Federal Agents in Minneapolis Kill Man During Immigration Enforcement Operation

By Jim Thomas | Saturday, January 24, 2026, 3:59 p.m. EST
Federal immigration agents fatally shot a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident during an enforcement operation on Saturday morning, sparking protests and a fast-moving dispute over who would lead the investigation as Gov. Tim Walz pressed the White House for Minnesota to take control.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated both the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI were on scene investigating the incident. The question of who leads the investigation remains unsettled in public statements.

Walz said he informed the White House that Minnesota must lead the investigation, according to CBS Minnesota’s live updates. O’Hara reported the shooting occurred near West 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue around 9 a.m., with the man pronounced dead. Authorities believed the individual was a U.S. citizen and a lawful gun owner permitted to carry.

The Department of Homeland Security stated Border Patrol agents fired “defensive shots” after the man approached officers with a 9mm handgun and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him. DHS reported the officer who fired was an eight-year veteran of the Border Patrol.

Reuters noted that a video circulating online captured a confrontation on a snowy street followed by gunfire, drawing immediate public outrage. Hundreds of protesters gathered after the shooting, and immigration agents used tear gas as tensions escalated.

Officials described the incident as the latest in a series of violent encounters tied to the Trump administration’s stepped-up immigration enforcement in Minneapolis this month. It marks the second fatal shooting involving federal agents in the city this January.