Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey calls second ICE shooting intolerable as crackdown fuels fear

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis city officials held a press conference on Thursday, January 15, following the shooting of a man by an ICE agent in north Minneapolis on Wednesday evening, an incident that intensified public anger over federal immigration enforcement in the city.

The shooting came just days after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in south Minneapolis, marking the second ICE-involved use of force in the city within a week. As protests continued, city leaders warned that escalating tensions risked further instability.

Jacob Frey condemns ICE operations, warns fear has overtaken daily life

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivered a sharp rebuke of federal immigration enforcement, calling recent ICE activity “intolerable” and blaming it for widespread fear and disruption across the city.

Addressing residents both inside and outside Minneapolis, Frey urged people to consider the impact of a large federal presence on everyday life. He asked listeners to imagine families suddenly living under the strain of thousands of federal agents operating in their neighborhoods without sharing community values.

Frey said daily routines had been upended, with cafes closing early and schools shutting down as families feared separation. Parents, he added, were forced to scramble for childcare as uncertainty spread. “This is not creating safety,” Frey said.

The mayor linked recent violence directly to federal enforcement actions, stating that a significant share of shootings in Minneapolis so far this year involved ICE agents. He condemned the agency’s conduct in unusually blunt terms, saying he had witnessed behavior that was “disgusting” and unacceptable in any city.

Frey also addressed protests that followed the latest shooting, praising peaceful demonstrators while urging others to step back. He warned against confrontation, saying Minneapolis could not respond to chaos with more chaos, and urged residents to return home rather than escalate tensions.  

Police chief Brian O’Hara describes unrest, details shooting investigation

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara outlined the events that followed the shooting, describing protests that turned unlawful and required police intervention. He said officers were met with fireworks, rocks, and chunks of ice, prompting calls for immediate dispersal.

“This is already a very tense situation, and we do not need this to escalate any further,” O’Hara said, adding that the violence crossed a clear line.

O’Hara provided details on the shooting itself, saying the man retreated into a residence after being shot and initially refused to exit. Federal agents later entered the home, and the man was transported to a local hospital with what authorities described as non-life-threatening injuries.

City officials said the shooting occurred during a violent confrontation and confirmed that the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were processing evidence at the scene. O’Hara added that an officer may have been assaulted during the incident, though details remained under investigation.

As demonstrations continued, officials reiterated calls for calm, warning that further unrest would only deepen divisions already heightened by federal enforcement actions.