Another fatal shooting by federal agents sparks fresh crisis in Minneapolis

Federal immigration officers shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on Saturday during an enforcement operation targeting undocumented immigrants, marking the second fatal shooting by federal agents in the city within three weeks. The shooting drew hundreds of angry protesters to the streets and prompted Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to call on President Donald Trump to immediately halt what the Department of Homeland Security has described as its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.

The incident unfolded just over a mile from where federal agents fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7, a U.S. citizen whose death has already sparked weeks of daily protests across the Twin Cities. The shooting came as thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed to Minneapolis as part of Trump's broader campaign to deport undocumented migrants nationwide.

Background

Minneapolis has been on edge since the January 7 shooting of Renee Good, who was killed when an ICE officer fired into her vehicle. An autopsy concluded the killing was a homicide, though that classification does not automatically indicate a crime was committed. The officer who fired the shots, Jonathan Ross, has neither been suspended nor charged.

Tensions escalated further this week when federal agents detained a five-year-old boy while attempting to arrest his father, reigniting public anger over the immigration enforcement operations. The city has experienced widespread daily protests in frigid weather, with residents calling for federal law enforcement to leave Minneapolis.

The Trump administration has positioned this enforcement surge as a critical part of its immigration policy agenda. Thousands of ICE agents have been mobilized in the Democratic-led city, fundamentally changing the police and public safety landscape.

Key Details

According to a hospital record obtained by the Associated Press, the man who was shot by immigration officers died from his injuries. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the person had a firearm with two magazines at the time of the incident, though the exact circumstances that led to the shooting remain unclear.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara called for calm from both the public and federal law enforcement following the shooting. He said:

"Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands."

The police chief also urged everyone to remain peaceful, acknowledging that there is significant anger and many unanswered questions about what happened.

Immediate Aftermath and Protests

An angry crowd quickly gathered at the scene, with protesters screaming profanities at federal officers and calling them "cowards." One officer responded mockingly, telling the crowd "Boo hoo" as he walked away. Federal agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car.

Protesters blocked streets by dragging garbage dumpsters from alleyways and chanted "ICE out now." Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash-bang devices on the crowd as tensions escalated. The intersection where the shooting occurred was blocked off, with Border Patrol agents present at the scene.

Minneapolis resident Josh Koskie expressed the sentiment of many gathered: "They're killing my neighbors!"

Political Response

Governor Walz, a Democrat, immediately called on President Trump to end the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. He posted on social media:

"I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."

Minnesota's congressional delegation also responded with sharp criticism. Senator Amy Klobuchar called the operation a disaster, saying:

"Donald Trump and all your lieutenants who ordered this ICE surge: watch the horrific video of the killing today. The world is watching. Thousands of citizens stopped and harassed. Local police no longer able to do their work. Kids hiding. Schools closed. Get ICE out of Minnesota."

Senator Tina Smith issued a statement calling for ICE to leave so local police could secure the scene and do their jobs. Representative Angie Craig said she had witnessed video of the shooting and called the agency "beyond out of control."

Representative Ilhan Omar released a statement expressing that she was "absolutely heartbroken, horrified, and appalled that federal agents murdered another member of our community." She argued that the Trump administration is "trying to beat us into submission rather than protect us" and accused the administration of violating constitutional rights under the guise of immigration enforcement.

What This Means

The shooting represents a dramatic escalation of tensions in Minneapolis over federal immigration enforcement and raises serious questions about how ICE operations are being conducted in the city. With two fatal shootings in less than three weeks, the city faces a potential crisis of public trust in federal law enforcement.

Local police officials have signaled concern about the presence of federal agents, with the police chief calling for them to operate with greater discipline and humanity. The scale of the operation—with thousands of agents deployed to a single city—has disrupted normal police operations and created an atmosphere of fear among residents.

The political pressure on the Trump administration is mounting from Democratic officials at the state and federal level, though it remains unclear whether the administration intends to scale back or modify its enforcement operations in Minneapolis. The coming days will likely see continued protests and further calls for the federal operation to end.