In a chilling turn of events in Minneapolis, a federal officer shot and killed a motorist who allegedly attempted to run over law enforcement officers during an immigration enforcement operation. The incident, which unfolded in a residential area, was confirmed by Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.

This tragic event underscores a significant escalation in immigration enforcement activities, which have become increasingly aggressive in major U.S. cities during the Trump administration. This marks at least the fifth fatality linked to these operations across several states since 2024.

The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been tense since the Department of Homeland Security announced an intensified crackdown effort. The operation, involving 2,000 agents, is partly targeting fraud allegations within the Somali community.

The shooting quickly drew a large crowd of protesters to the scene, expressing their outrage at both local and federal authorities present, including Gregory Bovino. Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official, has been a prominent figure in similar operations in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.

A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

In a scene that hearkened back to the Los Angeles and Chicago crackdowns, bystanders heckled the officers and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.

“Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of Minnesota!” they loudly chanted from behind the police tape.

After the shooting, Mayor Jacob Frey said immigration agents were “causing chaos in our city.”

“We are demanding ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities,” Frey said on social media.

The area where the shooting occurred is a modest neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets in the area and a mile (1.6 kilometers) from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.

“We’ve been trying to live life as fully as possible in light of the fear and anxiety that we feel,” said the Rev. Hierald Osorto, pastor at St. Paul’s-San Pablo Lutheran Church, which has a predominantly Latino congregation in the area.

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

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

Dell’Orto reported from St. Paul, Minnesota. Associated Press reporter Ed White in Detroit contributed.