DHS details Minneapolis ICE incident as Gov. Walz disputes federal account

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal authorities say an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis ended with an officer firing his weapon after being attacked by multiple people, an account that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sharply disputes amid an escalating conflict between state and federal leaders.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said federal law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted traffic stop Tuesday evening when the driver fled, crashed into a parked vehicle and ran from the scene. DHS said an officer caught up with the person on foot, but the individual resisted arrest and assaulted the officer during a struggle on the ground.

According to DHS, two additional people then came out of a nearby apartment and joined the attack, using a snow shovel and a broom handle. The agency said the original suspect also rejoined the assault, striking the officer as the three surrounded him.

DHS said the officer fired his weapon while being attacked, striking one of the suspects in the leg. The officer and the injured suspect were taken to a hospital. The agency said all three suspects were later taken into custody after barricading themselves inside an apartment.

In its statement, DHS blamed Minnesota political leaders for what it described as an increasingly hostile climate toward federal officers, accusing state and city officials of encouraging resistance to immigration enforcement.

Walz, speaking separately, rejected that characterization and criticized federal immigration operations in Minnesota, describing them as abusive and unconstitutional. He accused federal authorities of unlawfully detaining residents, excluding state officials from investigations and undermining public trust.

The governor urged Minnesotans to protest peacefully and to document federal enforcement activity, saying residents have the right to record ICE agents during operations.

The sharply different accounts underscore a growing clash between federal authorities and Minnesota’s leadership over immigration enforcement, public safety and who has authority during federal operations carried out inside the state.