Wisconsin immigrant advocates say violence ‘must stop now,’ after ICE agent kills Minnesota woman

A Minneapolis woman observing immigration enforcement was shot and killed, raising criticism that ICE raids are “fueled by politics of racism, not public safety.”

Minneapolis is a city on edge in the wake of a law enforcement-caused death, after a woman was shot and killed Wednesday morning by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent. The shooting was immediately criticized by the leader of a Wisconsin immigration advocates group as proof that ICE activity has escalated into “chaos and brutality.”

“This is the human cost of an aggressive, militarized immigration strategy being unleashed in our neighborhoods, fueled by the politics of racism and corporate greed, not public safety,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera in Milwaukee, a group advocating for civil rights for immigrants, youth, and low-wage workers. 

Witnesses say the 37-year-old woman was part of a group of observers monitoring the federal deployment of around 2,000 ICE agents in the city. When she tried to drive away from agents, she was shot dead.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted the official ICE response that claimed the woman was trying to run over agents who shot in self-defense. Video from the scene does not appear to corroborate the ICE version. 

“They are not here to cause safety in this city,” said Frey. “What they are doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust. They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets and in this case quite literally killing people. They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit.”

Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem went further, claiming the woman was engaged in “domestic terrorism.”

Frey said his message to ICE is to, “Get the f*** out of our city.” 

Wisconsin No Stranger to ICE Raids

President Donald Trump campaigned on a return to power on a platform rooted in “mass deportations now.” Despite pledges he would target dangerous criminals, his first year back in office has been filled with daily headlines about immigration raids that frequently target everyday workers, including those who have been abiding by current law and applying for citizenship. In Milwaukee, for example, immigrants checking in with a local ICE office on the status of their asylum applications have instead been taken into custody for deportation.

“Let’s be clear,” said Neumann-Ortiz. “ICE’s presence in Minneapolis has escalated into chaos and brutality. Communities deserve security, not rounding up their neighbors at gunpoint. No one should be shot in their own neighborhood by federal agents. No operation built on fearmongering or racial profiling is legitimate. This is state-sponsored violence, not public safety. We stand in solidarity with the people of Minnesota and with our partner immigration rights organizations in the state, including Unidos MN.”

Minneapolis on edge

A large group of protesters gathered at the scene, in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, only a mile away from where George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in 2020 igniting several days of violent protests there and across the country.

The shooting marks a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major American cities under the Trump administration. It’s at least the fifth person killed in a handful of states since 2024.

For nearly a year, migrant rights advocates and neighborhood activists across the Twin Cities have been preparing to mobilize in the event of an immigration enforcement surge. From houses of worship to mobile home parks, they have set up very active online networks, scanned license plates for possible federal vehicles and bought whistles and other noisemaking devices to alert neighborhoods of any enforcement presence.

On Tuesday night, the Immigration Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving immigrants in Minnesota, held a training session for about 100 people who were willing to hit the streets to monitor the federal enforcement operation.

“I feel like I’m an ordinary person, and I have the ability to do something so I need to do it,” Mary Moran told KMSP-TV.

—The Associated Press contributed to this story.