Iraq War Vet Among Those Denied Lawyer Access While Held By ICE In Minneapolis: Report

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — An Iraq War veteran is among detainees denied access to their lawyers while being held by ICE inside a Minneapolis federal building, violating 5th and 6th Amendment rights to due process and the right to consult with counsel, according to a report from ABC News.

Multiple Minnesota attorneys told ABC News they were physically blocked from meeting clients at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, where detainees are being held during the federal immigration surge in the state. One attorney said his client, a U.S. citizen and Iraq War veteran, was detained after being a bystander near an enforcement operation.

Attorneys described waiting for hours outside visitation rooms while ICE agents repeatedly told them attorney visits were not allowed, a practice they said is unprecedented and unconstitutional.

One lawyer said he was denied access to a detainee with serious medical needs even after raising concerns about whether life-sustaining medications had been delivered.

"His family had been trying to drop off medications, and his family had not confirmed that he had received the medications that he needs for his life," said the attorney. "So, I specifically told ICE that I need to talk to this guy to make sure he got his medications. And they wouldn't let me see him."

The Department of Homeland Security has denied any constitutional violations.

Read the full report at ABC News.