William Vermie, a 39-year-old Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, was detained by ICE agents on January 13, 2026, while standing on a public sidewalk in Minneapolis observing an immigration enforcement operation. He was held for eight hours at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building without being allowed to contact an attorney or his family, despite repeatedly requesting legal representation and his wife securing legal counsel for him. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Vermie was arrested for allegedly assaulting a law enforcement officer. Four attorneys have reported to ABC News that they were denied access to clients held at the same facility, and multiple attorneys have reported similar complaints from others arrested in recent ICE operations in Minneapolis, with allegations of Fifth and Sixth Amendment violations.