The Introspective

The week ended with a fatal ICE custody ruling, federal investigations, and limits on enforcement tactics amid ongoing protests.

Trump’s 52nd week ended with updates on immigration, investigations, Minnesota and Greenland. This comes as Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban immigrant, died in ICE custody earlier this month, with a medical examiner ruling his death a homicide, contradicting ICE’s claim of suicide after a witness at the Texas facility alleges guards choked him to death. At the same time, U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez ruled that ICE agents in Minneapolis are prohibited from arresting peaceful protesters and from using nonlethal crowd-control methods, raising implications after a family in North Minneapolis was teargassed after being caught in a nearby protest.

Following a previous report from The Introspective detailing President Trump threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, the Pentagon directed 1,500 active-duty soldiers from Alaska to prepare for deployment to Minnesota, raising implications as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz activated the state’s National Guard with troops on “standby” until further notice. The Department of Justice (DOJ) later launched an investigation into Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging the two are impeding ICE activities in the region. Meanwhile, as the trade war and tensions with Greenland continue, Trump imposed tariffs on eight NATO countries until “such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

ICE and Immigration

As anti-immigrant sentiment continues, Geraldo Lunas Campos, an immigrant from Cuba, had his death ruled a homicide after he died during an altercation with guards at the Camp East Montana facility in El Paso, Texas.

“Campos violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt to take his life,” said Homeland Security spokesperson Trica McLaughlin, claiming his death was a suicide.

“During the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.”

In a press release, ICE acknowledged multiple charges faced by Lunas Campos, including a 2003 conviction of sexual contact with a minor, a 2007 conviction of possessing a controlled substance, and a 2009 conviction of selling a controlled substance, before stating that he became “disruptive” while waiting for medication.

“Medical staff responded, initiated lifesaving measures, and requested emergency medical services,” ICE said.

However, detainee Santos Jesús Flores alleges that guards choked Lunas Campos to death, saying he witnessed it from the window of his cell.

“He didn’t want to enter the cell where they were going to put him,” Flores said.

“Then the guards grabbed him and, well, they grabbed him and they killed him. The last thing he said was that he couldn’t breathe.”

Flores later dismissed ICE’s claim, saying that Lunas Campos was already handcuffed when guards pinned him to the floor, with one placing him in a chokehold.

He said Lunas Campos was no longer moving after five minutes.

“After he stopped breathing, they removed the handcuffs,” Flores said.

At the same time, U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez ruled that ICE agents in Minneapolis are prohibited from arresting peaceful protesters and from using nonlethal crowd-control methods, raising implications as tensions have increased throughout the Twin Cities following Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, being shot and killed by Jonathan Ross, an ICE agent, in south Minneapolis.

“There is no sign that this operation is winding down—indeed, it appears to still be ramping up,” Menendez wrote, while also barring ICE agents from stopping vehicles following them as long as the vehicles are maintaining an “appropriate” distance.

ICE Minneapolis Ruling

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In a statement obtained by The Introspective, McLaughlin criticized the judge’s ruling.

“The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly—not rioting,” she said.

“DHS is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters. We remind the public that rioting is dangerous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime, and assaulting law enforcement is a felony.”

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson also criticized the ruling, saying, “The Trump administration will always enforce the law.”

“This absurd ruling embraces a dishonest, left-wing narrative,” she said.

“Here’s the truth: Federal agents have acted lawfully to protect themselves and ensure the integrity of their operations when individuals attempt to intervene.”

The ruling comes after a family was teargassed by ICE after being caught in a nearby protest while on the way home from basketball practice, leaving three of their six children, including a 6-month-old baby, hospitalized.

“They stopped at my car, and they proceeded to yell in and said, ‘Get out of here.’ Well, they used profanity. And my husband screamed and said, ‘We’re trying,’” Destiny Jackson told CBS News.

“They said it again, and we said, ‘We’re trying, if you guys will move.’ And of course, everybody saying what happened with Renee, you know, we weren’t going to pull off while they were right there. That’s what we were trying to avoid,” she continued.

“Within seconds, there was a big boom and our car was up in the air and we slammed down and all of our airbags deployed and all of our doors locked. And tear gas just started forming, a ball of gas just started forming around the car,” she added.

She later mentioned bystanders helping her and her husband, Shawn, get the children out of the smoke-filled vehicle, while highlighting the effects of the tear gas on their 6-month-old son.

“The last person to get out of the car was my infant child,” she said.

“And when he came in, he was, like, lifeless. It was like foam or bubbles coming out of his mouth. I had to give him mouth-to-mouth and CPR. I couldn’t even breathe myself, and all I remember is between every breath, I was saying, ‘I’m going to give you every breath I have until you get yours back.’”

In a now-deleted statement, McLaughlin called the family “the victim of rioters and agitators,” dismissing ICE’s involvement.

“DHS law enforcement NEVER targeted this family or their innocent children,” she said.

“Law enforcement followed their training and reasonably deployed crowd-control measures.”

A GoFundMe has since been set up for the Jackson family to pay for medical bills and replace the family’s car.

Minnesota, National Guard, and Greenland

The Pentagon has since ordered more than 1,500 soldiers from Alaska to prepare for deployment to Minnesota, raising implications as Trump previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in the state.

“We are taking prudent steps to prepare active-duty Army forces,” a defense official told ABC News.

“This doesn’t mean they will deploy; we are preparing options.”

This also comes as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mobilized the state’s National Guard on Saturday.

“Members of the Minnesota National Guard are on standby, ready to assist local law enforcement and public safety agencies. If our members are activated, they will be wearing reflective vests, as pictured here, to help distinguish them from other agencies in similar uniforms,” the Guard wrote on Facebook.

“These Minnesota National Guardsmen live, work and serve in our state, and are focused on protecting life, preserving property, and ensuring Minnesotans can safely exercise their First Amendment rights.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) later announced an investigation into Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging the two are impeding ICE operations in the region.

Walz acknowledged the investigation in a statement, accusing the agency of “weaponizing the justice system.”

“Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly,” he said.

“The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”

Frey said he “will not be intimidated.”

“This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets,” he said.

“Neither our city nor our country will succumb to this fear. We stand rock solid.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi later posted on X, “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously criticized the two officials, saying they “have to get their city under control.”

“They are encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement, which is a federal crime, a felony,” she wrote on X.

“This is putting the people of Minnesota in harm’s way.”

Meanwhile, as the trade war and tensions with Greenland continue, Trump imposed tariffs on eight NATO countries—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland—until the United States administers control of the island from Denmark.

“Starting on February 1, 2026, all of the above-mentioned countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland) will be charged a 10% tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“On June 1, 2026, the tariff will be increased to 25%. This tariff will be due and payable until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.”

He later said that acquiring Greenland is “especially important” for U.S. national security interests.

“Hundreds of billions of dollars are currently being spent on security programs having to do with ‘The Dome,’ including for the possible protection of Canada, and this very brilliant, but highly complex system can only work at its maximum potential and efficiency, because of angles, metes, and bounds, if this land is included in it,” he wrote.

This comes as European troops began arriving in Greenland amid the increased tensions.