Tensions are boiling over in Minneapolis as the U.S. Justice Department launches an investigation into two top Minnesota Democrats Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey accused of trying to interfere with federal immigration enforcement by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
Here are scenes from the ongoing protests in the city, where crowds have gathered to demonstrate against ICE actions:
The probe stems from public statements the two made criticizing ICE, amid a wave of federal immigration raids that have sparked massive unrest. Protests intensified after last week’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old local woman Renee Good by an ICE agent.
This is how federal agents, including Customs and Border Patrol, have appeared during the demonstrations:
New details about the incident show Good was found with multiple gunshot wounds, including to the chest, arm, and possibly the head, according to paramedic reports. Video footage captured the moment: ICE agents approached her SUV, which was blocking traffic. As she appeared to try driving away, an agent fired.
The Trump administration claims Good was trying to run over the agent and obstruct operations. Local leaders say she was acting as a legal observer alerting neighbors, and posed no real threat. The FBI is looking into the shooting, but there’s no civil rights probe into the agent involved, and local authorities say they’ve been kept out of the loop.
Governor Walz fired back on social media, calling the investigation an “authoritarian tactic” and pointing out that the agent who fired hasn’t faced scrutiny. Mayor Frey said he won’t be intimidated, describing it as an effort to silence him for defending the city against what he sees as dangerous federal overreach.
A federal judge recently stepped in with an order limiting what thousands of deployed federal officers can do: no pepper spray on peaceful protesters, no arrests without clear suspicion of interference, and even following agents in a car isn’t enough reason for a stop by itself.
Here are Minnesota’s leaders responding to the crisis. Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey:
The investigation reportedly focuses on a federal law against conspiring to obstruct officers through force, intimidation, or threats. President Trump has slammed the protesters as “highly paid professionals” and accused local leaders of losing control, though he said he won’t invoke the Insurrection Act to send in troops for now.
Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal, held a hearing in Minnesota to condemn the operations, calling ICE’s tactics reckless and demanding reforms like body cameras, no masks, and warrants for arrests.
Thousands of ICE officers remain in the state, and the standoff continues to highlight deep divisions over immigration enforcement in America.