Agents from the United States Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) shot and killed a 37-year-old man, this Saturday (24), in Minneapolis. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the death in statements published by the newspaper The Minnesota Star Tribune.
The episode occurred just over two weeks after another shooting involving ICE agents, which resulted in the death of a woman inside a car during a similar operation. Federal actions against migrants have been the target of protests in Minneapolis since the beginning of the month.
A video published on social media shows the moment of the approach. In the images, six or more masked agents surround a man who appears to be resisting on the ground. At one point, one of the agents appears to hit him with the butt of a gun, shortly before another shoots the individual, who remains motionless as the agents walk away.
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration agencies, said the victim was armed at the time of the attack. The ministry did not disclose the man’s identity or provide additional details about the circumstances that led to the use of lethal force.
In a post on social media, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, harshly criticized the actions of federal agents and called for an end to operations in the state. “Minnesota has had enough. This is disgusting. The president must put an end to this operation,” he wrote. “Remove the thousands of violent and untrained agents from Minnesota,” he added.
President Donald Trump came out in defense of the agents’ actions. In posts on social media, he released an image of what the victim’s weapon was and criticized local authorities, stating that the lack of support for ICE compromises public safety. Trump also reiterated that federal operations are necessary to enforce immigration law and contain violence.
“This is the shooter’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!) and ready to use – What does it all mean? Where are the local police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect the ICE agents? Did the mayor and governor stop them? It’s said that many of these officers were not allowed to do their jobs, that ICE had to protect itself – No easy feat!” Trump wrote.
Trump further accused Waltz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of encouraging an insurrection as a way to “cover up theft and fraud.”
“Much of what you are witnessing is a cover-up of this theft and fraud. The mayor and governor are inciting an insurrection with their pompous, dangerous and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these hypocritical political fools should be looking for the billions of dollars that were stolen from the people of Minnesota and the United States of America.”
