Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Minneapolis on Saturday to protest the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration officer, as well as a separate shooting of two people in Portland, Oregon. The demonstrations were part of hundreds of coordinated protests held across towns and cities nationwide, reflecting growing anger and fear over intensified immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
The Minneapolis protest came just days after the killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Wednesday. The incident has left the city on edge and reignited national debate over federal immigration tactics and the use of force by law enforcement.
“We’re all living in fear right now,” said Meghan Moore, a Minneapolis mother of two who joined Saturday’s march. “ICE is creating an environment where nobody feels safe, and that’s unacceptable.”
While Saturday’s large demonstration remained peaceful, tensions had flared the previous night. On Friday, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel involving about 1,000 people turned violent when some demonstrators threw ice, snow, and rocks at police officers. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said one officer suffered minor injuries after being struck by a piece of ice. Twenty-nine people were cited and released.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that the city supports peaceful protest but will not tolerate violence or destruction of property. He blamed unrest on “agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds,” adding that those who put others at risk would be arrested.
“This is what Donald Trump wants,” Frey said, accusing the president of seeking chaos through aggressive immigration enforcement. “He wants us to take the bait.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz echoed that message, urging demonstrators to remain calm and focused. In a social media post, Walz said the deployment of thousands of armed federal officers to Minnesota had deadly consequences within days. He warned that further unrest would only distract from accountability over Good’s killing.
“We will fight with peaceful expression, in court, through public debate, and at the ballot box,” Walz said. “Keep the peace. And keep the faith.”
The Department of Homeland Security has described the Twin Cities operation as its largest-ever immigration enforcement effort. The Trump administration has defended both the Minneapolis and Portland shootings as acts of self-defense, claiming officers were threatened by drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles—assertions that critics strongly dispute.
Many protesters said they were motivated by what they see as daily intimidation in their communities. Connor Maloney, who attended the Minneapolis march, said the crackdown has created constant anxiety. “Almost every day I see them harassing people,” he said. “It’s sickening that this is happening around us.”
Despite freezing temperatures and light snowfall, families with children joined the march, carrying handmade signs reading “De-ICE Minnesota!” and “ICE melts in Minnesota.” Protesters walked through culturally diverse neighborhoods lined with murals celebrating immigrant communities.
Similar demonstrations unfolded across the country. In Durham, North Carolina, 51-year-old Steven Eubanks said he felt compelled to protest after seeing news of the Minneapolis shooting. “We can’t allow it,” he said. “We have to stand up.”
The activist group Indivisible, formed during Trump’s first term, said protests were held in states including Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Florida.
Even as crowds marched, federal immigration operations continued across Minneapolis. Journalists reported seeing heavily armed officers confronting civilians and warning bystanders and reporters to stay away during arrests. In one suburb, agents with covered faces detained a man outside a home improvement store while warning journalists not to approach.
Police said immigration arrests have led to abandoned vehicles across the city, including one case where a dog was left inside a car after its driver was apprehended.
Meanwhile, three Minnesota members of Congress—Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison, and Angie Craig—said they were prevented from properly touring an ICE facility in Minneapolis, accusing agents of obstructing congressional oversight. Their claims come amid ongoing legal challenges to federal policies limiting lawmakers’ access to immigration detention centers.
As protests continue nationwide, Minneapolis remains a focal point of growing resistance to federal immigration enforcement, with community leaders urging calm even as public outrage intensifies.
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