Protests Spread in Minnesota... Homeland Security to Deploy Additional Agents

Noem: "Interfering with Operations Is a Crime"
Ban on Unannounced Visits by Lawmakers to ICE Facilities

Following the fatal shooting of a civilian by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, protests have spread across major cities, prompting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to announce on the 11th (local time) that it will dispatch additional agents to Minnesota.

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, said in an interview with Fox News on the same day, "We will send more agents today and tomorrow," adding, "This is to ensure that ICE agents and Border Patrol agents working in Minneapolis can safely carry out their duties."

On the 11th, citizens are marching while holding placards in New York, USA. Photo by EPA

Secretary Noem referred to the clashes between ICE agents and protesters over the weekend, stating, "If they (the protesters) engage in violent acts against law enforcement or interfere with our operations, that is a crime, and we will hold them accountable for the consequences."

The Donald Trump administration has launched a large-scale immigration crackdown in Minneapolis since early last month, citing widespread welfare fraud involving many Somali individuals in Minnesota. As the crackdown intensified, on the 7th, a white American citizen, Renee Nicole Good, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

The Trump administration claims that the ICE agent acted in self-defense against an individual obstructing law enforcement, but there are criticisms of excessive enforcement and abuse of authority. This incident has sparked anti-immigration policy protests by the Trump administration, which are now spreading to other cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and New York.

In an interview with CNN, Secretary Noem reiterated, "This was clearly a law enforcement operation," adding, "The agent (who fired the shot) was struck by her vehicle, and she weaponized her car. The agent was trying to protect his own life, the lives of his colleagues, and the public."

In contrast, Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis and a member of the Democratic Party, criticized in an interview with NBC, "The way the Trump administration is running these agencies right now is wrong, and it is clearly unconstitutional."

Senator Tina Smith (Democrat, Minnesota) said in an interview with ABC, "Given that they've already announced what they saw and what they think happened at the very beginning of the investigation, how can we trust the federal government to conduct an objective and unbiased investigation?" She insisted that the state government must also participate in the investigation.

According to the Associated Press, as the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to strengthen immigration enforcement, Minneapolis has begun preparing for the situation. In some areas, protesters are shouting at agents and honking horns to disrupt their operations. Local residents are sharing locations where ICE agents have been spotted via chat rooms. Minneapolis public schools will switch to remote learning for one month starting on the 12th.

On the same day, the New York Times and other outlets reported that the Department of Homeland Security has implemented measures to block federal lawmakers from making unannounced visits to ICE detention facilities.

According to federal law, lawmakers are permitted to visit ICE detention facilities without prior notice. Last month, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia also ruled that lawmakers have the right to visit facilities operated with general congressional appropriations.

However, Secretary Noem, on the day immediately following the shooting incident, January 8, established a guideline requiring lawmakers to give at least seven days' notice before visiting ICE facilities and submitted a document outlining this policy to the court. She argued that, since ICE facilities are operated with separate federal funding under the "One Big Beautiful Law" led by President Trump, the rule allowing unannounced visits does not apply.