Civil liberties and migrant-rights organizations are calling for nationwide demonstrations this weekend following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis activist by a US immigration officer, an incident that has intensified tensions between federal authorities and Democratic-led states.
Protest organizers said more than 1,000 rallies are planned across the country, demanding an end to large-scale deployments of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents ordered by President Donald Trump, primarily targeting cities governed by Democrats.
Minneapolis became a focal point of the administration’s enforcement campaign on Wednesday, when an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, as she sat in her car on a residential street.
The shooting followed the arrival of roughly 2,000 federal officers in what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as its largest operation to date. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the deployment as reckless, calling it an example of “governance by reality TV.”
Conflicting accounts of the shooting
On Friday night, demonstrators gathered outside a Minneapolis hotel believed to be housing ICE personnel, staging what organizers described as a “noise protest.” Videos shared online showed protesters banging pots and pans, playing instruments, chanting through bullhorns and shining bright lights toward the building.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, state police later declared an unlawful assembly after receiving reports of property damage and concerns that the protest was no longer peaceful. Officers in riot gear moved in, and dispersal orders were issued before arrests were made.
Good had been taking part in community “neighborhood patrols” that monitor ICE activity, according to her family and local activists.
Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, said the officer acted in self-defense, claiming Good had followed agents throughout the day and attempted to ram the officer with her vehicle in what they described as an act of domestic terrorism.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected that characterization, citing bystander footage that he said contradicts the federal government’s account. Civil liberties advocates argue the videos show no justification for the use of lethal force.
Independent investigations launched
Amid sharply diverging narratives, Minnesota state authorities and Hennepin County prosecutors announced a separate criminal investigation into the shooting, running alongside a federal inquiry led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Some administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have argued that state prosecutors lack jurisdiction to bring charges against a federal officer. Legal experts, however, note that federal immunity is not automatic.
The escalating situation prompted Walz to place Minnesota’s National Guard on alert.
Similar incident in Portland adds pressure
Federal-state tensions intensified further after a separate incident in Portland, where a US Border Patrol agent shot and wounded two people during a traffic stop. DHS said the driver attempted to use the vehicle as a weapon, an account city officials said requires independent verification.
DHS later identified the wounded individuals as suspected gang associates from Venezuela, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said he would reserve judgment until an independent investigation is completed.
Broader fallout
The Minneapolis shooting occurred only blocks from where George Floyd was killed by a police officer in 2020, an event that sparked months of nationwide racial-justice protests during Trump’s first term.
Bystander video of the latest incident shows masked officers approaching Good’s SUV as it was partially blocking traffic. An officer is seen grabbing the driver-side door handle as the vehicle moves forward and away. Moments later, three shots are fired into the front of the car.
Footage recorded by the officer who fired the shots—identified in public records as Jonathan Ross—shows Good appearing calm and telling him she was not angry shortly before the shooting. The video does not clearly show the vehicle striking the officer, who remains standing and walks afterward, contradicting Trump’s claim that the officer was run over.
The twin DHS-related shootings have drawn large crowds to protests in Minneapolis, Portland and other cities. Additional demonstrations under the banner “ICE Out For Good” are scheduled for the weekend, organized by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn Civic Action, Voto Latino and Indivisible.
Organizers say the rallies aim to challenge the administration’s immigration tactics and demand accountability in the wake of the fatal shooting.