Violent clashes between ICE agents and protesters in Minneapolis have intensified, with a video circulating showing a woman being forcibly removed from her car by masked agents. The woman, who claims to be disabled and autistic, was attempting to reach a doctor at the time of the incident. This confrontation took place on Tuesday, just blocks away from where Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent last week.
In the video uploaded to YouTube by Freedom News TV, the woman is seen sitting in her car with the driver’s side window down as multiple masked ICE agents approach her, instructing her to move her vehicle. Despite their demands, it is unclear what the woman says in response or who she is addressing.
One agent attempts to open the driver’s side door to no avail, prompting the woman to move the car slightly forward before stopping again. Agents continue to insist that she move, leading another agent to break the window of the passenger door. Throughout the altercation, both protesters and ICE agents can be heard shouting at each other and at the woman, with some protesters urging her to drive away.
Subsequently, several agents surround the vehicle, with one opening the back door on the driver’s side while two others try to access the front door. Eventually, one agent forcibly removes the woman from the car, causing her to fall to the ground. Despite her plea that she is disabled and attempting to go to the doctor, agents proceed to cut her seatbelt and handcuff her before escorting her away.
The incident also involved the deployment of tear gas, flash bang grenades, and pepper balls towards the protesters, as reported by various media outlets. ICE was contacted for comment on the event but did not respond before publication.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers were present in the area to execute an arrest warrant for a 20-year-old man from Ecuador who had allegedly entered the U.S. illegally near El Paso, Texas, in 2019. The DHS spokesperson stated that the arrests were made due to individuals impeding law enforcement operations and assaulting officers.
As ICE continues its enforcement efforts in Minneapolis, residents have taken to booing, taunting, and blowing whistles at the heavily armed immigration agents as a means of protest and awareness. This grassroots movement aims to highlight the actions of ICE agents and hold the government accountable for their activities in the community. Homeland Security reports over 2,000 arrests in the state since early December.