Protests erupt in Minneapolis after ICE officer kills woman during immigration crackdown

Crowds gathered in Minneapolis on Wednesday to protest and hold a vigil for a woman killed during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown, as anger mounted over the use of force by federal officers.

The 37-year-old woman was shot in the head by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an operation in a snowy residential neighborhood south of downtown. Federal officials said the shooting was an act of self-defense, but Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described it as “reckless” and unnecessary.

The killing, which was captured on video by witnesses, happened just blocks from historic immigrant markets and about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020. It quickly drew large crowds of protesters, with hundreds returning later in the day for a vigil.

Demonstrators chanted slogans including “ICE out of Minnesota” and “No Trump, no troops,” while some blocked nearby streets with cars and makeshift barricades. Protesters also confronted local and federal officers, including senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, blowing whistles and shouting accusations as official vehicles passed.

The shooting marks a sharp escalation in immigration enforcement operations under President Donald Trump, and is at least the fifth death linked to recent crackdowns. Authorities say more than 2,000 federal officers have been deployed to the Twin Cities, with hundreds of arrests already made.