In Minneapolis on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman during a large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation carried out in a residential neighborhood of the city. Federal authorities say the agent opened fire after the woman allegedly attempted to ram law enforcement officers with her car amid a tense confrontation between protesters and security forces.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sharply condemned the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a woman was fatally wounded during an operation linked to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) tougher immigration policies. Speaking at a press conference, Frey said the presence of federal agents in the city had nothing to do with public safety. Instead, he argued, it fuels violence and upends people’s lives.
“We don’t want you here,” Frey said, addressing ICE directly. He stressed that under the guise of maintaining order, the authorities were in fact achieving the opposite. “People are getting hurt. Families are being torn apart. Long-term Minneapolis residents who have contributed so much to our city, our culture, and our economy are living in fear. Now one person is dead. This is on you, and you must leave,” he added.
Video footage published on social media by a local journalist shows masked individuals approaching a car stopped in the middle of the street. As the vehicle begins to move, one of the agents opens fire into the cabin. The car then crashes into a telephone pole.
Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said in a post on X that the woman behind the wheel had allegedly attempted to “run over our law enforcement officers with the intent to kill them,” describing the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. According to her, the ICE officer—fearing for his own life, the lives of his colleagues, and the safety of those nearby—used his weapon in self-defense. She stressed that the agent acted in line with his training and in doing so saved himself and other officers.
Frey rejected the DHS account, saying the department was trying to frame what happened as self-defense. “I have seen the video myself, and I want to say this plainly—this is complete nonsense,” the mayor said. In his view, the incident amounted to a reckless abuse of authority that resulted in the loss of life.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the woman who was killed was “a white, middle-aged woman.” He added that he was particularly troubled by reports indicating that she had been inside a vehicle blocking the street and was not the target of any law enforcement action. “I have been informed that she is now dead, and that raises serious questions,” he said.