A man recently detained by ICE ended up with a shattered skull, but how he sustained such devastating injuries remains unclear.
Mexican immigrant Alberto Castañeda Mondragón was arrested on January 8 and was later taken to a hospital in Minnesota with broken bones in his face and skull.
When ICE agents took Castañeda Mondragón for urgent medical attention four hours after his arrest, he had a CT scan that revealed at least eight skull fractures and life-threatening hemorrhages in at least five areas of his brain, according to court documents.
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Castañeda Mondragón was then transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) where ICE officers told staff that the 31-year-old man got the injuries after purposely running ‘headfirst into a brick wall’ while trying to flee.Those at HCMC reportedly didn’t believe this, however, with one nurse describing their version of events as ‘laughable’.
A nurse familiar with the matter told The Associated Press (AP): « It was laughable, if there was something to laugh about. »
They added: « There was no way this person ran headfirst into a wall. »
Tensions are said to have flared between hospital staff and ICE officers when they insisted on using handcuffs to shackle Castañeda Mondragón’s ankles to the bed.
The Mexican immigrant, who entered America in 2022 with valid immigration documents, was awake at the time of all this but was unable to recall for himself how he sustained his injuries.
Reportedly, he was so disorientated that he could not tell hospital staff what year it was.
The request to shackle him to his bed came after Castañeda Mondragón got up from his bed and took a few steps. ICE took this as him trying to flee, but the nurses said this wasn’t the case. »We were basically trying to explain to ICE that this is how someone with a traumatic brain injury is – they’re impulsive, » one of the nurses who spoke to AP said. « We didn’t think he was making a run for the door. »
Sharing the resolution that was agreed upon, they continued: « We eventually agreed with ICE that we would have a nursing assistant sit with the patient to prevent him from leaving.
« They agreed a little while later to take the shackles off. »
The news about the ordeal involving Castañeda Mondragón comes after a lawyer filed court documents seeking his release.
His lawyers said that their client was ‘racially profiled during the crackdown, and that officers determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa’, AP reports.
A group of ICE agents are said to have sat down at a Mexican restaurant for lunch in a small town in Minnesota only to return a matter of hours later to detain the employees.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the four agents sat down for lunch at El Tapatio restaurant in Willmar at roughly 3pm local time last Wednesday (January 14).
Come 8:30pm, the ICE agents arrested the employees near a local church and Willmar Middle School, after they closed the restaurant for the evening.
Bystanders are said to have blew whistles at the agents and one witness asked the agents ‘would your mama be proud of you right now?’, according to the Star Tribune.
In a statement provided to UNILAD, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said they had ‘conducted surveillance of a target’, an ‘illegal alien from Mexico’.DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: « On January 14, ICE officers conducted surveillance of a target, Jose Rosario Gomez Gallardo an illegal alien from Mexico.
“Officers observed that the target’s vehicle was outside of a local business and positively identified him as the target while inside the business. Following the positive identification of the target, officers then conducted a vehicle stop later in the day and apprehended the target and two additional illegal aliens who were in the car, including one who had a final order of removal from an immigration judge.
“We encourage all illegal aliens to use the CBP Home app to get a free flight home and $1,000 stipend. By using the CBP Home app, illegal aliens have the opportunity to come back to the U.S. the right legal way and live the American dream.”
Willmar is one of the most diverse cities in Minnesota and El Tapatio, alongside many other local businesses, have since closed their doors following last week’s arrest.One local resident, Brentt Fees, spoke to WCCO and stated he’s supporting the Mexican restaurant after the employer allegedly lost 75 percent of its business following Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
« Just wanted to make sure everything was okay, and apparently it’s not because they’re closed now, » the Wilmar resident said.
Tensions are heightening in Minnesota following shooting fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, earlier this month.
Just two blocks from where the mother-of-three was shot, protests led to one woman allegedly being dragged away by ICE agents in disturbing scenes.
