Trump says ICE officer acted in self-defense in fatal Minneapolis shooting
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- Trump says ICE officer acted in self-defense in fatal Minneapolis shooting.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that a federal immigration officer who shot and killed a woman during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis appeared to have acted in self-defense, after reviewing video footage of the incident.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the officer was “violently, willfully, and viciously” run over by a vehicle and fired his weapon fearing for his life. “The ICE Officer… seems to have shot her in self defense,” Trump wrote, adding that the officer is recovering in hospital.
The shooting occurred Wednesday during protests against an apparent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in south Minneapolis. Federal officials said the woman attempted to ram ICE agents with her vehicle, prompting an officer to fire multiple shots as the car pulled away.
The Department of Homeland Security said the officer “fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” describing the incident as an attempted attack on federal agents. DHS said officers injured in the confrontation are expected to recover.
Local officials strongly disputed the federal account. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected claims that the shooting was an act of self-defense, calling the government’s characterization “bullshit,” and demanded that ICE halt operations in the city.
Video circulating online, which has not been independently verified, appears to show a Honda SUV blocking unmarked law enforcement vehicles on a snow-covered street as officers approach. The mayor said the driver was a 37-year-old woman who was attempting to leave the scene when an agent fired three shots.
The incident took place near 34th Street and Portland Avenue amid heightened protests against immigration enforcement actions under Trump’s second term. Footage from local media showed officers using pepper spray and force against protesters nearby.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said agents were attempting to move vehicles when the woman “attacked them and attempted to run them over,” while the agency accused “sanctuary politicians” of fueling violence against officers.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said state authorities were gathering information and urged calm as investigations continue.
The shooting has intensified scrutiny of ICE operations, which critics say have become increasingly militarized, as well as protests against the administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
