Venezuelan Man Shot by ICE Agent in Minneapolis, Causing ‘Unlawful’ Protests

A Venezuelan man was shot in the leg during a confrontation with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in North Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), federal officers were carrying out a targeted traffic stop around 6:50 p.m. local time. DHS said the man, whose name has not been released, entered the United States in 2022 and described him as an “illegal alien.”

DHS said the man tried to avoid arrest, first driving away and crashing into a parked vehicle before fleeing on foot. When officers caught up with him, DHS said they attempted to take him into custody, but the man resisted and “violently assault[ed]” the officer.

The agency said the struggle escalated when two other people came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle. DHS alleged the officer was “attacked” and “ambushed,” and that the original subject then broke free and struck the officer with a shovel or broomstick. DHS said the officer, “fearing for his life and safety,” fired “a defensive shot.”

The man was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The officer was also hospitalized. DHS did not provide an update on either person’s condition. The other two people involved were taken into custody, according to the agency.

After the shooting, the City of Minneapolis posted on X that it understood there was anger and urged the public to stay calm. In a follow-up post, the city called on ICE to leave Minneapolis and Minnesota, saying it stood with immigrant and refugee communities.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said protesters later gathered in the neighborhood and threw fireworks, ice, and rocks at law enforcement while “engaging in unlawful acts.” He said additional agencies, including the Minnesota State Patrol, Hennepin County officials, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, responded to the scene and that gas was deployed. O’Hara said police were working to disperse what he described as an unlawful assembly and urged people to leave to prevent further escalation.

Mayor Jacob Frey also called for protests to remain peaceful, saying that escalating disorder would not help the city or undocumented immigrants. He described Minneapolis as being in an “impossible situation,” arguing that residents were effectively asking a limited police force to confront federal agents in the street.

Frey also said the city had filed litigation aimed at ending what he described as ICE’s “massive deployment,” adding that he was “deeply concerned” city officials may not have enough time for a slower legal process.

He noted this was the second shooting in a week, referencing the death of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent, Jonathan Ross, on Jan. 7.

Good, 37, was shot after she was driving home following a school drop-off with her wife, Becca, when they encountered a group of ICE agents, the Associated Press reported. Shots were fired, and Good’s vehicle continued up the street away from the agents before crashing into a parked car.