The killing of a person by federal agents in Minneapolis has sparked outrage from the state's governor
On Saturday, Minneapolis witnessed another shooting incident in which a person was killed by federal security personnel, further fueling the tension and unrest in the city and prompting the governor of Minnesota to launch scathing criticisms against the White House and demand an end to federal operations in his state.
Details of the incident and the official account
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that federal agents shot and killed a suspect in Minneapolis. According to the department's statement, the shooting occurred during a security operation targeting an undocumented immigrant wanted for a violent assault.
The Department of Homeland Security explained via its "X" platform that the suspect violently resisted officers' attempts to disarm him, prompting one federal agent to fire "defensive shots" out of fear for his life and the lives of his colleagues. Despite paramedics providing first aid at the scene, the suspect died from his injuries. This coincided with the circulation of unverified videos showing an injured person amidst the commotion and the sound of gunfire.
Political clash: Minnesota governor attacks the White House
In an angry reaction reflecting the deep rift between local and federal authorities, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz launched a scathing attack on the federal government. "Just spoke with the White House after yet another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning," Walz tweeted. "Enough is enough in Minnesota. This is disgusting.".
Walz urged the US president to intervene immediately, saying, "The president must end this operation. Withdraw the thousands of violent and untrained agents from Minnesota now." This statement comes as thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are deployed in the Democratic-run city, coinciding with President Donald Trump's campaign to deport undocumented immigrants.
Context of events and history of tension in Minneapolis
This incident cannot be separated from the broader context of Minneapolis, which in recent years has become a focal point of controversy surrounding police practices and civil rights. The city has been in a state of ongoing unrest since the fatal shooting of American citizen Renee Goode by an immigration officer on January 7th, an incident in which the officer was neither arrested nor charged, further fueling the community's sense of impunity.
Public anger was further inflamed by the detention this week of a five-year-old boy by immigration officers while attempting to arrest his father. These successive events demonstrate a dangerous escalation in the confrontation between the federal government's hardline immigration policies and local communities and state authorities pursuing contrasting policies, foreshadowing further social and political unrest in the region.
