Minneapolis has seen a surge in tensions between immigration enforcement agents and local residents, as the crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to spark outrage and protests across the city.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday, when a team of masked ICE agents was caught on camera aggressively arresting two teenagers on the streets of Minneapolis. Furious protesters were heard shouting “How do you sleep?” at the agents as they forcibly detained the young pair and bundled them into a federal vehicle.
The chaotic scene, captured by an MPR News photojournalist, showed the agents forming a perimeter around the teenagers and warning the growing crowd not to cross the line. One protester angrily responded, “You have no right to touch me.”
The reason for the teenagers’ arrest remains unclear, although the photojournalist reported that they were initially stopped after an ICE agent allegedly rear-ended their SUV. He also witnessed the agents examining the girl’s US passport as she sobbed in the snow-covered street, while others photographed the “frightened” teenage boy’s face.
As the confrontation escalated, the ICE agents eventually deployed crowd-dispersing chemicals before leaving the scene with the two detainees.
This latest clash comes amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this month. Good, a mother of three, was killed after her car blocked a road where immigration officers were conducting an operation. The Trump administration claimed she had tried to ram federal workers, but local officials have disputed that version of events.
Good’s death has sparked a wave of protests across the city, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey angrily demanding that ICE get the “f*** out” in a fiery speech. The Trump administration has responded by doubling down on its immigration crackdown, alleging that Somali immigrants are defrauding the Minnesota daycare system.
As the tensions continue to escalate, some residents have reportedly started delivering groceries to migrant families to prevent them from having to leave their homes and risk being targeted by ICE. Sergio Amezcua, a local pastor, told The New York Times that the community is “traumatized” and that ICE appears to be targeting anyone who is not white.
The situation in Minneapolis remains volatile, with the arrival of Vice President JD Vance on Thursday expected to further inflame the already tense standoff between federal immigration authorities and the city’s residents.
