Analysis

ICE shooting: This could be a moment of reckoning for America - and battle lines are being drawn

An ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis after she allegedly attempted to run over an officer, a claim that has been challenged by the city's mayor.

David Blevins

US correspondent @skydavidblevins

Thursday 8 January 2026 04:17, UK

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It was over in a second - at least two shots fired - but this fatal ICE shooting will have lengthy repercussions.

Minneapolis becomes a flashpoint, exposing deep fractures over immigration and how it's being enforced.

Minneapolis shooting as it happened

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN 100 WORDS

A woman has been shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.

Tensions have been high in the city due to the deployment of ICE officers for a crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin claimed the deceased was shot when she attempted to "weaponise" her vehicle and run over an officer.

Trump has backed that version of events in a social media post.

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey has called the claims "bullshit" and criticised ICE, while Kamala Harris has accused Trump of "gaslighting".

Read our full report here.

Protestors were already on the streets, resisting the large-scale deployment of ICE agents in Minnesota.

Now, the battle lines are being drawn by both sides.

President Donald Trump is claiming the immigration officer acted in self-defence.

"Don't believe the propaganda," Governor Tim Walz posted. "I've seen the video," he added.

A federal agent runs towards protesters trying to block vehicles from leaving the scene. Pic: Reuters
Image: A federal agent runs towards protesters trying to block vehicles from leaving the scene. Pic: Reuters

Trump's 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, accused the president of "gaslighting".

There are several videos in circulation, each side using them to support its account of what happened.

Emergency medical technicians administer aid at the scene. Pic: AP
Image: Emergency medical technicians administer aid at the scene. Pic: AP

Several eyewitnesses are strenuously denying the Trump administration's version of events.

Tension had been building for weeks, with 2,000 agents deployed to Minnesota in December.

The Twin Cities have seen the largest immigration enforcement operation in any US city.

WHAT IS ICE?

ICE is the federal US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency responsible for homeland security investigations and removal operations against people the US decides are in the country illegally.

Its operations have ramped up significantly as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Paste BN has previously witnessed people being taken off the streets by officers and bundled into vehicles, including in Washington DC.

The mayor, Jacob Frey, isn't mincing his words, telling ICE to "get the f*** out".

But it's not the first time Mr Frey has led his city through a controversy of this nature.

He rose to prominence following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

So, he knows how tragedies like this can become moments of reckoning that sweep America.

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