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Matt Sepic

@msepic.bsky.social
1.3K followers 835 following 160 posts

Minneapolis-based reporter for MPR News

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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
I was the reporter who asked Rosen about the 18 dismissals in the 36 agent assault cases. Now 19 as of a few hours ago, plus 11 non-prosecution agreements.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
One of the petitioners -- a roofer named Riky who's in the U.S. legally on a U1 visa -- is still missing his work permit & $400 nail gun. Can't do much roofing without either. His lawyer says ICE agents told Riky they were going to destroy the nail gun. He's also missing $100 in cash.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
I was there today, and at Judge Bryan's on Tuesday. This one was far less spicy (and shorter). U.S. Atty Dan Rosen was contrite and promised full compensation for missing items. Tunheim is promising a ruling tonight, likely w/ 30-day deadline to return items with threat of civil contempt fines.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Later, from the lectern, Rosen tells Bryan: "Contempt is far beyond anything that can be considered here today.” Judge concludes hearing, takes issue of contempt under advisement, so no finding of contempt against Rosen and civil chief Fuller issued today.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
In remarkable move, Bryan calls U.S. Atty Rosen to the witness box and puts him under oath: "It is the culture of our office that when an order comes down from a court, that you convey that to their client, that you convey their obligation to comply," Rosen said.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Rich: "No. It’s in our code of ethics. Multiple people are working together when we process each alien." Judge Bryan: "I understand that the statute uses that term. But we’re not talking about space aliens. We’re talking about people."
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Tauria Rich - St. Paul ICE deputy field director sworn in & answering questions from Judge Bryan. Bryan: "Can ICE or ERO just take property from detained people? Put it in their pocket and go home? Steal it?"
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Things have calmed down considerably after lunch break in contempt hearing. Judge Bryan removes all but 5 habeas cases from the list after U.S. Atty Rosen confirms that belongings have been returned or there are no other outstanding problems.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Before lunch break, Minnesota U.S. Atty Dan Rosen and petitioners' attorneys stipulate that 11 former detainees' belongings have been returned. These cases are removed from the contempt hearing but others remain for the afternoon.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
ROSEN: The government is making "extraordinary efforts to comply with court orders." Judge calls brief recess.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Petitioner's counsel Sly Onyia: "If civil contempt is not issued, the government is going to continue doing what they’ve been doing." Onyia says ICE is still leaving people stranded without their personal belongings. Many are still missing their IDs, phones, wallets, etc.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Petitioner's counsel Mackenzie Moy: There are instances "in which the government has filed declarations to the court that are patently false. We know what we are seeing and it doesn’t appear to be in good faith.”
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Rosen: In 26 of 28 cases we've achieved "full performance" of returning belongings. In 2 cases we believe that further diligent search for the items "would be futile." We don’t believe that error on the part of the property custodian is grounds for civil contempt.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
JUDGE BRYAN: "Are your clients contesting the fact that they received court orders? ROSEN: (Interrupting the judge) "Your honor has made a mark smearing me…" JUDGE: "You can’t talk over me." Rosen said that DHS received 52 court orders
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Judge Bryan: "It is my intention this morning to determine whether to hold you (Rosen) in civil contempt or Mr. Fuller (civ div chief) in civil contempt. I have not ruled out criminal contempt. I do not want to hold anyone in contempt today."
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
The hearing is now underway. Bryan asks Rosen if the court has the power to enforce its orders through civil contempt. Rosen: Generally yes, but in this case no.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
... previously threatened Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons with contempt for failing to release a detainee. Schiltz called off the hearing after ICE released the man. In more recent orders, Schiltz found that DHS had violated more than 200 court orders.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Bryan, a Biden appointee, is far from the only judge to threaten immigration officials with contempt. Judge Patrick Schiltz – a GW Bush appointee who clerked for the late SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia...
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
I found only two joint stipulations where both the gov & petitioners' counsel agreed that all belongings had been returned.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
I reviewed all 28 filings ahead before the courthouse closed Monday evening. One man is still missing his wallet & shoes. DHS says it’s trying to track down another’s social security card. Also missing are driver’s licenses & work permits.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Judge Bryan’s show cause order is connected to 28 petitions of habeas corpus, which are civil suits that many detainees have filed to challenge their detentions. Minnesota’s federal court system is straining under the load of these. Four out-of-district judges are here to help manage the cases.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
...for the Department of Homeland Security’s failure to return the belongings of detainees it arrested illegally and later released.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Minnesota U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen is in St. Paul federal court this morning along with his acting civil division chief David Fuller. Judge Jeffery Bryan ordered them to appear & explain why they shouldn’t be held in civil or criminal contempt... www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
mprnews.org
Two federal judges rebuke Minnesota U.S. Attorney after ICE fails to follow court orders
A federal judge in St. Paul ordered Minnesota’s U.S. attorney to court over DHS’s failure to return property to unlawfully detained immigrants, as another judge rebuked his office.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Thanks! That's one number that's tricky to pin down. I've primarily been covering court cases, but I haven't heard anything there related to numbers.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Can I get this on a T-shirt?
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KQED Forum @kqedforum.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
🎙️ON AIR: We're talking to journalists @nickmiroff.bsky.social and @msepic.bsky.social and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins about what the fatal shooting of Renee Good might mean for the future of ICE. ❓What questions do you have about the president's immigration agenda? 📻 Listen:
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Anger, Protests and Questions Follow ICE Shooting | KQED
We talk about the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis and what it might mean for Trump's immigration agenda and the future of ICE.
