Two people were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at the Hennepin County Government Center on Thursday following their court appearance on felony charges, as reported by multiple media outlets.
The move drew ire from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty as well as the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office.
Daniel Alejandro Torrealba Mendez, 33, and Joseelin Josimar Castillo Sequera, 29, who both live in Plymouth, Minn., according to court documents, were charged last year with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, and aiding and abetting third-degree criminal sexual conduct, respectively, involving a minor who was age 14 at the time.
🚨 BREAKING Minneapolis, MN: Two illegal aliens are detained outside the Hennepin County Government Center and there isn't a damn thing that Rabid Responders in the state can do about it. pic.twitter.com/Wyu9exhNwr
— Kim "Katie" USA (@KimKatieUSA) February 5, 2026
Court documents state that the pair allegedly coerced the minor to engage in repeated sexual activity with them that continued for months, after the child and her parents moved in with the couple after newly arriving in the country in January 2025.
Court records show that the accused pair was in court for a settlement conference Thursday, which often precedes the crafting of plea agreements. However, a jury trial in the case is scheduled for April 27. The cases had been recently ordered combined by the presiding judge to face trial together.
Media reports state that the pair was detained by ICE near the security screening area inside the Government Center.
Following the detainment, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty posted a statement saying, “Our courts are not staging grounds for federal immigration enforcement. These actions make it more difficult, and in some cases impossible, to get victims and witnesses to come to court to testify.” Moriarty also claimed that ICE was depriving victims of the opportunity to hold the defendants accountable.
Our courts are not staging grounds for federal immigration enforcement.
These actions make it more difficult, and in some cases impossible, to get victims and witnesses to come to court to testify.https://t.co/6JSHaj8oHN pic.twitter.com/vgZpZ86bpF
— Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty (@HennepinAtty) February 5, 2026
Hennepin County chief public defender Mike Berger, whose office is representing Torrealba Mendez and Castillo Sequera, said the detainments were unconstitutional, the Star Tribune reported.
“ICE arrests before completion of the state case is a new and unprecedented interruption of due process in state courts,” Berger said, according to the Star Tribune. “The interference with attorney representation even in the course of an arrest is unconstitutional and frankly completely unacceptable.”
Bonney Bowman, the spokeswoman for the Fourth Judicial District, told the Star Tribune that the detainments in the courthouse were legally allowed.
The most recent data available from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission show that in 2020-2021, nearly 60% of criminal sexual conduct case outcomes were sentenced to probation. The same report also shows that 35% of third-degree criminal sexual conduct cases involving minors during that period received downward departures from sentencing guidelines.
Writs of habeas corpus were filed in the cases late Thursday and signed by a judge requiring federal agents to make the defendants available for their next court hearing on Feb. 20, and for all subsequent proceedings. The writs state that at the end of proceedings, the sheriff will return the parties to the custody of ICE at their Fort Snelling office (Whipple Federal Building).
The Department of Homeland Security had not made any public comment on the detainments at the time of this report.
– – –
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
