Prof. Emmanuel Mauleón Quoted by Wall Street Journal About Legal Questions Regarding ICE Shooting

Professor Emmanuel Mauleón was quoted by the Wall Street Journal about legal questions about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis. The incident has created an unusual legal rift between federal and local law enforcers raising questions about whether, and how, Minnesota officials might seek to prosecute the agent over a shooting they say was unjustified. Prof. Mauleón said that without cooperation from federal agencies, it will be close to impossible for state officials to put together a case. He said that without the cooperation of federal authorities, state prosecutors are now unlikely to have access to any further evidence — body-worn camera footage, if it exists, interviews with the officer and witness, medical reports — and any other investigative material that could be part of a case. In addition, even though Vice President J.D. Vance said the ICE agent responsible for the shooting was doing his job as a federal officer and was protected by “absolute immunity,” Prof. Mauleón said the term “absolute immunity” does exist in law, but it applies to judges and prosecutors, not law enforcement.