Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Thursday that the city is in an “impossible situation” and that the current circumstances are “not sustainable” after a federal immigration agent shot a man during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation, sparking renewed tensions and protests.
The comments came a week after Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, was fatally shot by an ICE officer, an incident that triggered widespread demonstrations and criticism of the federal presence in the city.
In remarks to reporters, Frey said there remain many unanswered questions about the latest shooting but reiterated his view that the ongoing federal enforcement actions are straining local resources and community trust.
“There’s still a lot that we don’t know at this time, but what I can tell you for certain is that this is not sustainable,” Frey said. “This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in, and at the same time, we are trying to find a way forward, to keep people safe, to protect our neighbors, to maintain order. And we’re in a position right now where we have residents that are asking the very limited number of police officers that we have to fight ICE agents on the street, to stand by their neighbors.”
“We cannot be at a place right now in America where we have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another,” Frey added.
The most recent incident involved an ICE agent firing a shot that struck a Venezuelan man in the leg during an interaction in north Minneapolis. Officials said the agent fired after being assaulted; the man was hospitalized with what were described as non–life-threatening injuries.
“Tonight a man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent on the Northside,” Frey said in a social media post on X. “No matter what led up to this incident, the situation we are seeing in our city is not sustainable.”
“I’m calling for peace. Everyone has a role in achieving that peace,” Frey said. He also encouraged protesters to not “take the bait.”
“I have seen conduct from ICE that is intolerable,” Frey said. “And for anyone taking the bait tonight, stop. It is not helpful. We cannot respond to Donald Trump’s chaos with our own chaos.”
Protests erupted in the aftermath of the shooting, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement and federal agents. The unrest follows days of heightened tensions in the city over the increased presence of federal immigration officers.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara also addressed the situation, urging calm and cooperation with local authorities to prevent further violence.
Frey has previously called for ICE to end its operations in Minneapolis and for a de-escalation of federal enforcement activity amid ongoing legal and political disputes between city, state, and federal officials.
Meanwhile, a 21-year-old protester was left permanently blind in his left eye after a federal officer fired a less-lethal projectile at close range during a demonstration in Santa Ana, California, on Jan. 9, family members, witnesses and officials said.
Kaden Rummler, a college student, was participating in a protest outside a federal immigration building against the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis when the confrontation occurred, video and statements show.
“Not even light and I never will,” he said when asked about his vision returning. “My doctor said it’s a miracle I’m still alive.”
Video footage of the incident shows a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer firing a crowd-control munition at Rummler at close range. Rummler fell to the ground, bleeding, and was later pulled by an officer into the federal building, according to video and accounts provided by protesters and Rummler’s family.
