ICE Officer Kills Minneapolis Woman in Escalating Trump Administration Crackdown

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday issued a warning order to prepare the National Guard after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis.

“I remind you, a warning order is a heads-up for folks, and these National Guard troops are our National Guard troops,” Walz said during a press conference following the shooting.

The incident occurred during the Trump administration’s latest immigration enforcement operation in a major American city. Federal officials claimed it was an act of self-defense, but the city’s mayor described the shooting as “reckless” and unnecessary.

Videos posted on social media by bystanders show an ICE officer approaching a stopped SUV across the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The SUV began to pull forward, prompting another ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle to pull his weapon and fire at least two shots into the SUV at close range before jumping back.

The shooting marked a dramatic escalation of recent immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration in major cities. This death is at least the fifth linked to such crackdowns.

The Twin Cities have been on edge since the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it launched an operation tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Wednesday that over 2,000 officers had been deployed in the area and reported making “hundreds and hundreds” of arrests.

Walz stated he had warned for weeks about the Trump administration’s “dangerous, sensationalized operations” as a threat to public safety, saying someone would be hurt. He also pushed back on federal officials’ account of the incident, telling reporters: “Don’t buy into this propaganda.” Walz added that the state would conduct a full, fair, and swift investigation to deliver accountability and justice.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the shooting.

Minnesota National Guard Joint Staff Director Simon Schaefer said the state’s National Guard is “always prepared to respond and support state agencies and the citizens of Minnesota.”