“This Was an Attack on the American People.”

On Thursday, January 8, US authorities shifted to harsher tactics—the day after a federal agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“This was an attack on federal law enforcement. It was an attack on law and order,” Vance said. “It was an attack on the American people.”

“This woman was there to obstruct a lawful law enforcement operation,” he added during a heated exchange with reporters at the White House. “The president supports ICE, I support ICE, and we support all of our law enforcement officers.”

The shooting triggered a wave of protests across the country and once again sharpened the standoff between the White House and Democratic leaders, who insist the woman was killed unlawfully—as a result of a law enforcement officer’s reckless actions.

Videos said to capture the moment of the shooting spread rapidly across social media, fueling fresh scrutiny of law enforcement practices as President Donald Trump presses ahead with a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration across the United States.

“Based on the video footage, there was absolutely no justification for these agents’ actions,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. “A full federal investigation is required, though I have little confidence that the FBI can conduct it impartially.”

Despite objections from Minnesota authorities, who have insisted on taking part in the review, the FBI has assumed control of the shooting investigation.

“What are you afraid of?” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in an interview with CNN on Thursday. “Why are you afraid of an independent investigation?”

The White House, for its part, maintains that the unnamed, masked ICE agent acted in self-defense when he shot and killed a 37-year-old woman inside her vehicle in Minneapolis. According to the administration, the woman had been taking part in protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and other senior administration officials described the woman—identified by local authorities as Renee Nicole Good—as a “domestic terrorist,” without presenting any evidence.

On Thursday, Noem said ICE intends to continue its chosen tactics both in Minneapolis and in other US cities.

“We are warning everyone: if you believe you can harm a person, a citizen of the United States, or a law enforcement officer, we will find you and hold you accountable,” Noem said in New York. “If you lay even a finger on one of our officers, we will catch you, we will pursue you under the law, and you will feel the full severity of justice.”

In videos circulating on social media and said to capture the incident, a Honda SUV blocks traffic on a residential street, after which several masked law enforcement officers approach the vehicle. The driver begins to reverse, then moves forward. At that moment, one of the officers fires several shots at the driver from close range.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, described the incident as a “brazen use of force” and urged the White House to withdraw federal personnel from the state.

“Just let us breathe. Listen, we are exhausted. We are exhausted as Minnesotans. We are exhausted as Americans. And this relentless pressure on Minnesota for reasons that are entirely unclear—it is simply cruel,” Walz said. “Now it has crossed the line into cruelty. So please, give us a reprieve. And if this is about me, you are already getting what you want.”

On Monday, Walz announced the suspension of his re-election campaign amid a federal investigation into allegations of large-scale abuses in the state’s social welfare programs.

Vance, for his part, said on Thursday that the Trump administration is creating a new assistant attorney general position, with a mandate to investigate cases of fraud in Minnesota and other US states.