Countless individuals participated in another evening of demonstrations in Minneapolis on Saturday, in response to the fatal shooting of a woman by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in the city.
Previously, city authorities reported that 30 individuals had been detained during the weekend’s protests, while one police officer sustained minor injuries after being hit by a “chunk of ice”.
Demonstrations against immigration enforcement have erupted nationwide following the shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in her vehicle on Wednesday. Additional protests are anticipated in major US cities on Sunday.
The Trump administration claimed the agent who discharged the firearm acted in self-defence. Local authorities have maintained that the woman did not pose a threat.
Demonstrators convened in Minneapolis on Saturday despite the frigid temperatures, while anti-ICE protests occurred in other parts of the US, including Austin, Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles.
Minneapolis police estimated that “tens of thousands of individuals” participated in the “ICE out of Minnesota” rally and march, which commenced in Powderhorn Park on Saturday.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey remarked that the protest remained “peaceful”.
On Friday night, Minneapolis Police declared an unlawful assembly as protesters assembled outside the Canopy Hotel, where some ICE agents were reported to be staying.
The Minneapolis police department stated that “several hundred individuals” attended, and “some individuals forced their way into the hotel through an alley”.
Online videos showed protesters illuminating the area with bright lights, blowing whistles, and drumming.
Law enforcement indicated that some participants hurled ice, snow, and rocks at officers and vehicles, yet no severe injuries were reported.
One law enforcement officer experienced minor injuries but did not require medical attention, as per CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
Officials reported that another hotel in the vicinity was also targeted, sustaining window damage and graffiti.
During a press conference on Saturday morning, Mayor Frey acknowledged the majority of peaceful demonstrators but highlighted that those causing property damage or endangering others would be arrested.
Those detained on Friday night were subsequently released, noted Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
Many residents in Minnesota have expressed discontent with ICE’s presence in the state, and O’Hara mentioned that his department received numerous calls daily regarding the federal agency’s activities.
The shooting incident has revealed a significant political divide, with both sides accusing each other of employing provocative language.
On Sunday, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated her view that Good was engaging in an act of “domestic terrorism”. She informed CNN that Good had “weaponised” her vehicle to assault ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Frey, who spoke to CNN shortly after, remarked that “anybody can see that this victim is not a domestic terrorist” and described her actions as an attempt to perform a three-point turn to flee the scene.
The Minneapolis mayor added that local law enforcement were “outnumbered by the quantity of ICE agents and beyond”.
On Saturday, three congresswomen from Minnesota sought to tour an ICE facility in Minneapolis. The women stated they were initially permitted entry but were later instructed to leave.
Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison, and Angie Craig claimed that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were obstructing Congress members from fulfilling their oversight responsibilities regarding operations there.
“They are indifferent to their violation of federal law,” Craig stated.
“The public has a right to know what occurs in ICE facilities,” Omar posted on X on Saturday.
A DHS policy dated January 8, the day following Good’s shooting, mandates that members of Congress provide seven days’ notice for any visits to ICE facilities.
The BBC’s US partner, CBS News, reported that the policy was submitted to a federal court on Saturday.
Good was shot and killed inside her vehicle on Wednesday.
Footage of the event depicts ICE agents approaching a car positioned in the middle of the street, instructing the woman behind the wheel to exit the SUV. One of the agents pulls at the driver’s side door handle.
As the car attempts to flee, an agent in front points their firearm at the driver, and multiple shots are fired.
The vehicle then continues to move away from the officer and crashes against the side of the street.
Good’s spouse informed local media that they had arrived at the scene of immigration enforcement to support neighbors.
The officer who opened fire on Good is Jonathan Ross, a seasoned ICE agent who had previously sustained injuries while on duty when hit by a vehicle.
The FBI is looking into the incident.
On Friday, Minnesota officials announced they would initiate an inquiry into the shooting after stating they had been excluded from the federal investigation.
The announcement followed a day after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension mentioned the FBI had initially promised a joint investigation but had changed its stance. The US vice-president stated that the investigation is a federal matter.
