Minneapolis has become the epicenter of escalating tensions between federal immigration authorities and local officials following a second shooting incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers within a week. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), federal officers pursued a Venezuelan national residing illegally in the United States, culminating in a vehicle chase and subsequent altercation. During the confrontation, the suspect exited his vehicle and engaged with an ICE officer, prompting two additional individuals to emerge from a nearby apartment building and allegedly assault the officer. In what the DHS describes as a “defensive” measure against being “ambushed,” the officer discharged his firearm, striking the primary suspect in the leg. All three individuals are currently in custody, with both the suspect and officer receiving hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident has ignited fierce condemnation from Minneapolis leadership. City officials issued a statement on social media platform X demanding the immediate withdrawal of ICE from both the city and the state of Minnesota, acknowledging public anger while urging calm. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sharply criticized federal officers, accusing them of “creating chaos” across Minnesota. This sentiment was echoed by Governor Tim Walz, who, in a social media address shortly before news of this latest shooting broke, passionately urged former President Trump to terminate what he termed the ICE “occupation” of the state.
This event marks the second such confrontation in a week, coming on the heels of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent. Federal authorities claimed Good attempted to run over agents with her vehicle, though Mayor Frey contested this, stating the agent had acted recklessly. Video evidence from that prior incident depicts agents approaching a stationary vehicle in the street before firing shots as it attempts to drive away. Both shootings are under investigation by the FBI.
The political fallout has been immediate and severe. U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche blamed state leadership directly, calling the situation a “Minnesota insurrection” and a direct result of a “FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement.” Meanwhile, protesters have gathered at the scene of the latest shooting, condemning ICE’s intensified operations. The agency has deployed approximately 3,000 officers to Minnesota in recent weeks, significantly heightening local tensions and fueling a deepening rift between state and federal authorities.