A week after Renee Good was shot, a Venezuelan man was shot by an ICE agent in North Minneapolis – but his identity remains unknown.
ICE in Minnesota: a timeline of events
Dec 2025: Trump sends thousands of ICE agents to Minneapolis
In late December 2025, with reports emerging around January 6 (the five-year anniversary of the Capitol Riots), President Donald Trump sent around 2,000 ICE agents into Minneapolis to crack down on immigration.
This was reportedly due to, more specifically, allegations of fraud aimed at Somalian residents.
Jan 7: ICE agent Jonathan Ross kills Renee Good
On January 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed mother-of-three Renee Good at the scene of an ICE raid in southern Minnesota. Good’s car was stopped sideways, in what is believed to have been an attempt to block ICE agents from passing.
As Good went to reverse her vehicle away from the agents, Ross shot her at least two times, once in the face. Good died at the scene.
Jan 7: Protests break out in Minneapolis
Following the killing of Renee Good, protests broke out in Minneapolis that same night. Protests are still ongoing at the time of writing (January 19), and tensions remain high in the twin cities.
Jan 12: Minnesota sues the Trump administration
On January 12, the state of Minnesota filed a motion in federal court to sue the Trump administration in an attempt to block the surge of ICE agents. Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison said immigration operations have caused ‘chaos and violence’ for millions of people and disrupted their lives.
Jan 13: ICE drags disabled woman from car
On January 13, on a street in Minnesota City, ICE agents were caught on camera dragging an unknown disabled woman from her car. This happened just two blocks from where Good was shot.
The woman shouted at the time: “I’ve been beat up by police before. I’m disabled, I’m trying to go to the doctor up there, that’s why I couldn’t move. I am an autistic disabled person, I’m trying to go to the doctor.”
The Independent reports that ‘tear gas, flash bang grenades and pepper balls were also fired towards the protesters during the stand-off’.
Jan 14: Venezuelan man shot by ICE
A Venezuelan man was shot in the leg by ICE officers on January 14 during an alleged traffic stop. It’s been reported that during the traffic stop, the officer was attacked by another individual in the car with a ‘snow shovel and broom handle’, which is allegedly why they opened fire on two individuals. The man who was shot has not yet been identified.
Jan 15: Trump threatens insurrection
Trump has not reacted well to the protests and took to Truth Social to threaten Minnesota with insurrection. On January 15, he said: “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,.”
Jan 18: 1,500 US troops on standby for deployment
On January 18, officials confirmed that 1,500 soldiers are on standby for deployment to Minneapolis. The troops are currently in Alaska, and no official word has been given to send them in as of yet.
Minnesota officials have asked protesters to stay ‘peaceful’ and ‘orderly’. This comes after Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis told ICE to ‘get the f*ck out’.
Celebrities have been speaking out after an anti-ICE protester was killed on Saturday (January 24).
Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in the street in Minneapolis, which comes just weeks after mom-of-three Renee Good was killed in her car in similar circumstances.
Following the incident, the Department of Homeland Security said that federal immigration agents fired shots in a move of self-defence, claiming Pretti had a handgun at the time. This contrasts with both witness accounts and video footage, which show Pretti holding a mobile phone, not a gun.
In a statement, Pretti’s family have said: « We are heartbroken but also very angry.
« Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman.
« The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper-sprayed.
« Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you. »The events in Minneapolis this weekend have prompted some celebrity responses, too, with several famous faces discussing what happened.
Mandy Moore shared a series of statements and articles on social media, before writing: « We have eyeballs. We’ve seen the video. They executed someone else. I’m not sure how this ends. This is terrifying territory. »
Meanwhile, Ariana Grande posted a tweet from New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, which read: « As tens of thousands across America protest the violence that ICE sows with impunity, federal agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis today. ICE terrorizes our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE. »
Singer Olivia Rodrigo added on social media: « ICEs actions are unconscionable but we are not powerless. our actions matter. I stand with Minnesota. »Chrissy Teigen also re-shared a number of posts, including one by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on X.
