Federal agents shoot and kill a man in Minneapolis as protests erupt near ICE operation

City officials say the shooting involved ICE agents near 26th and Nicollet, as crowds swelled and clashes intensified

Minneapolis is once again the center of a tense and escalating confrontation over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. This time, after federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a 51-year-old man on Saturday morning (Jan. 24), triggering chaos in the streets and renewed outrage from state leaders.

According to posts from state and local officials, the shooting happened near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, where the scene was quickly sealed off with crime scene tape as protesters gathered, blew whistles, and pushed toward federal officers.

The City of Minneapolis said it had no immediate details in the aftermath of the incident, but later described it as “the shooting of an adult male in Minneapolis involving ICE agents.”

On the ground, the response was immediate and volatile.

By late morning, dozens of protesters, some wearing gas masks and goggles, filled the area as ICE agents from Enforcement and Removal Operations were seen at the scene alongside agents in U.S. Bureau of Prisons uniforms. Customs and Border Protection officers were also present, forming a line as the crowd swelled.

As the standoff grew more intense, reports from the scene described fights breaking out between protesters and federal agents, with at least one person appearing to be pushed to the ground.

“It’s not going to get any better,” one bystander said. “We’re just going to get more angry.”

The shooting comes just one day after thousands of people protested against Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, with hundreds of businesses shutting down in solidarity, signaling a citywide rejection of what many view as aggressive federal operations targeting immigrant communities.

Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, responded sharply on social media, calling the incident “sickening” and saying he had spoken with the White House.

“President Trump must end this operation,” Walz said, adding, “Minnesota has had it.”

I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.

The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 24, 2026

Saturday’s shooting marks what officials said would be the third shooting involving federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis this month, deepening a growing sense of trauma and unrest across the city.

Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, on Jan. 7 — an incident described in contrasting terms by state and federal officials. A week later, another federal agent shot and wounded a Venezuelan man, whom federal officials said had assaulted an agent and resisted arrest. Both incidents sparked major protests.

Now, Minneapolis residents are facing yet another moment of uncertainty — and anger.

Accounts from people near the scene painted a picture of a situation spiraling fast.

One resident, 24-year-old Emma Kindelsperger, said she was inside her apartment around 9 a.m. when she heard whistles and yelling. When she ran outside, she said she found agents taping off the street and warning her to stay back.

“I immediately assumed the worst,” she said. “I figured someone was shot pretty bad.”

Not long after, she described the area as packed with at least 300 protesters and law enforcement officers, with traffic jammed by gridlocked cars. She said she saw officers throw two protesters to the ground.

The chaos intensified when a man wearing tactical gear and a mask threw something into a dumpster near her apartment, causing a loud bang. The dumpster then caught fire and began smoking heavily, she said.

Nearby, a car reportedly blocked the intersection as motorists honked and protesters blew whistles. Traffic backed up down Nicollet Avenue, with many appearing to rush to leave the area.

As more people poured into the streets, protesters were heard chanting, “I smell Nazis.”

Agents reportedly threw smoking crowd-control bombs toward the crowd, with protesters throwing some back.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security did not provide an on-the-record statement on Saturday, according to reports.

With the city awaiting official details and more protests building by the minute, the shooting is already fueling fresh demands for answers and an end to the federal crackdown residents say has turned Minneapolis into a battlefield.

For now, Minneapolis is stuck in a grim loop: another gunshot, another crowd, another street sealed off, and a community bracing for what comes next.