ICE agent fatally shoots woman during immigration crackdown in Minneapolis
Minnesota officials call for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to leave Minneapolis
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed a Minneapolis motorist on Wednesday during the Trump administration's latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials claimed was an act of self-defence but that the city's mayor described as "reckless" and unnecessary.
The 37-year-old woman was shot in the head in front of a family member in a snowy residential neighbourhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and about 1.6 kilometres from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.
Her killing was recorded on video by witnesses, and the scene of the shooting quickly drew a large crowd of angry protesters. By evening, hundreds arrived for a vigil to mourn her death, and that crowd quickly grew to thousands.
The victim, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good, had a six-year old child, her mother and father-in-law told the Minnesota Star Tribune. Macklin Good described herself on social media as a "poet and writer and wife and mom" who was from Colorado.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, during a visit to Texas, described the incident as an "act of domestic terrorism" carried out against ICE agents by a woman who "attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him."
But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted that characterization and the federal deployment of more than 2,000 officers as part of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
They're ripping families apart. They're sowing chaos on our streets and in this case quite literally killing people.- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
"They are not here to cause safety in this city. What they are doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust," Frey said.
"They're ripping families apart. They're sowing chaos on our streets and in this case quite literally killing people."
The mayor added: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defence. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit."
Frey had a blunt message for ICE agents: "Get the f--k out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here."
In a social media post, U.S. President Donald Trump made similar accusations to Noem's against the woman and defended ICE's work.
Hours later, at an evening news conference in Minnesota, Noem didn't back down, claiming the woman was part of a "mob of agitators" and saying the officer followed his training.
She said the veteran officer who fired his gun had been rammed and dragged by an anti-ICE motorist in June.
"Any loss of life is a tragedy, and I think all of us can agree that in this situation, it was preventable," Noem said, adding that the FBI would investigate.
Like the Minneapolis mayor, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was also clear in his comments to U.S. federal officials.
"From here on, I have a very simple message: We do not need any further help from the federal government," he said.
"To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem: You've done enough."
Shot at close range
Bystanders took various videos from different vantage points and posted them to social media. Video viewed and verified as authentic by CBC News shows the 15 seconds leading up to the fatal shooting.
The video shows a Honda Pilot SUV stopped across the middle of a residential street.
A grey pickup truck then drives up to about a car-length away from the Honda and two ICE agents wearing masks emerge and walk toward the SUV. One of the agents demands that the driver open the door and grabs at the handle.
As the SUV reverses briefly, a third ICE agent can be seen stepping in front of it. Then, just as the the SUV starts to move forward, the third agent pulls his gun and immediately fires at least two shots into the vehicle at close range, jumping back as it moves toward him.
The vehicle continues to move toward the left-hand side of the street as onlookers scream at the ICE agents.
Witnesses expressed shock at what they'd seen. After the shooting, emergency medical technicians administered aid to the woman, but she did not survive.
"She was driving away and they killed her," said resident Lynette Reini-Grandell.
Governor urges protesters to be peaceful
Walz said he has issued a "warning order" to the Minnesota National Guard to be prepared to deploy if necessary.
He later said his government wanted to have the state's National Guard at the ready in case protests over the shooting become violent and destructive.
He also said that like many, he is outraged about the killing, which he described as "predictable" and "avoidable." But he called on protesters to remain peaceful.
"They want a show. We can't give it to them. We cannot," the governor said during a news conference. "If you protest and express your First Amendment rights, please do so peacefully, as you always do. We can't give them what they want."
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara briefly described the shooting to reporters but, unlike federal officials, gave no indication that the driver was trying to harm anyone.
There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot the driver. Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.
"Keep in mind that this is an investigation that is also in its infancy. So any speculation about what has happened would be just that," Jacobson told reporters.
5th death linked to immigration crackdowns
The shooting marked a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. Macklin Good's death in Minneapolis was at least the fifth linked to immigration crackdowns.
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been on edge since the Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that it had launched the operation, with 2,000 agents and officers expected to participate in the crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.
Speaking with Power and Politics host David Cochrane, Minneapolis city council member Aurin Chowdhury said she was sitting outside a public high school where ICE agents were continuing enforcement actions.
Chowdhury said the agents didn’t appear to be apprehending students and had no idea why they were there, but said there were reports the agents used "chemical irritants" in the area.
"That's the state of where we are today after this horrific killing of a Minneapolis community member," she said.
'Shame, shame, shame'
In a scene similar to the Los Angeles and Chicago crackdowns, bystanders didn't hold back in venting their anger, blowing whistles and taunting the federal agents.
"Shame, shame, shame" and "ICE out of Minnesota" they loudly chanted from behind the police tape.
The Immigrant Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving immigrants in Minnesota, held a training session Tuesday night for about 100 people who are willing to hit the streets to monitor the federal enforcement.
"I feel like I'm an ordinary person, and I have the ability do something so I need to do it," Mary Moran told KMSP-TV.
With files from CBC News