Tensions remain dangerously high in two major American cities following separate shootings involving federal immigration officers, sparking widespread public outrage and protests demanding accountability.
Minneapolis: A Mother's Death Ignites Fury
On Wednesday, 9th January 2026, an officer from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good, a mother of three, on a snowy Minneapolis street. Federal officials claim the officer acted in self-defence after Good allegedly tried to drive away and struck him with her vehicle.
However, this narrative has been fiercely contested. Multiple videos of the incident have surfaced, and policing experts state the officer's actions appear to defy standard law enforcement practices followed for decades. It remains unclear from the footage whether the vehicle made contact with the officer.
The agent involved has been identified as Jonathan Ross, 43, an Iraq War veteran with nearly two decades of service in Border Patrol and ICE. Records show Ross was seriously injured last summer when he was dragged by a suspect's vehicle.
Portland: A Second Shooting Fuels National Scrutiny
As Minneapolis grappled with the fallout, a second shooting involving federal officers occurred on Thursday afternoon outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon. This incident left two people wounded, their conditions unknown. The FBI's Portland office has launched an investigation.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended its officers, stating a Venezuelan man with alleged gang ties, involved in a recent shooting, attempted to "weaponise" his car against them. Witness accounts and video evidence to corroborate this are still being examined.
In response, Portland's Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council have called for ICE to suspend all operations in the city pending a full investigation.
Protests and Political Fallout
The twin incidents have ignited a firestorm of public anger. On Thursday night, hundreds of protesters marched through freezing rain in Minneapolis, chanting "ICE out now" and bearing signs that read "killer ice off our streets." Similar demonstrations took place outside an ICE facility in Portland.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the Minneapolis shooting as an "act of domestic terrorism" against ICE officers. This characterisation has further inflamed tensions, with critics accusing the administration of escalating rhetoric instead of addressing concerns over policing tactics.
The events have placed ICE operations under intense national scrutiny, raising urgent questions about use of force, accountability, and the role of federal immigration enforcement in American cities.
