Tensions Escalate After U.S. Immigration Officer Shoots Venezuelan Man in Minneapolis
A man waves a US flag next to people protesting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 9, 2026. A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed an American woman on the streets of Minneapolis January 7, leading to huge protests and outrage from local leaders who rejected White House claims she was a domestic terrorist. The woman, identified in local media as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, was hit
MINNEAPOLIS, January 15, 2026 — A U.S. federal immigration agent shot a Venezuelan man in the leg Wednesday evening in North Minneapolis during a targeted traffic stop, city officials and federal authorities confirmed, intensifying a wave of unrest in the city.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), officers were conducting a targeted traffic stop of a Venezuelan national who entered the United States in 2022 and is thought to be in the country without legal status. When the man tried to flee the scene in his vehicle and later on foot, federal agents pursued him.
The DHS said the man resisted and attacked the pursuing agent, and two additional individuals emerged from a nearby apartment wielding a snow shovel and a broom handle, joining the struggle. Fearing for his safety, the agent fired a single shot that struck the man in the leg.
Both the wounded man and the ICE officer were hospitalized with injuries, but officials say neither appears to be in critical condition. The two others involved were taken into custody.
City authorities have confirmed the shooting and urged calm as tensions remain high. Minneapolis officials reiterated their calls for ICE to leave the city and the state, citing concerns about recent federal enforcement actions and public safety.
The incident comes just one week after another ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis during a separate enforcement operation, a shooting that sparked widespread protests and political outcry.
Protesters have since gathered near the scene, clashing with law enforcement and prompting the use of crowd-control measures, including tear gas. Local leaders have stressed the importance of peaceful demonstration and community safety amid the heightened federal presence.
