Violence erupted again in Minneapolis when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers shot and injured a Venezuelan man following a scuffle during an arrest. This marks the second shooting by federal officers in a week. Both the state governor and the mayor jointly condemned the incident, fueling public anger that led to clashes involving fireworks.
Tensions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, escalated after ICE officers shot a citizen again on the evening of Wednesday, 14 Jan 2024 GMT+7, local time, prompting authorities to urgently call for the public to "remain calm."
Brian O’Hara, Minneapolis Police Chief, stated the incident occurred in the northern part of the city when federal officers attempted to detain a man, resulting in a violent confrontation outside a residence. Officers fired their weapons, striking the man in the leg. The individual was later confirmed to be an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant and is in stable condition.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified via the X platform that while officers were detaining the suspect, two others ran out of a nearby apartment and attacked officers with "snow shovels and broom handles," forcing officers to shoot in self-defense.
This shooting happened just one week after federal officers fatally shot 37-year-old American woman Rene Nicole Good on 7 Jan 2024 GMT+7, an event that had already sparked large protests. The recurrence led protesters to immediately gather at the scene and throw fireworks at police.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz strongly condemned the federal officers’ actions.
Frey said, "ICE officers and border patrol are causing chaos throughout our city and state. We demand that ICE leave our city and state immediately." Governor Walz denounced the federal actions as "rain that inflicts harm on our communities," adding that masked, heavily armed ICE officers "lack adequate training" and are knocking on doors to question residents, causing widespread alarm.
This incident highlights the deep rift between federal law enforcement and local governance in the U.S., amid highly contentious immigration policies.
,CNN