A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed a driver in Minneapolis on Wednesday, an incident that has intensified local backlash against a nationwide surge in federal immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. The shooting prompted street protests that escalated when heavily armed federal agents fired chemical munitions at demonstrators.
Details of the Shooting
According to Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, the ICE officer began firing after a “violent rioter” attempted to run over ICE officers. “The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased,” she wrote in a post on X, adding that the injured ICE officers were expected to make full recoveries. At the scene, a dark-colored SUV with a bullet hole through its windshield and blood splattered across the headrest was seen rammed into a pole on the snowy street.
Local Response and Protests
The shooting drew immediate condemnation from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who blamed the Trump administration for heightening tensions. “The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city,” Frey, a Democrat, said on X. “We’re demanding ICE to leave the city immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities.” Following the incident, protesters gathered near the scene and were met by federal agents wearing gas masks who fired chemical munitions.
Broader Enforcement Context
President Trump, a Republican, has deployed federal immigration agents to several Democratic-led cities across the U.S. throughout his first year in office. In recent weeks, agents were sent to Minneapolis following allegations of fraud involving Somali immigrants, a group Trump has publicly disparaged. U.S. Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino, who has led other enforcement actions in cities like Chicago and New Orleans, was present at the Minneapolis scene.
Witness Account
Venus de Mars, a 65-year-old resident who lives near the shooting site, described seeing paramedics perform CPR on a woman collapsed next to a snowbank near the crashed car. The woman was later loaded into an ambulance that drove away without its sirens on. “There’s been lots of ICE activity but nothing like this,” de Mars said. “I’m so angry. I’m so angry, and I feel helpless.”
The incident marks the latest violent clash during the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on migrants, further inflaming tensions between federal authorities and local communities.
