ICE shoots, kills person in Minneapolis in vehicle that drove past agents
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

FBI agents search the vehicle that was carrying a woman shot by an ICE agent. Photo: Nick Halter/Axios
An ICE officer shot and killed a 37-year-old woman who was in a vehicle that drove close to federal agents in South Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, according to the Department of Homeland Security and video of the incident viewed by Axios.
The big picture: The killing occurred during "targeted operations" in the city and comes amid an unprecedented surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota, which had already seen hundreds of agents come to the state over the last month, with another 2,100 arriving this week.
What we're hearing: In a chaotic 5-second sequence in the video viewed by Axios — filmed a short distance from the scene at 34th Street & Portland Avenue — someone yells, "Hey!" and gunshots are audible as a dark-colored SUV attempts to drive past a gathering of ICE agents and vehicles on a two-lane, one-way street.
- The SUV then speeds forward and strikes a parked car a short distance away, according to the video provided to Axios by witness Antony, who declined to give his last name.
- A reporter for the Minnesota Reformer obtained video from a different angle showing an agent approaching the briefly motionless SUV and reaching through the window before the vehicle drove off and shots rang out.
About 10 seconds before shots rang out, the video provided to Axios showed two different vehicles inching at a slower speed through the crowd of agents' vehicles — and driving away at normal rates of speed without apparent incident.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the woman who was killed was not the target of any enforcement activity.
- "In any professional law enforcement agency in the country," the chief added, "I think they would tell you it's obviously very concerning whenever there's shooting into a vehicle of someone who is not armed."
What they're saying: DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that "rioters" were "blocking ICE officers" during an operation, and "one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them."
- "An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots," the statement continued.
- McLaughlin said the ICE agents who were hurt "are expected to make full recoveries."
The other side: "That is bullshit," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said of DHS' statement at a press conference.
- "Having seen the video myself," he added, "… this was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed."
- At the briefing, Frey told ICE to "get the f**k out of Minneapolis. We don't want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety — and you are doing the exact opposite."
In a Truth Social post Wednesday afternoon, President Trump shared a video showing one angle of the incident, calling it "a horrible thing to watch."
- "The reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis," Trump said in the post. "They are just trying to do the job of MAKING AMERICA SAFE. We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!"
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer also defended ICE agents on X, saying they "put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities from dangerous criminals. May God bless and protect them in their efforts."
- "Shame on the elected officials who endanger these agents by spewing lies and hateful rhetoric."
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to "immediately cease and desist the ICE operation to … allow for a full and independent investigation into ICE's actions which led to this incident."
- "It is clear that ICE's grossly unprofessional conduct is needlessly causing chaos in Minnesota," the St. Paul Democrat wrote in a statement.

Between the lines: Top Minnesota officials had expressed concerns earlier in the week about ICE's escalation in the Twin Cities.
- When asked Tuesday about potential threats to his own family amid the federal government's focus on Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz said he was more worried about the dangers facing "immigrants who are minding their own business."
What we're seeing: After the shooting, crowds gathered near the scene and yelled at agents. Federal agents appeared to respond by releasing chemical irritants as a plume rose and bystanders were seen trying to clear their eyes with milk and water.
- Meanwhile, several City Council members gathered in the area shortly after the shooting to urge ICE agents to leave as protesters believed they were "contaminating" an active crime scene.
What's next: Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI are now jointly investigating the incident, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara told reporters.
- The BCA — the state agency that routinely reviews officer-involved shootings — has been in contact with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt added.
- "We are making sure that there is some kind of local entity, namely the BCA, that has a part in this investigation for the purposes of transparency," Witt said.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and has been updated with additional details throughout.

