An officer in Minneapolis has shot dead a woman who US officials accused of trying to ram federal immigration agents with her vehicle, a claim forcefully rejected by the city’s outspoken mayor.
But the mayor of the city, Jacob Frey, called the federal government’s claim that agents were acting in self-defense “bullsh*t” and called on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting raids to get out of Minneapolis.
A video of the incident, which has not been verified by AFP, shows a Honda SUV apparently blocking unmarked law enforcement vehicles as they attempt to drive down a snow-covered street.
The driver, who the mayor said was a 37-year-old woman, attempted to drive off as officers walked over and tried to open the door, with one agent firing three times with a handgun as the vehicle pulled away from him.
The incident happened during protest action against an apparent immigration enforcement activity in the south of the city in Minnesota, local media reported.
“Attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them – an act of domestic terrorism,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which runs ICE, said on X.
“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.
“The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.”
Minneapolis Mayor Frey said “we’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis.”
DHS chief Kristi Noem told reporters in Texas that ICE officers “were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.”
People gather near the scene of a suspected shooting by an ICE agent
Anti-ICE protests
There have been passionate protests in some cities against the immigration enforcement operations of the Trump administration, which has vowed to arrest and deport undocumented migrants.
The shooting reportedly happened at 34th Street and Portland Avenue, Minneapolis.
“This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonisation of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement who are facing 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats,” the DHS added in its post.
Nearby, ICE officers were seen pepper spraying and shoving protesters during immigration enforcement operations in South Minneapolis, footage broadcast by local CBS affiliate WCCO showed.
A journalist at the scene being treated after being pepper sprayed
Dozens of protesters and bystanders were seen on the scene after the incident.
“There’s no way whatever this person did that they deserved to be killed for it,” one bystander said.
Mr Trump has made preventing unlawful immigration and expelling undocumented migrants top priorities during his second term, and has tightened conditions for entering the United States and obtaining visas.
ICE – which critics accuse of transforming into a paramilitary force – has been tasked with deporting an unprecedented number of undocumented migrants during Mr Trump’s second term.
Minnesota governor Tim Walz wrote on X that “My public safety team is working to gather information on an ICE related shooting this morning.”
“We will share information as we learn more,” he said.
“In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm.”