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Minneapolis leaders say the city is prioritising public safety and unity after a woman was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, an incident that has intensified tensions between City Hall and Washington.
Mayor Jacob Frey said the response from residents has been measured, even as national attention focuses on the role of federal authorities.
Deadly incident
The shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good took place on Wednesday in a residential neighbourhood of Minneapolis. Protests followed, but city officials said there has been no repeat of the widespread unrest seen after the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
Frey said his immediate concern was to protect residents and prevent further harm. “My first priority was to keep the people of Minneapolis safe,” he said, reports CBS News.
Federal stance
In an interview with CBS News, White House border czar Tom Homan said ICE agents should be given access to local jails and prisons to detain undocumented immigrants, arguing this would improve safety.
Frey rejected that approach, saying city leaders do not control the jails, which fall under the authority of the county sheriff.
He added that deep mistrust exists between federal authorities and local communities.
The Trump administration has deployed about 2,000 federal immigration agents to the Twin Cities as part of an immigration crackdown and in response to a state fraud scandal.
Competing accounts
The White House has said the ICE officer acted in self-defense. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the events leading up to the shooting as an “act of domestic terrorism.”
Local officials strongly dispute that characterisation. Witnesses and video footage cited by Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz appear to contradict the federal account.
“Domestic terrorism? Give me a break, this woman was trying to leave,” Frey said.
Mayor’s warning
Frey accused ICE of deliberately provoking unrest. “We know that the underlying intention of ICE is not safety, it’s not reducing crime, what it is, is to cause chaos and disruption in our city,” he told CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil.
“What I appreciate about this situation right now is we in Minneapolis are all singing with one accord,” Frey said. “Which is, one, we’re gonna stand up for our immigrant community. Two, we’re gonna keep people safe. And three, we’re not gonna take the bait.”
He added: “Clearly they want to deploy additional military resources, and we’re not gonna take the bait.”
At a news conference earlier, Frey demanded that ICE “get the f*** out of Minneapolis,” saying confidence in the federal administration had eroded.
Sources: CBS News
