In Minneapolis on Wednesday evening, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot a man in the leg during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis that has further heightened tensions between federal authorities and local communities. Federal and local officials say the incident occurred at about 6:50 p.m. local time when ICE officers were conducting a targeted traffic stop of a Venezuelan national. According to the Department of Homeland Security, after the man fled in his vehicle and crashed into a parked car, he ran on foot and resisted arrest, engaging in a struggle with the ICE agent. At that point, two other individuals reportedly emerged from a nearby apartment and assaulted the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle. Fearing for his safety, the agent fired a shot that struck the man in the leg. Both the wounded man and the federal officer were taken to hospital with apparent non-life-threatening injuries, and the two other individuals are in custody.
The incident took place in the same part of the city where, just a week earlier, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good during another enforcement action, an event that triggered widespread protest and outrage. In response to the latest shooting, local leaders reiterated their criticism of ongoing ICE operations in Minneapolis. The City of Minneapolis issued a statement demanding that ICE and other federal law enforcement officers leave the city and state immediately, asserting that such operations heighten fear in immigrant and refugee communities. Minneapolis officials also urged residents to remain calm amid growing anger and public demonstrations near the scene.
Witness reports and local media captured protesters gathering around the neighborhood as word of the shooting spread, with some shouting and calling for an end to increased federal law enforcement presence. Police and federal agents responded to the demonstrations with crowd control measures, including the deployment of tear gas. Officials from the Minneapolis Police Department and city leadership repeatedly appealed for peaceful protest and de-escalation, even as frustration among residents remained high.
Federal authorities maintained that the ICE agent’s actions were taken in self-defense after being attacked during an active arrest attempt, framing the shooting as a defensive response amid a chaotic encounter. They emphasized the dangers faced by federal officers and said the subject’s resistance and the involvement of other attackers justified the use of force. Meanwhile, local leaders and advocates continued to challenge the presence and tactics of ICE, framing the ongoing engagements as a source of unnecessary violence and trauma within the community.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and both federal and local agencies are reviewing the circumstances of the confrontation. As Minneapolis grapples with the fallout, calls for accountability and careful scrutiny of federal enforcement practices persist, with city officials and immigrant rights groups watching closely how authorities handle the aftermath of this latest incident.
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