Another declaration filed in federal civil rights lawsuit Tincher v. Noem describes an ICE vehicle turning on flashing lights and pulling over a community observer — then threatening her with arrest for following them. On January 17, 2026, Seren Erden-Medlin, a 24-year-old special education paraprofessional from Minneapolis, began following a suspected ICE vehicle after receiving a tip that ICE was present at an apartment complex in Bloomington. She followed the vehicle for approximately 5.7 miles through residential streets and on I-35W. During the drive, she says the ICE vehicle swerved in and out of traffic, changed lanes, and made turns without signaling. The vehicle then stopped on a poorly lit stretch of road and an officer waved at her to pull over. She did not. The ICE vehicle activated its flashing lights and followed her until she stopped. Erden-Medlin locked her doors, rolled up her windows, and closed her car vents — stating she had heard accounts of ICE agents deploying teargas through vehicle ventilation systems. She held her driver's license up to the glass. An officer shone an intensely bright light into her car, yelled at her to roll down her window, and when she refused, threatened to arrest her if she continued following them. A second officer simultaneously banged on the passenger window. As she drove away and honked to alert other observers nearby, the ICE vehicle pulled up alongside her again, shining a light and yelling. Since the incident, Erden-Medlin says she has experienced significant anxiety. She has since purchased a dashcam and a dedicated phone for observing ICE activity, noting her concern that agents have confiscated observers' phones. She says she intends to continue observing. ~~~ Case No. 25-cv-04669 | D. Minn. | Filed 2/17/26 https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72047643/167/tincher-v-noem/