MINNEAPOLIS, U.S.– A fatal shooting involving US immigration agents has triggered protests in Minneapolis after a 37-year-old woman was shot dead during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation on Wednesday morning.
Federal authorities identified the woman as Renee Nicole Good, saying she was shot after allegedly attempting to run over immigration officers with her vehicle. City leaders, however, have disputed that account, accusing the agent involved of acting recklessly.
The incident occurred at around 10:25am local time along Portland Avenue, where ICE officers were conducting an operation amid heightened immigration enforcement in the city.
What CCTV and Videos Show
Videos circulating on social media show ICE agents approaching a maroon SUV that had stopped in the middle of a residential street as a group of protesters stood nearby.
One agent is seen attempting to open the driver’s door while another positions himself in front of the vehicle.
As the SUV begins to move, at least two gunshots are heard. The vehicle then veers off and crashes into a parked car.
It remains unclear from the footage whether the agent standing in front of the vehicle was struck. The FBI has since taken over investigations into the shooting.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good had been “stalking and impeding” officers throughout the day and accused her of attempting to “weaponise her vehicle,” describing the incident as an act of “domestic terrorism.”
She said the ICE agent fired in self-defence and was injured during the incident before being treated and discharged from hospital.
However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey strongly rejected the federal account, saying the shooting endangered the public and calling on ICE agents to leave the city.
“This was reckless. These actions are not making our city safer,” Frey said during a press briefing.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also challenged the federal narrative, warning residents against accepting what he termed “propaganda” and promising a full and transparent investigation.
Good, 37, was described by the Minneapolis City Council as someone who had been “caring for her neighbours” at the time of the incident. Vigils were held across the city on Wednesday night as mourners gathered to honour her life.
Eyewitness Emily Heller told CNN that the agent fired directly at Good through her windshield as she attempted to drive away.
Top Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, criticised the Trump administration’s handling of the incident, with Harris accusing officials of “gaslighting” the public.
Protests erupted across Minneapolis following the shooting, with demonstrations also planned in cities including New York, Seattle, Miami and New Orleans.
Minneapolis Public Schools cancelled classes for the rest of the week, citing safety concerns, after reports that federal agents made arrests near a high school earlier in the day.
The shooting took place roughly a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020 — an event that sparked global protests against racial injustice.
Why ICE Is in Minneapolis
The Trump administration recently deployed more than 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis as part of a wider immigration crackdown, citing alleged welfare fraud and illegal immigration.
The operation has particularly targeted the city’s Somali community, which Trump has repeatedly criticised. The administration has also withheld federal childcare funds from Minnesota following unproven fraud allegations.
