MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal officers fired tear gas Monday to disperse a crowd of bystanders in Minneapolis who gathered to witness the aftermath of a car crash involving immigration agents, located just blocks away from where a woman was fatally shot last week.
Witnesses reported that immigration agents rear-ended a man's vehicle, prompting a public outcry as they attempted to interview him. Amid the chaos, officers used tear gas in response to the crowd's heated protests, with bystanders shouting accusations of cowardice.
This incident follows the controversial death of Renee Good on January 7 and recent immigration enforcement sweeps in the area, leading to widespread protests across the United States in her honor. Many demonstrations have condemned the tactics used by the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement, heightening tensions in locales like Minneapolis and beyond.
On Monday, Minnesota’s attorney general alongside the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul planned a press conference to discuss the operations implemented by federal agents. However, specific details regarding their strategy have yet to be disclosed.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, accompanied by his wife, visited a memorial for Good, aged 37, who was shot in the head and killed while driving her SUV in circumstances investigators have been scrutinizing closely. Officials associated with the Trump administration have defended the actions of the immigration officer involved in the shooting, claiming that Good presented a threat, a narrative disputed by public officials who argue it contradicts video evidence of the incident.
Meanwhile, U.S. citizen Christian Molina shared his experience, describing an encounter where he was pursued by agents who requested identification after a minor collision. He chose to wait for local police and expressed relief that the situation did not escalate further. Molina remarked, 'I’m glad they didn’t shoot me or something,' while questioning who would bear responsibility for the damages to his car.
This tension is not isolated to Minnesota, as a similar scenario unfolded in Portland, Oregon, where federal authorities charged a Venezuelan national after another incident involving U.S. Border Patrol officers resulted in gunfire, creating an environment of uncertainty surrounding immigration enforcement measures.
Witnesses reported that immigration agents rear-ended a man's vehicle, prompting a public outcry as they attempted to interview him. Amid the chaos, officers used tear gas in response to the crowd's heated protests, with bystanders shouting accusations of cowardice.
This incident follows the controversial death of Renee Good on January 7 and recent immigration enforcement sweeps in the area, leading to widespread protests across the United States in her honor. Many demonstrations have condemned the tactics used by the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement, heightening tensions in locales like Minneapolis and beyond.
On Monday, Minnesota’s attorney general alongside the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul planned a press conference to discuss the operations implemented by federal agents. However, specific details regarding their strategy have yet to be disclosed.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, accompanied by his wife, visited a memorial for Good, aged 37, who was shot in the head and killed while driving her SUV in circumstances investigators have been scrutinizing closely. Officials associated with the Trump administration have defended the actions of the immigration officer involved in the shooting, claiming that Good presented a threat, a narrative disputed by public officials who argue it contradicts video evidence of the incident.
Meanwhile, U.S. citizen Christian Molina shared his experience, describing an encounter where he was pursued by agents who requested identification after a minor collision. He chose to wait for local police and expressed relief that the situation did not escalate further. Molina remarked, 'I’m glad they didn’t shoot me or something,' while questioning who would bear responsibility for the damages to his car.
This tension is not isolated to Minnesota, as a similar scenario unfolded in Portland, Oregon, where federal authorities charged a Venezuelan national after another incident involving U.S. Border Patrol officers resulted in gunfire, creating an environment of uncertainty surrounding immigration enforcement measures.
