WASHINGTON, DC: Protests spread across several US cities following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in the state of Minnesota, as mounting evidence and eyewitness accounts cast doubt on official claims that the killing was an act of self-defence.
The shooting took place on Wednesday in Minneapolis, where Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old American citizen and mother of three, was killed during an encounter with federal immigration agents. Demonstrators clashed with officers in the city on Thursday, prompting local authorities to cancel school for two days amid fears of escalating unrest.
Clashes and arrests were reported near the Whipple Federal Building on the outskirts of Minneapolis. Videos shared widely on social media appeared to show federal agents detaining demonstrators as crowds chanted “Go home!” and “Police state!”
In New York City, protesters gathered at the World Trade Center as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a news conference nearby. The demonstration followed a protest late Wednesday at Foley Square, close to several federal buildings.
Further protests were expected later Thursday in Washington, DC, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago, among other cities.
President Donald Trump and senior administration officials said the ICE agent fired in self-defence, claiming Good attempted to run over officers with her vehicle. However, video footage, witness testimony and statements from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have raised serious questions about that account.
Videos circulating online from multiple angles appear to show the officer who fired the fatal shots was not standing in the vehicle’s path when he opened fire.
One video shows Good’s SUV stopped in the middle of the road, surrounded at a distance by unmarked federal vehicles. As agents approach, one is heard shouting for her to exit the car. The vehicle then reverses briefly before pulling forward with its wheels turned to the right. An officer standing to the left of the SUV fires three shots.
Good’s vehicle speeds away before crashing into a parked car down the street. It remains unclear whether she was alive at the time of the collision.
Other footage appears to show federal agents blocking bystanders from providing medical assistance. In one clip, a man identifying himself as a physician asks to check Good’s pulse and is forcefully refused by an agent.
Vice President JD Vance accused Good of being part of what he described as a “broader left-wing network” targeting ICE officers and characterised the protests as “classic terrorism”.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a separate statement, said peaceful protest is protected under the First Amendment but warned that interfering with federal law enforcement or damaging federal property would lead to arrest and prosecution.
Earlier on Thursday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced it was withdrawing from the investigation after the US Attorney’s Office granted the FBI sole authority over the case.
“Without complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected, we cannot meet the investigative standards that Minnesota law and the public demands,” the agency said.
Civil rights advocates and local officials have questioned whether the investigation can remain impartial under the Trump administration, amid accusations that federal law enforcement agencies have become increasingly politicised.
The shooting comes as the administration has deployed nearly 2,000 federal agents to Minnesota as part of a broader crackdown on undocumented immigration, particularly in Minneapolis and St Paul.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has repeatedly demanded that ICE leave the city, saying the agency’s presence has made residents less safe. State and local officials opposing ICE operations say the agents are unwelcome and are fuelling fear rather than security.