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MPR News @mprnews.org · 20/12/2025
Newly-released 911 transcripts reveal dueling allegations of kidnapping by Homeland Security Investigations agents and Oluwadamilola Bamigboye, a Nigerian man whom they tried to question about overstaying his student visa.
mprnews.org
‘ICE is in my car!’ 911 transcripts reveal dueling ‘kidnapping’ claims
Newly-released 911 transcripts reveal dueling allegations of kidnapping by Homeland Security Investigations agents and a Nigerian man whom they tried to question about his immigration status. Oluwadam...
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Reposted by Matt Sepic
Aleesa @akuzee.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Photos from St. Paul today captured by MPR photojournalist Kerem Yücel. He filed them even after being hospitalized after being injured by a less lethal munition.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Judge Nancy Brasel sentences "early mover" in #FeedingOurFuture meal fraud scam to 28 years in federal prison. Brasel: “I cannot think of any reason for the behavior other than pure unmitigated greed.” Previous story: www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
mprnews.org
Feds seek 30-year prison term for 'early mover' in Feeding Our Future scam
Prosecutors are seeking a 30-year prison term for a defendant in the Feeding Our Future fraud case. The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office says Abdiaziz Farah was key in a conspiracy to fleece taxpayer-...
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
More details of the investigation into the killings of former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark are outlined in several search warrants unsealed today. www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
mprnews.org
Four dozen guns, 5 body bags and a second police vehicle found in search of Boelter property
Judges Friday unsealed a number of search warrants from the investigation into Vance Boelter. Boelter is suspected of killing former DFL Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, a...
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Abdelhamid Al-Madioum is out of federal prison after a decade-long saga that began with him joining ISIS at age 18 and continues today as he helps terrorism investigators. www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
mprnews.org
Former Minnesota ISIS member granted early release after helping terrorism investigators
A federal judge in Minneapolis cut the sentence short of a Twin Cities man who joined the Islamic State group a decade ago. Abdelhamid Al-Madioum left prison Tuesday after providing extensive help to ...
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
From House Speaker Lisa Demuth:
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
MPR News confirms that Vance Boelter, the suspected killer of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark - is in custody. Details to come.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
mprnews.org
Judge demands answers from immigration officials over U student’s detention
A federal judge in St. Paul on Wednesday ordered immigration officials to say why they’re detaining a University of Minnesota graduate student. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Doğu...
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
@mprnews.org has new details about ICE's arrest of a U of Minnesota MBA student from Turkey. Doğukan Günaydin is jailed in Sherburne Co. without charge. His attorney argues in lawsuit that 2023 DWI is not a legal reason to revoke Günaydin's student visa. www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
mprnews.org
Lawsuit: U student 'feared he was being kidnapped' by ICE
According to a federal lawsuit, Doğukan Günaydin, who is studying business at the University of Minnesota, was stripped of his phone and belongings, taken to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement fi...
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MPR News @mprnews.org · 28/03/2025
The international graduate student was enrolled at the school’s Twin Cities campus, according to the email sent Friday evening.
mprnews.org
University of Minnesota says ICE detained a graduate student
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials Thursday detained a University of Minnesota graduate student at an off-campus residence. The international graduate student was enrolled at the scho...
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Thompson: "The Feeding Our Future case has come to symbolize the problem of fraud in our state. It has become the shame of Minnesota. Hopefully today’s verdict will help turn the page on this awful chapter in our state’s history.”
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
"The jury saw overwhelming evidence of what Bock knew," said lead prosecutor Joe Thompson. Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick called Bock & Said's actions "reprehensible." “They used a time of crisis as their golden opportunity to enrich themselves and their criminal partners…"
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
News conference expected soon from prosecution team.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Bock is crying. U.S. Marshals put on handcuffs and take Bock and Said into custody.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
"The fraud scheme was based on deception," Brasel said. The court is concerned that defendants could use similar deception to flee now that they're facing "a significant sentence." Orders both Said & Bock jailed.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Judge Nancy Brasel says federal law carries presumption of pre-sentencing detention & burden is on defendants to prove they're not a flight risk or danger. "The court cannot find that the presumption has been rebutted."
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Adrian Montez, Said's attorney, makes similar argument against detaining his client. "While these are clearly serious convictions, the crimes are not inherently dangerous..." The crimes were part of a situation that's no longer happening, he argues. Says Said needs time to say goodbye to his kids.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Brasel did not set sentencing dates. Presentence investigations come first. Prosecutor Joe Thompson moves for revocation of both defendants' pretrial release. Bock's defense attorney Ken Udoibok says Bock hasn't violated release conditions & isn't a flight risk.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Little visible reaction from Bock and Said, but I'm sitting directly behind them so it's impossible to see facial expressions.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Judge Nancy Brasel excuses the jury after thanking them for their commitment to upholding democracy and their careful attention to the evidence.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Salim Said convicted on all 21 charges. Bock convicted on all 7. Charges included wire fraud and federal programs bribery. Said was convicted of five counts of money laundering in addition to the other charges. Clean sweep for the government.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Bock convicted on all charges
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
After about 5 hours of deliberation, the jury has reached a verdict in the second #FeedingOurFuture trial. It'll be read shortly. Defendants Aimee Bock and Salim Said have just arrived at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis.
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Matt Sepic @msepic.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Winding down his rebuttal, Ebert tells jurors "You have the power to end this story.”
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