'Political stunt' prosecution of ICE agent for 'road rage' provokes heated DHS response
The Department of Homeland Security is accusing Minnesota officials of staging a "political stunt" as federal and state authorities square off over whether an ICE agent accused of pointing a...
By Fox News · Fox News
The Department of Homeland Security is accusing Minnesota officials of staging a "political stunt" as federal and state authorities square off over whether an ICE agent accused of pointing a gun at motorists should be prosecuted in state or federal court. The dispute centers on Gregory Morgan Jr., an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with two counts of second-degree assault after prosecutors said he pointed a handgun at motorists during a traffic confrontation while returning from a federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities. Morgan's attorneys, backed by federal officials, argue he is protected under legal doctrines stemming from the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that federal law supersedes conflicting state laws. Courts have recognized that federal officers may, in certain circumstances, be shielded from state prosecution for actions taken in the course of their official duties. But Minnesota prosecutors say those protections do not apply here, arguing Morgan's alleged conduct fell outside any legitimate federal law-enforcement function. The case has grown into a broader fight over the legal protections afforded to federal officers. Hennepin County prosecutors are seeking to keep the matter in state court, while the federal government has joined Morgan's effort to move it to federal court. Earlier this week, the Department of Justice filed a notice seeking to have Senior Trial Attorney Paul Quast appear on behalf of the United States in the case. "These actions by Minnesota sanctuary politicians are nothing more than a political stunt," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. "States do not have the authority to charge a federal law enforcement officer while performing his official duties." COLORADO DA PURSUES ASSAULT CHARGE AGAINST FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICER, DHS CONDEMNS 'POLITICAL STUNT' The statement came as Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's office urged a federal judge to reject Morgan'…