« Americans are being killed in the street by their government. Our Constitution is being shredded and our rights are dissolving. Resist, » she wrote.
« Senate Dems should block ICE funding this week. Activate the National Guard. We can and must stop this. »
Pretti was fatally shot in Minneapolis (ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
Pretti was fatally shot in Minneapolis (ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
Pretti had no criminal convictions, with his family noting he had never had any interactions with the police.
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump shared a statement about the incident. Posting an image of a handgun, he wrote: « This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about?
« Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off?
« It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do! »
Donald Trump’s government has sparked fury after announcing plans to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) troops to the Winter Olympics, which will take place in Milan later this year.
ICE have been engaged in controversy after controversy following numerous deaths in the US in recent weeks – most recently the shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Their actions have sparked protests and calls for the agents to be removed from affected cities, but amid the ongoing backlash, Trump announced that their presence would officially be expanding overseas.
Confirming the news that ICE would be heading to the Winter Olympics, a spokesperson from the US Department of Homeland Security told CNN the Homeland Security Investigations division would serve a ‘security role’ at the games, adding: “They don’t do immigration enforcement (operations) in a foreign country obviously. »
Now, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is working overtime to contain the aftershocks of the announcement that has caused a lot of anger on all sides of the political spectrum in Italy.
Why are ICE going to the Winter Olympics?
There has been some confusion about ICE’s role at the Winter Olympics after Attilio Fontana, president of Lombardy, suggested that ICE would be assisting with the security of US Vice Secretary JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will both be attending the opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium on February 6.
Despite the controversy, it is seen as common practice for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and domestic law enforcement agencies to provide security support at major international events.
The DHS said in a statement that ‘all security operations at the Olympics are directed and managed exclusively by Italian authorities’.
What do Italians think of ICE coming to the Winter Olympics?
Speaking to Italian radio yesterday, Milan Mayor Beppe Sala said: « It’s clear that they are not welcome in Milan, there’s no doubt about it. Can’t we just say no to Trump for once? We can take care of their security ourselves. We don’t need ICE.”
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed that the officers that would be in Milan would ‘not be those that are on the streets of Minneapolis’.
He went on to say: “I have been harder than anyone else in Italy on [the ICE raids] … but it’s not like the SS are coming. »
He also stressed that ICE would not be on Italian streets, only police officers working alongside the Carabinieri military police and the Guardia di Finanza financial authority. Alessandro Zan, member of the European Parliament for the centre-left Democratic party, said the presence of ICE agents would be unacceptable.
Writing to X, he said: “In Italy, we don’t want those who trample on human rights and act outside of any democratic control. »
There has been collaboration across the political spectrum in Italy, with smaller opposition parties, the Green and Left Alliance (AVS) and Azione, starting up petitions calling on the Italian government and the Olympic organising committee to prevent the ICE agents’ entry and involvement in the security operations.In an official statement posted to their website, ICE said: “At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is supporting the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations. All security operations remain under Italian authority.”
The Department of Homeland Security posted on X, saying: « Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries.
« At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations. »
What will ICE troops be doing at the Winter Olympics?
The US Embassy in Rome has issued guidance to the Italian media, stating that it is common practice for federal agencies to work at the Olympic Games. It is not clear, however, if this has previously involved ICE. They said that ICE’s role would be ‘strictly supportive – working with the Diplomatic Security Service and Italian authorities to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations’.
They added that they would not be conducting immigration enforcement ops outside of the US, according to US Homeland Security Department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
What happened to Alex Pretti and Renee Good?
There has been a spate of deaths in the US recently in altercations with protestors and ICE officers. An ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good on 7 January in Minneapolis, prompting widespread outrage across the city.
Following this, on 24 January, ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot by US Border Patrol Agents. It has been reported that two Italian journalists from public broadcaster Rai were threatened by ICE agents as they tried to cover the agency’s actions.
