Federal officers used tear gas and sprayed an eye irritant at activists during another day of confrontations in Minneapolis on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. The clashes were accompanied by protests from residents and demonstrations that included a student walkout in the Minneapolis area later in the day.
The renewed confrontations came amid the fallout from the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman who was killed six days earlier while driving off in a Honda Pilot, according to the report. The AP said gas clouds filled a Minneapolis street near where she died, and that a man scrubbed his eyes with snow and screamed for help after agents in a Jeep sprayed an orange irritant and drove off.
Protesters and residents described the federal presence as confrontational and said they mobilized in response. The AP reported that it has become common for people to boo, taunt and blow orange whistles when they see heavily armed immigration agents passing through in unmarked vehicles or on foot. One man, carrying a bag of whistles, yelled, “Who doesn’t have a whistle?”
Brita Anderson, who lives nearby and came to support neighborhood friends, said she was “incensed” to see agents in tactical gear and gas masks and wondered about their purpose. She added, “It felt like the only reason they’d come here is to harass people,” according to the AP report.
The report said student protests also spread beyond Minneapolis proper. In Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, students protesting the immigration enforcement operation walked out of school, as students in other communities have done this week.
Later, a large crowd gathered outside a hotel in Minneapolis banging drums and blowing whistles, while officers wearing helmets and carrying batons stood guard just inside. The AP said confrontations also erupted between protesters and officers guarding a federal building being used as a base for what it described as the Twin Cities crackdown.
The AP report connected the demonstrations to legal and investigative developments. It said that at least five prosecutors resigned amid controversy over how the Justice Department is handling the investigation into Good’s death, citing people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. It also said a Justice Department official told reporters there was no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation, and that an FBI probe of Good’s death is ongoing.
The AP said the departures included First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who the report described as having led a broader prosecution of public fraud schemes in Minnesota, citing the same people who spoke on condition of anonymity. Separately, the report said Minnesota sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday to halt or limit a planned expansion of enforcement—after the Department of Homeland Security pledged to send more than 2,000 immigration officers into the state. The lawsuit, joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul, says Homeland Security is violating the First Amendment and other constitutional protections by targeting a progressive state that favors Democrats and welcomes immigrants. A judge set a status conference for Wednesday.
In comments reported by the AP, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, “What we are seeing is thousands — plural — thousands of federal agents coming into our city. And, yeah, they’re having a tremendous impact on day-to-day life.” The report said Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin responded to the lawsuit by accusing Minnesota officials of ignoring public safety and said the agency had made more than 2,000 arrests in Minnesota since early December while vowing not to back down.
The AP also described legal fights over the use of force during immigration operations. In a separate lawsuit, it said a judge indicated she would rule by Thursday or Friday on a request to restrict the use of force, including chemical irritants, on people who are observing and recording agents’ activities. Government attorneys argued, according to the report, that officers must protect themselves.
The AP said the Trump administration has defended the immigration agent who shot Good, saying the agent acted in self-defense, while some state leaders and others criticized that explanation based on videos. It added that state and local authorities urged the public to share video and other evidence as they seek to investigate Good’s death separately, after federal authorities said they would handle the case alone and not share information.
Outside Minnesota, the AP reported on a proposal in Wisconsin related to civil immigration enforcement. It said Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez is proposing a ban around courthouses, hospitals, health clinics, schools, churches and other places, and is hoping to succeed Gov. Tony Evers, who the AP said is not running for a third term. Evers said, “We can take a look at that, but I think banning things absolutely will ramp up the actions of our folks in Washington, D.C.” He added, “They don’t tend to approach those things appropriately.”