posts damaged his reputation and exposed him to threatening messages.

The criminal case against him ultimately fell apart. Federal prosecutors reduced the felony charge to a misdemeanor on February 4. The government then moved to dismiss the case entirely on March 20, and a federal judge dismissed it on March 24.

"Quentin Williams is known as a teacher who loves his students fiercely and deeply cares for their well-being," Danielle Berkowsky, attorney at the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois office, told Newsweek. "He represents the best of Roosevelt. His case is indicative of this federal government’s complete disregard for civil rights and basic humanity. In a country that lets this happen, nobody is safe. We must hold the federal government accountable."

Williams alleges that despite the dismissal, the federal government has not removed the accusations and images from its social media accounts or retracted its statements about him.

"I hope this next step in seeking justice will hold someone accountable for what happened to me," he said. "I am just so blessed to be alive."

Update 9/29/26, 4:07 p.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect details of the final lawsuit filed.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon, Dan Gooding and Dave Siminoff.