Minneapolis has been plunged into a fresh wave of unrest following a second shooting involving a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in as many weeks. The incident, which occurred on the night of January 14, 2026, saw an officer shoot a man in the leg, igniting protests and raising tensions in a city still reeling from the fatal police shooting of American citizen Renee Good.
Night of Violence and Political Fallout
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a politically charged statement, identifying the injured man as a Venezuelan migrant who it claimed entered the United States under President Joe Biden's administration in 2022. According to the DHS account, the incident began at 6:50 PM CT during a targeted traffic stop in Minneapolis.
Federal officials stated the subject attempted to evade arrest, fleeing in his vehicle before crashing into a parked car and continuing on foot. The pursuing ICE officer caught up with the man and, during an attempt to apprehend him, a physical struggle ensued.
The situation escalated dramatically when, according to DHS, two individuals emerged from a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle. The DHS claims the original subject then broke free and also began striking the officer with one of the implements. Fearing for his life during this ambush by three people, the officer fired what the department termed "defensive shots," striking the initial subject in the leg.
City Leaders Condemn Federal Presence
In the aftermath, all three alleged attackers barricaded themselves inside an apartment but were later taken into custody. Both the officer and the shot man were hospitalised. The DHS used the statement to launch a sharp rebuke against Minnesota's leadership, specifically Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
The department accused them of "actively encouraging an organised resistance to ICE and federal law enforcement officers," blaming their "hateful rhetoric" for a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against its officers. This narrative has further inflamed the political divide surrounding federal immigration enforcement in the city.
Local leaders, however, have reiterated calls for calm and renewed their demand for ICE to "leave the city and state immediately." The shooting comes just days after the January 7 killing of Renee Good, a mother shot by officer Jonathon Ross as she tried to drive away from him, which had already left the community charged with fury and grief.
A City on Edge
The twin incidents have pushed Minneapolis to a boiling point. Images from the overnight protests showed sparks flying in the streets as demonstrators clashed with authorities, echoing the massive resistance that followed the first shooting. The community is now grappling with profound questions over policing, federal overreach, and immigration policy.
With one citizen dead and a migrant wounded in separate encounters with law enforcement within a fortnight, the path forward for Minneapolis appears fraught with tension as city officials and federal agencies remain in a bitter standoff.
