Daijiworld Media Network - Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Jan 9: Protests and candlelight vigils were held across several US cities after a woman was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, triggering widespread outrage and intensifying debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in urban centres.
The victim has been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. The Trump administration has maintained that the shooting, which occurred on January 7, was an act of self-defence by the federal agent involved. However, the incident has sparked sharply conflicting narratives from federal and local authorities.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be solely responsible for probing the killing, but expressed doubts over the fairness of a federal-only investigation without the involvement of local law enforcement agencies. “I am pessimistic there will be a fair outcome,” Walz said, urging transparency in the probe.
Vice President JD Vance described Good’s death as “a tragedy of her own making,” a remark that further fuelled public anger and criticism from civil rights groups and community leaders.
Local officials in Minnesota have openly challenged the federal version of events. Governor Walz cautioned the public against what he termed a “propaganda machine,” while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey dismissed ICE’s account as “bulls---,” underscoring the growing rift between state and federal authorities.
According to federal officials, the FBI is also investigating another shooting incident involving federal agents in Portland, Oregon, where two people were injured on Thursday, raising further concerns over the conduct of immigration enforcement operations.
Meanwhile, NBC News reported that it had examined multiple video angles of the Minneapolis shooting to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to Good’s death, as questions continue to mount over the use of force by ICE agents.
The incident has emerged as a flashpoint in the national conversation on immigration enforcement, police accountability and the role of federal agencies in US cities, with protests expected to continue in the coming days.