Tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown escalated across the country after two separate shootings involving federal immigration officers within two days. The incidents have widened disagreements between state and federal officials regarding how and why the shootings occurred.
Minneapolis Shooting Sparks Protests
In Minneapolis, protests erupted following the Wednesday shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nichole Good, a mother of three, by an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officer. Minnesota and federal authorities gave conflicting accounts of the incident. State investigators said they were denied access to the federal inquiry, leading them to withdraw from the case.
Renee Good, according to local activists, was participating in a neighborhood patrol that observed ICE operations. Federal officials claimed she tried to run over an officer, while defenders argued that video evidence shows she steered away from the agents.
Portland Shooting Adds to Tensions
On Thursday, a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and injured a man and a woman in Portland, Oregon. Local authorities immediately called for calm but could not confirm the federal account of the shooting. DHS officials claimed the driver, identified as a suspected Venezuelan gang member, attempted to “weaponize” his vehicle against agents. The agents fired in self-defense, and the two victims were later found two miles away and taken to a hospital.
Minnesota and Oregon Governors Call to Withdraw Federal Officers
Democratic mayors and governors, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, demanded that the Trump administration remove federal officers from their cities. They criticized the aggressive immigration enforcement as unnecessarily provocative.
Kotek said, “When a president endorses tearing families apart and attempts to govern through fear and hate rather than shared values, you foster an environment of lawlessness and recklessness.”
National Guard on Alert in Minnesota
Governor Walz put the Minnesota National Guard on alert due to potential unrest. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Minneapolis, chanting against federal officers, some of whom used tear gas and pepper balls. Protester Rachel Hoppei said, “We don’t want you. You have no right to be here. You’re destroying our communities.”
State officials complained about being denied access to evidence and interviews, leaving them unable to verify federal claims. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters Minnesota lacked jurisdiction over the federal operation, which involved about 2,000 officers deployed to the area. The operation, described by DHS as the “largest ever,” was part of Trump’s nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants and also tied to investigations into alleged fraud in Somali community nonprofits.
ICE Officer’s Past Experience
Vice President JD Vance praised the ICE officer, noting he had been injured in a prior incident in June 2025 when a fleeing suspect dragged him about 100 yards. The officer, later identified in court records as Jonathan Ross, required 33 stitches for injuries to his arm and hand.
More About Renee Good
Renee Good, the Minneapolis woman who was shot, had a 15-year-old daughter and two sons aged 12 and 6. Michelle Gross, a local community organizer, said Renee Good was engaged in neighborhood observer patrols and “had been doing that when she was killed.” Gross criticized federal claims that Good had been obstructing agents, stating, “There was absolutely no justification for deadly force.”
Disputed Accounts of the Shooting
Bystander videos show masked officers approaching Good’s car, which was stopped perpendicular to the street. An officer tried to open her door, and the car briefly reversed, then moved forward. A third officer fired three shots, with the last rounds fired through the driver’s window as the car’s bumper passed his body. It is unclear whether the car made contact with the officer. Trump claimed on social media that Good “ran over the ICE officer.”
People are voicing concerns about civilian safety on social media, expressing anger and frustration over the ICE shootings. Schools should be safe spaces for children, yet while Republicans have resisted measures to protect them from mass shootings, now children are also being exposed to chemical weapons used by ICE and Border Patrol.
🚨BREAKING: ICE/Border Patrol agents were filmed assaulting U.S. citizens outside a HIGH SCHOOL in Minneapolis, pepper-spraying students as agents swarmed the school entrance.
— Jesus Freakin Congress (@TheJFreakinC) January 8, 2026
Let that sink in.
School administrators and staff desperately tried to get agents off school property,… pic.twitter.com/aFjxCh5W4Z
ICE/Border Patrol agents were filmed assaulting U.S. citizens outside a HIGH SCHOOL in Minneapolis, pepper-spraying students as agents swarmed the school entrance.
Schools should be a safe place for children. Republicans already refuse to protect them from mass shootings, and now they are being shot with chemical weapons by ICE/Border Patrol. pic.twitter.com/qz8edgQlWV
— Jesus Freakin Congress (@TheJFreakinC) January 8, 2026
For those who dont know…. These have all been killed by ICE in shootings.
— Roberto Aguirre (@raguirre67) January 8, 2026
Silverio Villegas González, 38 Franklin Park, Chicago IL
9/12/25 Keith “Pooter” Porter, 43 Northridge, Los Angeles CA 12/31/25 Renee Nichole Good, 37 South Central, Minneapolis, MN1/7/26#1stAmendment pic.twitter.com/Eg1V0WEVge