> At a Glance
> – A 37-year-old woman was shot dead by an ICE agent during an immigration raid in Minneapolis
> – Mayor Jacob Frey, after viewing video of the incident, called the DHS claim of self-defense “bulls—“
> – DHS Secretary Kristi Noem labeled the event “an act of domestic terrorism”
> – Why it matters: The killing inflames tensions as federal immigration sweeps surge and local leaders demand ICE leave their cities
A Minneapolis morning turned deadly when an ICE agent fired into a burgundy SUV, killing a 37-year-old woman and sparking a heated clash between city and federal officials over what the video really shows.
Conflicting Accounts of the Shooting
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin says the woman “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers.” The agent, she adds, fired “defensive shots” that saved lives.
Mayor Frey flatly rejects that version.
> “Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bulls—.”
Social-media footage shows agents surrounding the SUV, one yanking the driver’s-door handle. The car reverses, lurches forward, and three gunshots ring out before it crashes into a parked car and light pole.
Local vs. Federal Fallout
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says the vehicle appeared to be blocking the street, not attacking agents. Witness Aidan Perzana, 31, agrees:
> “There was plenty of space between the officers at that point for the vehicle to make it through.”
After the shooting, residents gathered, chanting and throwing snowballs; officers responded with pepper spray and tear gas. Frey’s orders to first responders were clear:
- Priority 1: rush the victim to hospital
- Priority 2: remove ICE from the scene because they were “making a difficult situation more problematic”
Frey’s final message:
> “To ICE, get the f— out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here.”
Escalating Federal Presence
The shooting occurs amid a massive DHS buildup. Since early December, ICE has arrested roughly 1,400 people in the city-far above the 300 reported by Dec. 12. New deployments will bring the total force to 2,100, including:
- 1,500 enforcement-and-removal officers
- 600 Homeland Security Investigations agents
Secretary Noem insists the agents’ vehicles were stuck in snow when the woman “attacked them,” calling the incident domestic terrorism. McLaughlin adds that injured officers are expected to recover fully, though she gave no details on their injuries.
Community Impact
Many Somali-American residents, including U.S. citizens, report staying indoors, fearful of random detention. The surge followed a viral, since-debunked video claiming Somali-run day-care fraud; state inspections found all 10 targeted centers operating normally.
Key Takeaways
- Video of the shooting undercuts the federal claim that agents faced a lethal vehicular attack
- Minneapolis leaders are openly demanding ICE halt operations inside city limits
- The woman’s death marks at least the second fatal ICE shooting nationwide in four months
As federal immigration forces expand across U.S. cities, the Minneapolis killing sharpens the standoff between local officials who want them gone and a administration vowing even tougher enforcement.
