Minnesota Governor Issues National Guard Warning After ICE Officer Kills Minneapolis Motorist

On Wednesday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a warning order to deploy the National Guard after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a Minneapolis motorist.

During a press conference, Walz emphasized that the warning order serves as a heads-up for residents about the state’s National Guard readiness. “I remind you, a warning order is a heads-up for folks, and these National Guard troops are our National Guard troops,” he stated.

Videos shared on social media depict the incident: An ICE officer approached an SUV stopped in the middle of the road, demanded the driver open the door and grabbed the handle. The vehicle began to pull forward, prompting another ICE officer standing ahead to draw his weapon and fire at least two shots into the SUV at close range.

Federal officials have characterized the shooting as self-defense, but the city’s mayor described it as “reckless” and unnecessary. This incident marks a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration’s recent immigration enforcement operations in major cities.

The death is at least the fifth linked to such crackdowns. Since the Department of Homeland Security announced a targeted operation tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents, Minneapolis has been on edge as more than 2,000 DHS officers were deployed and hundreds of arrests made.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Wednesday that federal authorities had dispatched over 2,000 agents to the area, stating they had already conducted “hundreds and hundreds” of arrests. Walz has warned for weeks about the “dangerous, sensationalized operations” posed by the administration, asserting that someone would be harmed.

Walz criticized federal officials’ account of the incident, saying, “Don’t buy into this propaganda.” He vowed a “full, fair, and swift investigation” to deliver accountability and justice. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI are conducting investigations into the shooting.

Minnesota National Guard Joint Staff Director Simon Schaefer stated that the state’s National Guard remains “always prepared to respond and support state agencies and citizens.”