As legal observers, teen brother duo compare federal tactics in Twin Cities, Chicago
Teenage brothers born in Minneapolis and now living in Chicago documented federal immigration agents in both cities for months.
Ben and Sam Luhmann are legal observers and say they want to give people a clear picture of what's happening during these immigration enforcement operations.
"So much of what we filmed there is going to be in my mind forever," said Sam Luhmann.
They were there as federal agents made an arrest at a home last month in Shakopee, Minnesota.
"I will never forget that moment. They raided a home with a ton of guns and AR-15s and were pounding on the doors. They took somebody right in front of his kids," said Sam Luhmann.
The teenagers from Chicago arrived in Minneapolis on Jan. 8, the day after Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent. They spent three weeks recording and documenting federal agents throughout the state.
In some cases, the Luhmanns say what they witnessed directly contradicted public statements made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
"We've interacted with ICE and Border Patrol hundreds of times. We know what to be recording and what information to be getting," said Ben Luhmann.
The brothers gained that experience last fall in Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz, where they observed more than 200 ICE and border patrol agents on the ground — compared to an estimated 3,000 immigration agents that were sent to Minnesota.
"In Minneapolis, there were just so many more agents. It seemed more like an invasion compared to little operations here and there in Chicago," said Sam Luhmann.
"With the greater presence, it seems that they just felt like they had the power to do anything," said Ben Luhmann.
The teenagers are back in Chicago for a break, but may return to Minnesota or another state that is facing federal immigration enforcement.
"Just the way that communities have come together to help each other, it takes so much courage and bravery," said Ben Luhmann.
