Federal agents deploy tear gas in Minneapolis as five prosecutors resign over Renee Good case

Federal officers deployed tear gas and sprayed an orange eye irritant at activists in Minneapolis on Tuesday, the sixth day of confrontations following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an immigration agent. Students in suburban Brooklyn Park walked out of school to protest the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign.

At least five prosecutors have resigned from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who had been leading the state’s prosecution of public fraud schemes, amid controversy over how the Justice Department is handling the investigation into Good’s death, according to people familiar with the matter. A Justice Department official said Wednesday there is no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation; an FBI probe remains ongoing.

The prosecutor departures and renewed street clashes came as Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul pursued a lawsuit filed Monday seeking to halt or limit a Department of Homeland Security surge the agency said had produced more than 2,000 arrests in the state since early December. A judge set a status conference for Wednesday.

Prosecutors resign amid investigation dispute

The resignation of Joe Thompson — the First Assistant U.S. Attorney who led sprawling public fraud prosecutions in Minnesota — represents the most senior departure in the wave of resignations, according to people who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.

A Justice Department official said Wednesday there was no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation into Good’s death. The FBI probe is continuing.

State and local authorities have urged the public to share video and any other evidence as they seek to conduct a separate investigation after federal authorities insisted they would approach the inquiry alone and not share information.

Confrontations on the streets

Gas clouds filled a Minneapolis street near where Good died. In one encounter, agents in a Jeep sprayed an orange irritant at a man, who scrubbed his eyes with snow and screamed for help after the vehicle drove off.

The public has mounted a grassroots effort to monitor and document federal agents moving through the area, with people using orange whistles to warn neighbors when heavily armed immigration officers pass through in unmarked vehicles or on foot.

“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,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.

Brita Anderson, a nearby resident who came to support neighborhood friends, said she was “incensed” to see agents in tactical gear and gas masks.

“It felt like the only reason they’d come here is to harass people,” Anderson said.

A large crowd gathered later outside a Minneapolis hotel, banging drums and blowing whistles as officers in helmets and carrying batons stood guard inside. Confrontations also erupted between protesters and officers guarding a federal building being used as a base for the Twin Cities enforcement operation.

Lawsuit targets federal surge

The Minnesota lawsuit, joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul, alleges Homeland Security is violating the First Amendment and other constitutional protections by targeting a progressive state that favors Democrats and welcomes immigrants.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, responding to the suit, accused Minnesota officials of ignoring public safety.

In a separate lawsuit, a judge said she would rule by Thursday or Friday on a request to restrict federal agents’ use of chemical irritants against people observing and recording agents’ activities. Government attorneys argued that officers must be able to protect themselves.

The Trump administration has repeatedly defended the immigration agent who shot Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, saying he acted in self-defense. Mayor Frey, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and others have widely rejected that explanation based on videos of the confrontation.

Wisconsin considers sensitive-location protections

In Wisconsin, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez proposed that the state ban civil immigration enforcement around courthouses, hospitals, health clinics, schools, churches, and other locations. She is seeking to succeed Gov. Tony Evers, a fellow Democrat who is not running for a third term.

Evers said he was open to examining the proposal but cautioned against absolute prohibitions.

“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.,” Evers said. “They don’t tend to approach those things appropriately.”