The incident raises serious questions about the use of force by federal agents during immigration enforcement and has sparked outrage from local officials.
Escalating Tensions: ICE Shooting in Minneapolis Leaves One Dead
Table of Contents
- A woman was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims the woman used her vehicle as a weapon.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has demanded that ICE leave the city immediately.
- The shooting occurred during increased immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
A woman died Wednesday after being shot by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a confrontation stemming from escalating immigration enforcement operations. The incident underscores growing tensions surrounding federal immigration policies and their implementation at the local level.
DHS Claims Vehicle Was Used as Weapon
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the woman’s death, alleging she was a “violent agitator.” According to DHS Under Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, the victim “used her vehicle as a weapon, attempting to strike officers in an attempt to kill them,” characterizing the act as “domestic terrorism.” An ICE agent, “fearing for their life,” then fired “defensive shots.”
“The suspect is deceased as a result of a gunshot wound. ICE officers who sustained injuries are expected to fully recover,” McLaughlin stated on social media, without disclosing the victim’s identity or nationality.
Increased ICE Operations and Protests
The woman was shot while ICE officers were conducting an operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s largest city. DHS reported that over 1,000 migrants have been detained in the state, including individuals from Ecuador, Mexico, and El Salvador, with more than 150 arrests made on Monday—the largest immigration operation since the start of the new year.
Residents of Minnesota were protesting the raids on Wednesday. McLaughlin asserted that “agitators began to block ICE officers,” who, according to her, are facing a 1,300% increase in attacks and an 8,000% surge in death threats.
Similar Incidents Raise Concerns
The incident echoes a similar event in Chicago last September, where ICE agents shot and killed a 38-year-old Mexican man, claiming he “attempted to drive his vehicle” toward them. In October, a Honduran man died after being struck by a vehicle in Virginia while fleeing immigration officials.
Minneapolis Mayor Demands ICE Withdrawal
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey denounced the Wednesday shooting, stating that “the presence of federal immigration agents is creating chaos in the city.” “We are demanding that ICE leave the city immediately. We stand with our immigrant and refugee communities,” the Democrat said on X.
Broader Political Context
The events unfold amid political controversy in Minnesota, where Governor and former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz announced Monday he would not seek a third term due to concerns over alleged multimillion-dollar fraud related to childcare programs linked to the Somali community.
CNN reported Monday that the Trump administration had planned to deploy approximately 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis to lead a campaign of arrests targeting immigrants from the Somali community and other countries.
