A mother from suburban Minneapolis was recently arrested after she followed federal immigration officers in her car. The woman, Becky Ringstrom, says she was simply keeping an eye on the agents as they drove through her neighborhood. Video from bystanders that was verified by Reuters shows federal agents in unmarked vehicles pulling her over, with one agent striking her windshield with a metal object during the stop.
Ringstrom, 42, was taken to a federal building in downtown Minneapolis and given a citation under a federal law that makes it a crime to interfere with or impede a federal officer. The charge she received comes from Title 18, Section 111 of the U.S. Code, which can be treated as either a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the circumstances. If prosecuted as a felony, the law can carry up to 20 years in prison — though strong penalties are usually reserved for cases involving dangerous weapons or serious injury.
Her case isn’t unique. A Reuters examination of federal court filings found that at least 655 people have been charged under this same statute across the U.S. since a wave of immigration enforcement actions began last summer under President Trump’s administration. That figure represents a noticeable increase compared with similar periods last year.
Justice officials say these charges are part of an effort to crack down on people who get in the way of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, including alleged threats or assaults on agents. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the actions, saying officers are entitled to protect themselves and carry out their duties. A DHS spokesperson emphasized that the use of force is limited to what’s necessary for safety and that anyone who interferes with law enforcement will be held accountable.
ICE has also created an internal database that it uses to track people involved in incidents tied to enforcement operations. According to agency officials, this database includes names, photos, vehicle descriptions, and other details, all intended to help investigators spot patterns that could lead to criminal charges. DHS says it doesn’t maintain a database of “domestic terrorists,” but does monitor threats to its officers.
The administration maintains that authorities must act when people step into their work — especially if they impede or threaten agents. A White House spokesperson asserted that the government respects Americans’ rights to free speech and peaceful protest, but that blocking, resisting, or interfering with federal officers crosses a legal line and warrants enforcement.
Ringstrom’s version of events is different. According to her statements to Reuters, she was keeping a respectful distance behind the agents’ vehicle when they began moving. She said she wasn’t trying to disrupt them and felt she was just observing. After her arrest, she expressed fear and confusion, saying at one point she thought she might end up like another recent protester who had been in the spotlight.
There has been a mix of reactions to cases like this one. Legal experts argue the use of a serious federal statute in situations where no physical contact or violence took place seems overly broad. One law professor noted that the law historically applied mainly to clear assaults on officers, and that simply driving behind a vehicle at a distance shouldn’t meet the legal definition of obstruction.
A federal judge in Minneapolis even weighed in when a similar situation arose, ruling in mid-January that simply following ICE at a reasonable distance didn’t justify a traffic stop or arrest. However, an appeals court soon paused that decision, putting it on hold while further legal questions are considered.
Some critics point to moments in recent weeks that highlight the contentious nature of federal immigration enforcement. Videos show agents approaching vehicles that were following them, at times drawing weapons during the encounters. DHS officials defended these actions as responses to what they described as unsafe behavior or possible threats, though details remain disputed in some cases.
In the broader context, these kinds of enforcement actions come amid a significant uptick in ICE operations nationwide since President Trump returned to office. Data reported by news outlets and analysts show that interior immigration enforcement has ramped up, with many arrests taking place far from the southern border and inside U.S. cities. Whether critics think these moves are necessary for law and order or a troubling expansion of federal power depends largely on political views and individual perspectives.
