08.01.2026 07:26
A 37-year-old woman monitoring immigration operations in the U.S. was killed when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers fired at her from close range. As footage of the incident sparked outrage across the country, President Donald Trump argued that the police shooting of a U.S. citizen was "self-defense."
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers shot and killed a U.S. citizen woman in her vehicle during operations targeting immigrants.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, claimed in her first written statement to the U.S. media after the incident that the woman was shot while "trying to run over a police officer."
SHE TRIED TO RUN OVER THE POLICE!
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later stated that a woman "tried to run over ICE officers and hit them with her vehicle," adding, "One of our officers fired in a quick and defensive manner to protect himself and those around him."
"DON'T BELIEVE THIS PROPAGANDA MACHINE"
Governor of Minnesota Tim Waltz reacted to Noem's statement in a post on the social platform of the U.S.-based X company. Waltz rejected the claim that the woman "used her vehicle as a weapon" before being shot and killed by an ICE officer, stating, "I saw the video. Don't believe this propaganda machine."
"ICE IS NOT HERE TO ENSURE SAFETY"
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey harshly criticized Noem's statements at a press conference, saying, "ICE is not here to ensure safety. What they do creates chaos and insecurity. We don't want them here; they should leave." While Frey did not provide the name of the killed woman, he shared that she was 37 years old and called for an "immediate investigation" into the incident. Jason Chavez, a member of the Minneapolis City Council, told ABC News that the victim was a U.S. citizen who was an "observer" and "watched over immigrant neighbors."
WHAT HAPPENED?
A video shared on social media, recorded by nearby citizens trying to document the ICE officers' operations with their cell phones, showed the driver woman watching the events from inside her vehicle while a police officer attempted to forcibly open the car door in the middle of the road.
As the driver woman attempted to escape by turning the steering wheel, it was noted that another ICE officer approaching the front of the vehicle drew his weapon and fired three shots at close range. Citizens recording the incident shouted "shame on you, shame on you" at the ICE officers, while attempts were made to provide first aid to the victim, who had come to a stop after hitting parked cars on the roadside. According to sources speaking to CNN, the Trump administration has deployed around 2,000 ICE officers in Minneapolis to combat immigration.
TRUMP'S SCANDALOUS DEFENSE
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the incident in which ICE officers shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis was "self-defense."
In a statement on his U.S.-based Truth Social account, Trump commented on the American woman targeted by ICE officers. After expressing that the incident in which the woman was killed was "horrific," Trump stated, "The woman who was screaming in the incident was clearly a professional provocateur and deliberately and ruthlessly drove her car at the ICE officer, who appears to have fired at her in self-defense."
Trump claimed that the responsibility for the incident, in which the woman lost her life from a bullet fired by an ICE officer, lies with the "radical left," asserting that this group targets the police working on immigration issues. At the end of his message, the U.S. President reiterated his support for ICE officers.