After an incident that was captured on video in Minneapolis, MN, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot a woman dead, outraged citizens and politicians are calling the Department of Homeland Security's statement on the shooting "demonstrably false" and "propaganda."
The video circulating on social media shows a woman in a dark red Honda SUV being approached by ICE officers as she is told to get out of her vehicle. The officers walk up to her car and try to open the driver's side door before the woman tries to take off, grazing another officer, who opens fire on the driver.
In response, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement on social media stating, "Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism."
Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.…
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 7, 2026
She also stated that the ICE officer who opened fire, "fear[ed] for his life" and "fired defensive shots" saving "his own life and that of his fellow officers." The statement was widely condemned by social media users and figures in Minnesota politics.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council, who runs a popular X account, posted a video of the incident in response to McLaughlin's statement, writing, "NEW: Here is an eyewitness video of the shooting, posted by Daniel Suitor on Bsky. While it doesn't capture the actual moment itself (the shooting is blocked by the car),@TriciaOhio's claim below of an attempt to run down an officer already appears to be demonstrably false."
NEW: Here is an eyewitness video of the shooting, posted by Daniel Suitor on Bsky. While it doesn't capture the actual moment itself (the shooting is blocked by the car), @TriciaOhio's claim below of an attempt to run down an officer already appears to be demonstrably false. https://t.co/AS6z11IyBG pic.twitter.com/HuWzsoHAcI
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) January 7, 2026
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election against Trump, wrote on social media, "I've seen the video. Don't believe this propaganda machine. The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice."
I’ve seen the video.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 7, 2026
Don’t believe this propaganda machine.
The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice. https://t.co/3faWW4bQvV
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey was more blunt in his statement, telling ICE to "get the fuck out" of the city after the shooting. He also referred to McLaughlin's statement as "bullshit." He also added, "This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed."
I’m following news of a reported shooting of a legal observer by ICE agents in South Minneapolis.
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) January 7, 2026
I’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and will update as soon as I receive information.
ICE must stop terrorizing our communities and leave our city.
Addressing the victim's family, Frey stated that "There's nothing that I can say right now that's going to make you or your relatives, friends of the victim, feel any better," but that he is "deeply sorry." Ilhan Omar, a representative of Minnesota's 5th congressional district, wrote on social media that "ICE must stop terrorizing our communities and leave our city."
