At a Glance
- Federal agents now outnumber city police 5-to-1 with 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol officers deployed
- Residents report masked officers in camo going door-to-door asking for citizenship status
- Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot dead by an ICE officer last week
Why it matters: The operation’s scale and tactics exceed those seen in larger cities, leaving neighborhoods on edge and protesters clashing daily with federal agents.
Minneapolis residents say their streets feel like occupied territory as federal immigration agents swarm neighborhoods, smash car windows and spray chemicals at point-blank range in the wake of a fatal ICE shooting.
Since Renee Good was killed by an armed ICE officer, the federal presence has ballooned to roughly 3,000 agents – far outnumbering the city’s 600 police officers, according to Mayor Jacob Frey. Officers in unmarked cars idle on residential blocks, patrol retail lots and have been filmed dragging a woman from her vehicle after shattering its windows.
Agents Everywhere: ‘It Feels Like an Invasion’
Videos shared with News Of Philadelphia show agents spraying red chemicals into protesters’ faces and breaking glass to extract drivers. One resident, who requested anonymity, described being punched after pulling down an officer’s mask while being pulled from a car.
- Agents knock on doors in the Lake Street, Uptown and Powderhorn neighborhoods
- A restaurant owner closed her business to shield immigrant employees
- Residents carry whistles and honk car horns to warn of ICE sightings
“It feels very much like a Nazi Germany situation to me,” the restaurant owner said during a 7 a.m. protest outside the Whipple federal detention facility. “People need to know what’s going on.”
City Leaders Say They’re Outgunned
Mayor Frey called the city’s position “impossible” and warned protesters against “taking the bait.” More than 2,000 ICE officers and agents, hundreds of Border Patrol agents and personnel from Justice Department agencies are now on the ground, federal officials told News Of Philadelphia.
| Location | Federal Agents | Local Officers |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | ~3,000 | 600 |
| Chicago (prev. op.) | Fewer than Minneapolis | 13,000 |
| Los Angeles (prev. op.) | Fewer than Minneapolis | 9,800 |
The Department of Homeland Security said a man was shot in the leg Wednesday after attacking an agent with a snow shovel, claiming the officer “fired defensive shots to defend his life.”
‘Absolute Immunity’ and Escalating Tensions
Vice President J.D. Vance stated on Fox News that the ICE officer who shot Good would have “absolute immunity” and predicted deportation numbers will “ramp up” as agents continue “going door-to-door.”
Good’s death has reopened wounds from George Floyd’s 2020 murder. Neighbors near the shooting scene say the community has had no time to grieve; intensive arrests continue within blocks of her memorial.
One resident arrested hours after Good’s death described an ICE facility “bursting at the seams” with 20 people crammed into cells designed for five. Agents broke windows and pepper-sprayed both driver and passenger, the person claimed, before hauling them to the Whipple Building.
Pushback on the Streets
Wherever ICE teams appear, protesters, activists and residents follow, filming and sounding whistles. Videos circulate of:
- Officers asking EV-charging drivers if they are citizens
- A screaming woman dragged from her car
- Chemical streams shot into faces at close range
Mark, a Bryant Central resident who visited Good’s memorial four days straight, believes Minneapolis is “being targeted because of who we voted for.” After officers surrounded his car, he said they kept his phone for 15 minutes before letting him walk home.
Calls for Withdrawal
The city posted on X: “The City of Minneapolis again demands that ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand by our immigrant and refugee communities.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said President Trump is considering invoking the Insurrection Act if Governor Tim Walz does not act. “If anything doesn’t change…I don’t anticipate that the streets will get any safer,” she warned.
Key Takeaways
- Federal force is five times larger than local police, altering daily life
- Operation Metro Surge now targets protesters as well as undocumented residents
- Community warnings via horns and whistles have become routine
- City officials demand ICE withdrawal; the White House floats Insurrection Act
