The Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and called upon the National Guard to be on standby after a woman was fatally shot by officers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The incident unfolded amid escalating immigration raids within the state, as reported by EFE. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)Minneapolis, the state's largest city.
Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS Deputy Secretary, described the woman as a "violent agitator" who allegedly used her vehicle as a "weapon" in an attempt to run over the officers, an act she labeled as "domestic terrorism."
According to McLaughlin, an ICE officer who "feared for his life" discharged "defensive gunfire." She noted that the "alleged perpetrator" was killed, and mentioned that the injured agents are expected to "fully recover," though she withheld details about the victim's identity and nationality.
Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, publicly supported this characterization and also accused the woman of committing "an act of domestic terrorism," asserting that the authorities acted in "self-defense."
Noem, speaking at a press conference in Brownsville, Texas, stated that the incident exemplified the type of assaults ICE officers face "daily."
This event took place amid what was described as a "massive operation" by ICE in Minnesota. The DHS reported the cumulative arrest of over 1,000 migrants in the state, including individuals from Ecuador, Mexico, and El Salvador, with Monday alone seeing more than 150 apprehensions, marking it as the largest immigration operation of 2026 so far.
In a statement, the agency detailed that among those detained were "murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members," highlighting arrests of people from various countries and releasing images of several detentions.
Locally, the response was swift and contentious. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey accused ICE of "killing people" following the woman's death, demanding that the agents "get the hell out."
During a press briefing, Frey asserted that ICE was not providing security but rather "chaos and distrust," breaking up families and "sowing chaos" in the cities. He dismissed the DHS's self-defense rationale as "nonsense" and "garbage."
Latino organizations and leaders also condemned the incident. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus claimed the death was a direct result of the Trump Administration's "irresponsible" policy driven by "violent excesses" against immigrants and American citizens, asserting that the government "seeks violence to justify more violence."
The group called for a "transparent" investigation and vowed to use legal avenues to demand accountability.
CNN reported that the Trump Administration was planning to send approximately 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis to lead a crackdown on immigrants, targeting members of the Somali community and other groups.
Understanding the Minnesota ICE Operation and Its Consequences
What led to the declaration of a state of emergency in Minnesota?
The state of emergency in Minnesota was declared following the fatal shooting of a woman by ICE agents during an immigration raid in Minneapolis, which has sparked significant unrest and calls for accountability.
How has the local government in Minneapolis responded to the incident?
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has strongly criticized ICE, accusing the agency of causing chaos and demanding that they leave the city. He rejected the DHS's claim of self-defense as unfounded.
What was the DHS's justification for the actions taken by ICE agents?
The DHS justified the ICE agents' actions by labeling the woman's attempts to run over the officers as "domestic terrorism," asserting that the agents acted in self-defense during the incident.