Minneapolis residents are grappling with anger and fear following a tragic incident involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that left a 37-year-old woman dead. The shooting occurred on Wednesday morning at the intersection of 34th Street and Portland Avenue, intensifying existing tensions in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. Yet in spite of that non-collaboration, the police’s incident has caused a ripple of new ICE actions across the Twin Cities. Now federal agents are going door-to-door and stopping people in their vehicles.
Since early December, the Trump administration has drastically increased the presence and enforcement activity of federal immigration officers in Minnesota. This final move has greatly increased an extremely tense situation. Observers have reported a dramatic uptick in the presence of ICE vehicles throughout the city and into suburban areas, as community members express concern about the impact on immigrant families.
As shortly reported earlier, the tragic incident on Wednesday resulted in the death of U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good. Local officials and residents are now raising a groundswell of outrage over the fiasco. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responded bluntly, stating, “To ICE – get the fuck out of Minneapolis.” His statements reflected the thoughts of countless advocates, immigrants, and bystanders who believe that the fear-mongering tactics perpetrated by ICE are unjust.
Witnesses described the scene and the resulting panic as chaotic. Footage filmed during the raid shows Good being shot by an ICE agent, leading to an outcry from community members. For weeks, hundreds have packed the cul-de-sac where Evans lost her life, demanding justice and accountability while expressing their outrage over the federal agency’s actions.
“Every aspect of our lives are being dissected and targeted,” said Torres DeSantiago, a local activist who has been documenting ICE activities. He emphasized that what they are seeing during these raids – the amount of violence displayed – is not new, but that it is unacceptable. “This is not normal. It’s not normal to our psyche to see this level of violence and to assume that we will just be OK with what is happening.”
Over the last few days, residents kept a watchful eye on news of ICE raids. They’ve seen a literal explosion of calls to local advocacy groups for assistance. Miguel Hernandez, with Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), told his story. He specifically remembered witnessing ICE raids in-progress on two occasions while driving into work down Lake Street.
For many, that picture has gotten worse. ICE agents are increasingly going after immigrants not only in traditional urban areas but small towns and suburbs. This expansion has raised the alarm in immigrant communities, but it has resulted in greater awareness and organization among neighborhood residents.
As news spread that ICE had left after the protests, community members were quick to respond when they learned that agents had returned to the area. Others streamed in to halt additional work in its tracks. This showed a new sense of determination among local residents to push back against federal immigration enforcement.
“This is not normal everyday behavior where we see a woman be dragged on her face on the concrete floor, or be pepper-sprayed or shot with rubber bullets,” DeSantiago said. “What are we supposed to do? Just continue sipping our coffee like nothing happened?”
The community’s outrage fits into a larger context of anger with federal immigration policies under the Trump administration. Local leaders and activists make the case that these policies have an outsized impact on low-income residents and communities of color, and divide communities.
Jaylani Hussein, another leader of the immigrant rights movement who was present, said that community solidarity is crucial to times like these. “I want people to remember, this is how nations collapse – when neighbors are turned against each other,” he stated.
As protests continue and residents grapple with the implications of this latest incident, many express uncertainty about what lies ahead. Immigrants living under the increased watch of ICE agents have felt as vulnerable and fearful as ICE has aimed for them to be.