ICE agent fatally shoots woman during Minneapolis immigration crackdown

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot a Minneapolis motorist on Wednesday in the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown in a major U.S. city — a shooting that federal authorities said was an act of self-defense but that the city’s mayor called “reckless” and unnecessary.

The ICE officer shot the woman in her vehicle in a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, during a visit to Texas, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” perpetrated against ICE agents by a woman who “attempted to run over them and ram them with her vehicle.”

But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted that characterization and the federal deployment of more than 2,000 agents in the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

They tear families apart. They are wreaking havoc on our streets and, in this case, literally killing people.– Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

“They are not here to keep this city safe. What they are doing is not to keep America safe. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust,” Frey said, calling on federal agents to leave the city. “They’re tearing families apart. They’re wreaking havoc on our streets and, in this case, literally killing people.”

The mayor added: “They are already trying to pass this off as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everyone directly that this is bullshit.”

Minneapolis police chief contradicts ICE position

The shooting comes amid a series of immigration enforcement operations in major US cities under the Trump administration.

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been under tension since DHS announced the launch of the operation Tuesday, with 2,000 agents and officers expected to take part in the crackdown, linked in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara briefly described the shooting to reporters but, unlike federal officials, gave no indication that the 37-year-old driver was trying to harm anyone. He said she was shot in the head.

“This woman was in her vehicle and blocking the road on Portland Avenue…At one point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot and the vehicle began to drive away,” the chief said. “At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed onto the side of the road.”

A large crowd of protesters gathered at the scene after Wednesday’s shooting, where they expressed anger at local and federal agents present, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of the crackdown in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

“Shame, shame, shame”

In a scene similar to the crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago, passers-by did not hesitate to express their anger, whistle and taunt federal agents.

“Shame, shame, shame” and “ICE out of Minnesota,” they chanted loudly behind police tape.

The area where the shooting took place is a modest neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, a few blocks from some of the area’s oldest immigrant markets and a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.

“We’ve been trying to live our lives as fully as possible in light of the fear and anxiety we feel,” said the Rev. Hierald Osorto, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church-San Pablo, which has a predominantly Latino congregation in the area.

The Immigrant Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving Minnesota immigrants, held a training session Tuesday evening for about 100 people prepared to take to the streets to monitor enforcement of federal laws.

“I feel like I’m a regular person and I have the ability to do something, so I have to do it,” Mary Moran told KMSP-TV.