Minneapolis braced for escalating tension over the weekend as the US Department of Homeland Security moved to deploy hundreds of additional federal agents following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, an incident that has ignited protests across the country.
Demonstrations erupted in Minneapolis and quickly spread to major cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Salt Lake City, and San Jose, as outrage grew over the killing of Good, a 37 year old American citizen and mother of three. The shooting occurred as federal immigration enforcement intensified operations in the Minneapolis Saint Paul area, which DHS has described as its largest enforcement effort to date.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the agency would significantly expand its presence in the city. “We’re sending more officers today and tomorrow,” she said, adding that “there will be hundreds more in order to allow our ICE and our border patrol individuals that are working in Minneapolis to do so safely.”
As door to door enforcement actions unfolded in residential neighborhoods, protesters confronted heavily armed federal agents, shouting, banging drums, honking car horns, and blowing whistles in an effort to disrupt the operations. Witnesses reported pushing and the use of chemical spray before agents forced entry into at least one home and took a man away in handcuffs.
Authorities said at least 30 people were arrested during protests on Saturday, and one police officer was injured after being struck by what officials described as a chunk of ice. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the “vast majority of community members have demonstrated peacefully,” despite isolated clashes.
Earlier on Sunday, demonstrators marched toward the residential street where Good was shot while driving away in her vehicle. The incident, which was captured on video from multiple angles, has become a rallying point for critics of federal immigration enforcement tactics.
The scale of the protests underscored the depth of anger following Good’s death, which comes amid other recent shootings involving federal immigration officers, including an incident in Portland, Oregon, that left three people injured this week.
Luis Argueta, a spokesperson for Unidos MN, said community response has grown rapidly since the 2024 election. “More than 20,000 people have taken part in trainings to become observers of enforcement activities in Minnesota,” he said. “It’s a role that people choose to take on voluntarily, because they choose to look out for their neighbors.”
Despite largely peaceful demonstrations, officials across the Twin Cities prepared for continued unrest. Minneapolis public schools announced they will shift to remote learning for at least a month, citing concerns that students and parents may not feel safe traveling while tensions remain high. Several schools had already closed in the days following the shooting.
The unrest has also intensified a political clash between Minnesota leaders and the Trump administration. Federal officials have described Good as a “domestic terrorist” and claimed an ICE officer was run over, assertions contradicted by video footage that appears to show Good turning away rather than attempting to strike the officer.
Mayor Frey, who earlier demanded that ICE leave Minneapolis, criticized the administration’s handling of the investigation. Speaking on national television, he said federal officials were “so quick to jump on a narrative as opposed to the truth,” particularly after refusing to allow state investigators to assist in the FBI’s inquiry.
Protests continued far beyond Minnesota. In Los Angeles, demonstrators gathered outside federal buildings, carrying inverted American flags and signs condemning ICE. Police later issued dispersal orders as crowds blocked streets. In the San Francisco Bay Area, hundreds filled major intersections, while another group formed a human banner reading “IT WAS MURDER ICE OUT” along Ocean Beach.
Salt Lake City also saw large demonstrations, with roughly 1,000 protesters marching through Washington Square Park before gathering outside a federal courthouse. Organizer Sarah Buck urged restraint, saying, “We do need to have patience and see if an investigation takes place the way it should.”
As night fell, makeshift memorials honoring Renee Nicole Good appeared in Minneapolis neighborhoods, with candles, flowers, and handwritten signs demanding accountability. With federal enforcement expanding and protests showing no sign of slowing, the confrontation between community outrage and government action is poised to deepen in the days ahead.
