Protesters ‘hit by ICE with tear gas and pepper balls’ in latest confrontation

Fury erupted in Minneapolis as President Trump’s ICE agents, backed by over 2,400 Homeland Security officers and 1,000 more on the way, clashed with outraged locals

Tensions have erupted today (January 13) as American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents deployed by US President Donald Trump clashed with furious protesters. Shocking new pictures expose a handful of these agents firing tear gas and pepper balls at residents.

Fresh photographs showcase the moment chaos broke out on Tuesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Crowds reportedly clashed with ICE agents, who fired tear gas after detaining two locals from a home.

The Trump administration has reportedly unleashed a force of more than 2,400 Homeland Security officers across Minnesota in a dramatic crackdown targeting undocumented immigrants. The hostility in the state has continuously grown since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent.

Minneapolis is reportedly bracing for even more federal muscle as sources say an extra 1,000 Customs and Border Protection agents are set to descend on the city. This move ultimately piles onto the already heavy presence after last week’s fatal ICE-involved shooting of Good that sparked outrage and protests across the US and abroad.

Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul, the capital city Minnesota, is consequently suing the Trump administration. The cities and the state are calling the mass immigration raids “a federal invasion of the Twin Cities”, CNN reported.

Nevertheless, the state’s attorney general has reportedly insisted the lawsuit is happening “because of this escalation”, not to kick ICE out entirely. Despite all the backlash, Trump has fiercely defended the crackdown, warning online that a “day of reckoning and retribution is coming”.

Trump’s immigration push, which began in December targeting undocumented Somali immigrants, has swept up people from other countries and many with no criminal records, according to CNN. The fallout has rocked the local justice system.

Moreover, acting US attorney Joseph Thompson and two top prosecutors reportedly resigned after pressure from Washington to focus the investigation into Good’s shooting on her actions and those around her. “Others are weighing whether to resign instead of following unusual demands on how to handle the shooting probe,” a source told CNN.

Crowds in the Powderhorn neighbourhood, where Good was fatally shot, have since furiously confronted ICE agents, blocking their vehicles, hurling snowballs, and blasting whistles. “This is one of the worst scenes that I’ve seen,” a CNN reporter said.

He added: “These people are angry, they are loud and the ICE agents are sort of backing away.” As the standoff escalated, pepper balls and flash bangs were fired, and protestors chanted “ICE Out Now, ICE Out Now!” while agents in SUVs tried to escape the melee.

Good, a 37-year-old poet and mum-of-three, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross during an immigration enforcement operation in South Minneapolis on January 7. She was in her maroon Honda Pilot near the site of an active ICE operation.

Good was reportedly acting as a “legal observer” with her wife recording the interaction on a cell phone. As she was attempting to drive away from the agents, Ross fired three shots, hitting her in the head.

The Trump administration, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, labeled Good a “domestic terrorist”, claiming she “weaponised” her vehicle and tried to run over agents. Nevertheless, Minneapolis Mayor Frey and video analyses by major news outlets indicated Good was attempting to drive away from the agents.

The tragedy came as thousands have been demonstrating in Minneapolis and across the US under the banner “ICE Out For Good”. ICE’s heavy presence in the US are tied to an aggressive federal immigration crackdown.

Moreover, the surge is part of a national “mass deportation” campaign. In Minnesota, the administration claims the focus is on “fraudsters, murderers, and gang members”, particularly within the Somali community following allegations of welfare fraud.

Trump’s administration has specifically targeted Minneapolis due to its status as a “sanctuary city”, with Trump accusing local officials of putting citizens at risk by not enforcing federal immigration law.

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