Woman in Her 30s Fatally Shot by ICE Agent in Minneapolis, U.S.

ICE Claims "Self-Defense," Minneapolis Calls It "Nonsense"
Protests Against Aggressive Immigration Crackdown Spread

On January 7 (local time), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Minneapolis investigators announced that a 37-year-old woman was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during an illegal immigrant crackdown operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

According to Senator Tina Smith (Democrat, Minnesota), the woman was identified as Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen residing in Minneapolis.

Scene of the shooting incident involving ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, on the 7th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

Brian O'Hara, Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, stated at a press conference that the woman was shot in the head. Although emergency medical aid was administered at the scene and she was transported to the hospital, she was pronounced dead.

Following the incident, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying, "While ICE agents were carrying out a targeted operation, rioters began to obstruct the agents. One of these violent rioters attempted to weaponize their vehicle and run down the agents." The statement continued, "An ICE agent fired defensively out of concern for his own life, the lives of his colleagues, and public safety." The department also described the woman's actions as a "terrorist act."

President Donald Trump wrote on social media that he had watched the video of the incident, stating, "It was a truly horrific scene. The screaming woman was clearly a professional agitator." He added, "The woman driving the vehicle was causing chaos, interfering, and resisting, and she violently, deliberately, and brutally struck the ICE agent with her car." Trump further claimed, "It appears the agent shot her in self-defense. If you watch the attached video, it's hard to believe he survived, but he is currently recovering in the hospital."

President Trump emphasized, "Although the incident is under full investigation, the reason for such events is that the radical left threatens, assaults, and targets our law enforcement officers and ICE agents every day. We must support and protect our law enforcement officers from this radical leftist movement of violence and hatred."

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, stated at a press conference that the woman attempted to run over an ICE agent with her vehicle and that the ICE agent acted according to his training. "We are still working to remove dangerous criminals from the streets of Minneapolis," she said.

In contrast to the federal authorities' claim of self-defense, the mayor and police of Minneapolis offered a conflicting account. According to The New York Times, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the Department of Homeland Security's explanation as "nonsense" during a press conference, arguing, "The ICE agent recklessly used force, resulting in the loss of life."

Chief O'Hara stated, "There is no indication that the woman was the target of any law enforcement investigation or activity." He added that the middle-aged white woman appeared to have used her vehicle to block the road where ICE agents were present.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at another press conference, "We do not need additional federal assistance," and pledged, "We will do everything possible to ensure accountability and justice."

According to video footage recorded by witnesses, ICE agents approached a vehicle stopped sideways in the middle of the road, ordered the occupant to exit, and attempted to open the car door. When the vehicle moved to evade the agents, an agent standing directly in front drew his weapon and fired into the car. The vehicle then sped down the road, crashing into parked cars and a utility pole before coming to a stop.

This incident occurred amid a large-scale illegal immigrant crackdown operation in Minnesota. The previous day, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons had announced in a media interview that ICE would launch the largest operation in its history in Minnesota. U.S. media reported that ICE planned to deploy approximately 2,000 agents in the Minneapolis area.

President Trump also signaled a tough crackdown on immigrants, stating, "Hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees have taken over what was once a prosperous Minnesota." According to The New York Times, about 80,000 people of Somali descent reside in Minnesota, but the majority are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

In response, Minnesota Governor Walz, who ran as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election, strongly objected, calling it "a war against Minnesota."

A memorial rally is being held after a woman was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis on the 7th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

As the exact circumstances of the fatal shooting remain unclear, there are growing concerns that protests criticizing the federal government's results-oriented, high-intensity immigration crackdown may spread. According to AP and other media outlets, the incident has sparked significant outrage, with hundreds of protesters gathering at the scene to mourn the victim.

Minneapolis is also where, in 2020 during the first Trump administration, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed due to excessive police force. That incident triggered nationwide 'Black Lives Matter (BLM)' protests against police brutality and racial discrimination across the United States.