Another wave of demonstrations was set to take place on Friday in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of a local woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent amid the Trump administration’s recent immigration crackdown in a major city. This came after two individuals were shot and injured by federal immigration officers in Portland, Oregon, the previous day.
On Thursday night, hundreds of protesters braved freezing rain to march down a prominent street in Minneapolis, demanding the removal of ICE and displaying signs that read, “Killer ICE off our streets.” The day began with a fervent protest outside a federal facility central to the immigration enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities. Barricades were put up by authorities outside the facility on Friday.
City workers cleared streets obstructed by makeshift barricades made of old Christmas trees and debris near the location where the ICE officer shot Renee Nicole Good as she attempted to flee. A memorial for the 37-year-old mother of three was allowed to remain by city officials.
Meanwhile, in Portland, Oregon, the shooting incident occurred outside a hospital on Thursday afternoon. The victims, identified as Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, both Venezuela nationals, were shot inside a vehicle, with their conditions remaining unknown as the FBI and Oregon Department of Justice launched investigations.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council called for a halt to all ICE operations in the city until a thorough investigation is completed, as hundreds gathered in protest outside a local ICE building on Thursday night. Early on Friday, Portland police arrested several demonstrators after instructing them to move to the sidewalk to allow traffic to flow.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, similar to its response to the Minneapolis shooting, defended the actions of the officers in Portland, stating that the shooting occurred in self-defense as the individuals in the vehicle attempted to harm the officers. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, along with President Donald Trump and other administration officials, portrayed the Minneapolis shooting as an act of self-defense and criticized Good’s actions, suggesting she used her vehicle as a weapon against the officer.
Vice-President JD Vance supported the shooting as justified and referred to Good as a victim of left-wing ideology. However, local officials and protesters rejected this narrative, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey dismissing the self-defense argument based on video evidence.
Union leaders, in response to heightened tensions, urged ICE agents to stay away from schools in a news conference on Friday, citing instances of agents near school properties causing fear among students and families.
The fatal shooting in Minneapolis occurred on the second day of the immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities, described by Homeland Security as the largest in history, involving over 2,000 officers and resulting in over 1,500 arrests. The incident sparked immediate reactions in the city following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, prompting protests and the cancellation of classes by the school district.
Good’s death, one of several linked to immigration actions during the Trump administration, drew nationwide attention with protests in major U.S. cities. The Minnesota agency overseeing officer-involved shootings stated that the FBI and U.S. Justice Department declined to collaborate, effectively excluding the state from the investigative process due to jurisdictional limitations.
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith called for a comprehensive investigation into the Minneapolis shooting in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, emphasizing the importance of cooperation with local authorities. The Hennepin County district attorney urged the public to submit any evidence related to the shooting directly to her office.
Federal officials refrained from disclosing the agent’s identity, citing ongoing investigations. However, details provided by Vance and Noem aligned closely with federal court documents relating to a previous incident involving an ICE officer in Bloomington in June.
