The killing of a person by federal security forces in Minneapolis sparks outrage
The city of Minneapolis in the US state of Minnesota witnessed a new security escalation, as the Department of Homeland Security announced the killing of a person by federal agents on Saturday, in an incident that fueled feelings of anger in the city, which already suffers from previous tensions between residents and law enforcement agencies.
Details of the incident and the official account
According to a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security, the shooting occurred during a security operation targeting an undocumented immigrant wanted for a violent assault. The department explained that the suspect violently resisted officers' attempts to disarm him, prompting one of the federal agents to fire shots described as "defensive," fearing for his life and the lives of his colleagues.
Despite paramedics providing immediate medical assistance at the scene, the suspect succumbed to his injuries. This coincided with the circulation of a video on social media showing an injured person amidst the commotion, accompanied by the sounds of gunfire and the presence of individuals wearing police vests, further inflaming tensions in the streets.
Political anger and demands for troop withdrawal
The incident sparked angry political reactions at the highest levels in the state. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz launched a scathing attack on President Donald Trump's administration and federal operations in the state. "Just spoke with the White House after yet another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning," Walz wrote in a post on the X platform. "Enough is enough in Minnesota. This is disgusting.".
The governor explicitly demanded an immediate end to these operations, calling for the withdrawal of what he described as "thousands of violent and untrained personnel" from the state, in a clear reference to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who were heavily deployed as part of the campaign to deport immigrants.
A tense context and a history of incidents
This incident cannot be separated from the broader context of Minneapolis, where tensions have been running high for some time. It comes just weeks after another incident on January 7th, in which an immigration officer killed an American citizen named Renee Goode—an incident in which the officer was neither suspended nor charged, further fueling a sense of impunity among residents.
Adding to the public outrage was another incident that occurred the same week: immigration officers detained a five-year-old child while attempting to arrest his father. This series of events reflects the ongoing conflict between the city's Democratic-led authorities and the Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration, making Minneapolis a flashpoint in this political and security struggle.
