An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed a suspect in Minneapolis after an attempted ramming attack targeting federal officers during an enforcement operation, the US Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.
According to DHS, ICE officers were conducting targeted operations in the city when rioters blocked their movements. One individual allegedly weaponized her vehicle and attempted to run over the officers in what DHS described as an attempt to kill them and an act of domestic terrorism.
An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of fellow officers, and the safety of the public, opened fire in self-defense. DHS said the officer acted in accordance with his training, saving his own life and those of other law enforcement personnel.
The suspect was struck by gunfire and later died of her injuries. Several ICE officers were hurt during the incident and are expected to make full recoveries.
The shooting took place in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis amid heightened tensions surrounding ongoing immigration enforcement activity announced earlier this week. According to authorities, ICE and other federal officers have been carrying out operations in the Twin Cities as part of a broader immigration crackdown. Following the incident, a large group of protesters gathered at the scene, shouting slogans and confronting federal and local officers behind police lines.
DHS blamed what it called the escalating violence on repeated attacks and public demonization of law enforcement by sanctuary politicians, citing a sharp rise in assaults and death threats against officers.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the federal operations after the shooting, accusing immigration agents of causing chaos in the city and calling for their immediate withdrawal. Community activists and clergy also voiced concern over fear and anxiety among local immigrant populations.
Authorities emphasized that the situation remains under investigation and said additional details will be released as they become available.