A woman is dead after a federal immigration agent opened fire during an ICE operation in Minneapolis early this morning. According to the Department of Homeland Security, federal agents were conducting targeted immigration operations when protesters began blocking their movement. DHS claims that a 37-year-old woman sitting inside an SUV tried to ram her vehicle into officers, which led one agent to open fire. The woman was fatally struck.
However, the official account is being questioned. Witnesses at the scene, local officials, and video footage appear to challenge parts of the DHS narrative. Some say the vehicle was not moving toward officers in a threatening way. The incident is now under investigation as tensions continue to rise throughout the city.
More than 2,000 federal immigration agents were recently deployed to Minnesota as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration. Since the shooting, protests have grown across Minneapolis. Some demonstrators threw snowballs at ICE agents, and law enforcement responded with tear gas and pepper spray.
Governor Tim Walz has urged residents to remain calm while investigators review the facts. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey strongly criticized the federal presence, saying it is causing chaos and demanding that ICE leave the city immediately. He also stated his support for immigrant and refugee communities.
The situation remains tense as protesters continue to gather and officials call for answers.