The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied Wednesday an individual arrested during a prostitution sting operation in Bloomington, Minnesota worked as a background checker for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Brashad Johnson, 36, was one of 30 arrested during Bloomington Police Department’s “Operation Lookin’ For Love…In All The Wrong Places,” Bloomington Police Department Booker Hodges said in a press conference on Tuesday. Hodges called the arrest “the most disturbing” the department has made.
“He is a backgrounder for ICE, Homeland Security, and federal agencies. So, when you’re getting your security clearance, this is one of the guys that does your backgrounds,” Hodges claimed during the press conference.
“Which is kind of scary,” the police chief added. “We locked him up. I don’t think he’s gonna be passing a background check no time soon.”
The DHS denied Johnson is affiliated with ICE in any capacity.
“This individual is NOT an ICE employee or contractor,” a DHS spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “He has no affiliation with ICE. This is just another smear peddled by sanctuary politicians and the media leading to a 1,300% increase in assaults against our brave ICE law enforcement.”
Local outlet KSTP — a St. Paul-based ABC affiliate — first reported Johnson’s alleged status as an ICE contractor Tuesday. The claim was later reported by The Daily Beast and The Independent. Media clippers also posted Hodges’ statement to X. Independent journalist Nick Sortor claimed on the platform that Johnson was a Department of War contractor.
The DoW has not verified this claim and did not immediately respond to the DCNF when asked for a comment.
The Bloomington Police Department did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s emails asking for comment and transferred the DCNF’s call to voicemail.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
Republished with permission from Daily Caller News Foundation
