Protests against ICE after ICE officer shot in Minneapolis
Protests against President Donald Trump and his wave of immigration enforcement have swept through Minneapolis over the ICE shooting of Renee Good.
A federal agent shot himself in the leg after being assaulted during an arrest in Minneapolis on Wednesday, days after ICE agents fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement regarding the X that federal agents conducted a targeted traffic stop in Minneapolis around 6:50 p.m. local time. The traffic stop involved a Venezuelan national, who authorities claimed was in the United States without authorization.
The person initially fled from federal agents in a car, but crashed into a parked car and then fled on foot, according to the Department of Homeland Security. According to the agency, a police officer was assaulted when he tried to arrest the person.
While they were struggling on the ground, the Department of Homeland Security said, “two subjects emerged from a nearby apartment and attacked law enforcement officers with snow shovels and broomsticks.”
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive fire in an effort to protect his life. The first subject was struck in the leg,” the Department of Homeland Security said. “All three subjects ran back to the apartment and barricaded themselves inside.”
Both the officer and the person involved in the traffic stop are hospitalized, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The two people who allegedly attacked the officer were taken into custody.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey renewed his call for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to leave the city after a federal agent shot a man in the leg. The mayor said the presence of federal immigration agents across the city and state is “causing chaos.”
“This is not sustainable. This is an impossible situation our city is in right now,” Frey said at a news conference Wednesday night. “And at the same time, we’re trying to find ways to move forward to keep people safe, protect our neighbors, and maintain order.”
Frey also condemned the hostile protests in the city and called on people to go home.
“We can’t counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own chaos,” Frey added. “And I’ve seen thousands of people protesting peacefully in the streets. I applaud those who have protested peacefully. You’re not helping the people who are taking the bait. And you’re not helping the illegal immigrants in our city.”
Frey said at a news conference that city officials had “limited” information about the shooting. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said police received a 911 call about a shooting in the 600 block of North 24th Street.
O’Hara said preliminary information indicated there was a “confrontation with federal agents” in front of a home in the area.
“During the struggle, federal agents fired their weapons, striking an adult male,” the police chief said. “The adult male then retreated to the residence, but remained indoors and refused to come outside.”
Federal agents then entered the residence and the man was taken to the hospital, O’Hara said. He added that Minneapolis police secured the crime scene and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the FBI were processing evidence at the scene.
Mr O’Hara admitted a crowd had gathered in the area and was “performing illegal activities”. He said people repeatedly threw fireworks at police who deployed gas.
“Police are currently attempting to disperse this unlawful assembly,” O’Hara said. “We urge anyone on scene to leave immediately. This is already a very tense situation and there is no need to escalate it further.”
According to CBS, Minnesota and FOX 9 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a large crowd of protesters gathered near the scene of the shooting. Paul and the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Protesters clashed with federal agents as officers used chemical irritants and rubber-coated bullets to remove people from the scene, Fox 9 and the Star Tribune reported. Protesters continued to shout and blow whistles at federal officials.
Earlier Wednesday, the city of Minneapolis told X that it was aware of reports of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in north Minneapolis and was working to confirm further details. In an update, the city confirmed that a man was shot by federal immigration enforcement agents and taken to a local hospital with injuries that are not apparently life-threatening.
“We understand that there is anger, and we ask the public to remain calm,” the city said on X News, repeating its call for “ICE to immediately withdraw from our city and state.”
“We stand with our immigrant and refugee communities. Please know that you have our full support,” the city added.
The incident comes after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urged people to use their cellphones to record federal agents conducting immigration operations in the state. His appeal comes a week after Good, 37, was shot and killed by ICE agents during an enforcement action in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
“Help us document exactly what is happening in our communities,” Walz said in a speech Wednesday. “Please help us create a database to establish a record not only for posterity but also for future prosecutions.”
State and local officials are clashing with federal authorities over the latest acts of violence in a nationwide immigration crackdown. Tensions are also high across the city, with thousands of protesters marching and gathering to denounce the heavy-handed crackdown.
The Department of Homeland Security calls the Minnesota operation “the largest immigration operation in history.” Immigration officials say a pandemic-related fraud case in the state that authorities say is linked to Somali immigrants has led to a surge in federal agents.
Earlier, President Donald Trump said starting next month federal funding would be cut off to states, including sanctuary cities, where authorities prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
The shooting death of Good by ICE agents has put a spotlight on violent and sometimes deadly interactions between federal agents carrying out the Trump administration’s deportation program.
Immigration officers have shot at least 10 people since August, USA TODAY reported. In both incidents, agents fired shots at drivers and moving vehicles, an action that has largely been prohibited by law enforcement because of the risk to public safety.
Video of the incident shows officers swarming the vehicle within seconds of the driver approaching, breaking the windows and attempting to pry open the car door. Body camera footage and cell phone footage have repeatedly contradicted federal authorities’ initial claims about the shooting.
Similarities in the various shootings have raised concerns among public officials, judges and law enforcement experts about the aggressive tactics used by federal agents across the country. Click here for details.
— Christopher Kang
Contributed by: Reuters
