A senior official under former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday sharply criticized Minnesota leaders following a night of unrest in Minneapolis tied to federal immigration enforcement — remarks that mark one of the most direct rebukes yet from the Trump administration’s legal team.
The comments came after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and wounded a Venezuelan man in north Minneapolis late Wednesday during a law-enforcement operation. Federal authorities say the situation began with a traffic stop and quickly escalated into a violent confrontation in which the individual being stopped and others allegedly attacked an ICE officer. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the officer fired a single shot to defend himself and struck the man in the leg; the wound was described as non-life-threatening.
That incident followed by a week the widely publicized fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by another federal officer, a case that has roiled the city and drawn national attention.
Federal Criticism of Minnesota Leadership
In response to the latest violence, Bondi’s second-in-command accused Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of stoking tensions with inflammatory rhetoric rather than focusing on community safety. The official argued that repeated statements from state and city leaders portraying ICE as an occupying force contributed to a combustible atmosphere that evening, leading to clashes between residents and federal agents.
Walz, for his part, has publicly decried the federal immigration surge as an “occupation” and repeatedly urged residents to document ICE activity, language critics say crossed a line between rhetoric and endorsement of resistance.
Mayor Frey also challenged federal actions, calling some enforcement tactics “unsustainable” and warning that the heavy presence of thousands of agents had disrupted everyday life in Minneapolis.
What Happened on the Ground
According to federal statements and law-enforcement reports, the Venezuelan man shot Wednesday night initially fled a traffic stop and crashed into another parked vehicle before attempting to run on foot. Federal officials say he then continued to resist arrest and assaulted the pursuing ICE officer, at times with improvised weapons, prompting the officer to fire in self-defense.
Minneapolis police later described the scene as volatile, with large crowds gathering and, at times, becoming hostile toward both federal and local officers. Officers released statements saying some protesters threw fireworks and rocks — leading the city police chief to classify parts of the gathering as an unlawful assembly.
Escalation and Vandalism
As night fell, frustration and anger spilled into acts of vandalism and confrontation. Demonstrators reportedly damaged federal vehicles, spray-painting threatening messages and slogans that reflected frustration with immigration enforcement. Reuters photographers captured images of tension-filled streets, with pepper balls, tear gas, and armored officers present amid the clashes.
Federal Response and Legal Tensions
The rebuke from Bondi’s top deputy underscores a sharp divide between federal priorities and local political leadership. The Trump administration has defended ICE’s presence and actions, emphasizing they are legally grounded and aimed at targeting individuals who have violated immigration laws. Officials have moreover suggested that law-enforcement officers deserve support rather than condemnation when acting under threat.
Tensions have spread beyond the streets: federal authorities and state officials are now engaged in a broader legal and political conflict over the legitimacy of the ongoing immigration enforcement strategy, with lawsuits and public statements exchanged over who is responsible for the escalating unrest.
Minnesota’s Ongoing Debate
For residents of Minneapolis, this latest incident comes amid a steady backdrop of controversy and division. Supporters of increased immigration enforcement point to repeated attacks on officers and argue that federal action is necessary to restore order and uphold the law. Opponents, however, say the presence of heavily armed agents has inflamed community tensions and led to unnecessary escalations, demanding clearer rules and oversight.
As protests continue and legal challenges advance, the clash between federal authorities and local Minnesota leaders shows no sign of abating — even as calls for calm and peace are echoed across the region from both sides.