A fatal shooting by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a protest against immigration raids in Minneapolis has sparked outrage and accusations of an unjustified killing.
Chaos on Icy Streets
The incident occurred on January 7, 2026, when ICE agents attempted to conduct a large-scale deportation operation. Protesters had gathered nearby, and the unidentified woman used her 4x4 vehicle to block the agents on an icy road.
Video footage from the scene shows the car parked horizontally. Agents can be seen swarming the vehicle and shouting at the woman to exit. As she appears to turn the car to drive away, an officer standing in front fires three shots.
The woman sped off before crashing into a telephone pole. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Clashing Narratives: 'Domestic Terrorism' vs. 'Bullsh**'
The Department of Homeland Security quickly defended its officer's actions. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated the agent fired "defensive shots" after the driver "weaponised her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism."
This version of events was vehemently rejected by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. In a news conference hours after the shooting, he blasted the federal operation and the justification for the killing.
"They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defence. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullsh**," Mayor Frey stated angrily.
A City on Edge and a National Escalation
Mayor Frey condemned the broader ICE crackdown, which had put the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul on high alert since its announcement the previous Tuesday.
"They are not here to cause safety in this city. What they are doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust," Frey said. "They're ripping families apart. They're sowing chaos on our streets and in this case quite literally killing people."
The operation involved an estimated 2,000 agents and officers and was linked partly to fraud allegations involving Somali residents.
This shooting marks a dramatic and deadly escalation in a series of aggressive immigration enforcement operations in major US cities under the Trump administration. It is reported to be at least the fifth such killing in various states since 2024.
The victim's name has not yet been released, and investigations by multiple agencies are ongoing.
