At least 29 people were arrested in Minneapolis during large-scale protests over the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent, as officials dispute the circumstances and investigations intensify.
At least 29 people were arrested and a police officer injured after large crowds took to the streets of Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of a woman by a US
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, an incident that has sparked nationwide protests and competing official accounts of what happened.
Demonstrations on Friday night drew more than 1,000 people across Minneapolis, prompting police to declare an unlawful assembly. City officials said one officer suffered minor injuries after a “chunk of ice was thrown at them”. No serious injuries were reported.
The Minneapolis Police
Department said some protesters forced entry into the Canopy Hotel through an alley entrance, where ICE agents were believed to be staying. Videos shared online showed demonstrators flashing bright lights, blowing whistles, and banging drums. Police said ice, snow, and rocks were thrown at officers, police vehicles, and other vehicles.
Another hotel in the city was also targeted, sustaining window damage and graffiti, according to officials.
Police response and official statements
By 01:00 local time (07:00 GMT), the crowd had dispersed. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said officers deployed a “disciplined and restrained response”, adding that the 29 people arrested were later released.
At a news conference on Saturday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised the majority of protesters for remaining peaceful, while warning that those who damaged property or put others at risk would face arrest.
O’Hara said frustration over the presence of ICE in Minnesota has been growing, with his department receiving dozens of calls each day about the federal agency’s activities.
Minnesota shooting that triggered the unrest
The protests followed the death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot while sitting in her car on Wednesday. The Trump administration said the ICE agent who fired the shots acted in self-defence, while local officials insisted the woman posed no danger.
Video footage of the incident shows ICE agents approaching an SUV stopped in the middle of the street and ordering the driver to get out. One agent is seen tugging at the driver’s side door handle. As the vehicle begins to move away, an agent standing in front of the car points a gun at the driver and several shots are heard. The vehicle continues forward before crashing into the side of the street.
Watch this, as hard as it is. Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman.
The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense. https://t.co/IfXAAxi9Ql
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 9, 2026
Good’s wife told local media the couple had gone to the scene of immigration enforcement activity to support neighbours.
Conflicting accounts and investigations
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the ICE agent shot Good multiple times because she was trying to run over the officer with her car. Mayor Frey rejected that account, calling it a false narrative and saying it was clear to him she was attempting to leave the scene rather than attack an agent.
The officer who fired the shots was identified as Jonathan Ross, a veteran ICE agent who was previously injured in the line of duty after being struck by a car.
The FBI is investigating the shooting. On Friday, Minnesota officials announced they would open their own inquiry after saying they had been excluded from the federal investigation. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said the FBI had initially agreed to a joint investigation before reversing its position. The US Vice President said the matter was a federal issue.
On Saturday, Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison and Angie Craig attempted to tour an ICE facility in Minneapolis. They said they were initially allowed inside but were later asked to leave.
The lawmakers accused ICE and the Department of Homeland Security of obstructing members of Congress from carrying out oversight duties. “They do not care that they are violating federal law,” Craig said. Omar wrote on X: “The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities.”
Further demonstrations are planned in Minneapolis over the weekend, as well as in Texas, Florida, Washington DC and other parts of the US, according to Indivisible, an organisation formed to resist the Trump administration.
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