Minneapolis is in the midst of what local leaders are calling a “federal invasion.” In the days since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot 37-year-old resident Renee Good, reports have surfaced of a woman being dragged from her car while on her way to a routine appointment at the Traumatic Brain Injury Center. A Venezuelan man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent. A family of eight reported being teargassed on their way home from their son’s basketball game, causing a 6 month old to fall unconscious.
In the Trump administration’s telling, these incidents are all the fault of protesters, who are getting in ICE’s way. His supporters are generally in lockstep with the administration, echoing claims that Good was a “domestic terrorist” and that the images coming out of Minneapolis show protesters impeding law enforcement.
But many Americans are disturbed by what they’re seeing: seemingly indiscriminate violence being enacted by ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents against immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. The flood of photos and footage out of Minneapolis is having a real impact on public perceptions of the agency and what’s happening in the city.
