Two U.S. citizen teenagers detained by Border Patrol at Target store in Minnesota
Jan 8, 2026·Location: Richfield, MN

On January 8, 2026, U.S. Border Patrol agents led by Chief Greg Bovino detained two U.S. citizen teenagers, Jonathan Aguilar Garcia and Christian Miranda Romano, while they were working at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota. Both were apprehended based on their appearance during an immigration enforcement operation. Garcia presented a U.S. passport asserting his citizenship but was initially detained anyway; after verification, agents released him at a Walmart parking lot without charges or transportation assistance. Both individuals were injured during the detention. Miranda Romano, a minor with no criminal history, remained in detention at Fort Snelling despite his family's contact with ICE. State Representative Michael Howard criticized the incident, describing it as "pure madness."
Sources
- US citizens "aggressively" detained by CBP while working at Target
Newsweek·Jan 13, 2026·archived copy
- Threads
- Jonathan Aguilar Garcia: Videos showing ICE arresting 17-year-old 'US citizen' in Minnesota spark outrage, ‘Barbaric’
hindustantimes.com·Jan 14, 2026·archived copy
- Detention of Jonathan Aguilar Garcia
- Target silent after federal immigration agents arrest Twin Cities employees, operate near stores
Yahoo News·Jan 13, 2026·archived copy
- CourtListener
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