JD Vance defends ICE during visit to Minneapolis after weeks of unrest

U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivered a broad defence of the thousands of federal agents leading an aggressive immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, saying that "far-left agitators" and uncooperative local officials are to blame for chaos on the streets.

Vance's visit to the city marked a renewed effort by President Donald Trump's administration to win public support for its immigration crackdown, amid signs that even some of the president's supporters are growing wary of the aggressive tactics on display in Minneapolis, where scores of heavily armed masked agents have flooded the streets.

Flanked by federal officers and two Immigration and Customs Enforcement patrol cars bearing the slogan "Defend the Homeland," Vance repeated his assertion that Renee Good "rammed" her car into an ICE officer before he fatally shot the 37-year-old mother of three on 7 January, sparking weeks of unrest.

"I think that Renee Good's death is a tragedy," he said. "I also think that she rammed an ICE officer with her car."

Democratic leaders in Minnesota have rejected Vance's account, and state authorities have launched an investigation into the shooting.

Tensions escalated further this week after school officials in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb, said immigration agents had detained at least four children this month, including a five-year-old boy on Tuesday.

The Department of Homeland Security disputed claims that the boy was targeted. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said ICE agents were attempting to arrest the boy’s father, who fled on foot, leaving his son behind. An officer remained with the child to ensure his safety, she said, while the father was arrested.

Vance accused the media of misrepresenting that incident, saying the boy was left behind when his father tried to flee from agents.

"What are they supposed to do?" Vance said. "Are they supposed to let a 5-year-old child freeze to death?"

The child watched masked agents take his father from the driveway of their home before they pointed the boy to the back door of the house and motioned for him to knock, according to Rachel James, a city council member who said she witnessed the incident. The boy was eventually taken from the scene.

McLaughlin added that parents detained by ICE are asked whether they want their children placed with a designated guardian or removed alongside them. She did not respond directly to allegations that three other children had been detained.

School officials said the incidents had alarmed families and raised serious concerns about children’s welfare during immigration enforcement operations.

• Minneapolis protests: tens of thousands rally after fatal ICE shooting
• UN calls Minneapolis ICE shooting video 'deeply disturbing'
• Minnesota and Illinois sue Trump administration over immigration enforcement surge

Protests and Arrests

Protests against ICE activity have continued across Minneapolis and neighbouring St. Paul, with demonstrators organising street patrols, blowing whistles to warn of approaching agents and confronting federal officers.

On Thursday, federal authorities announced the arrest of two people linked to a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul on Sunday. Demonstrators alleged the pastor had been assisting ICE.

FBI Director Kash Patel said one organiser was charged under a federal law that prohibits physical obstruction of houses of worship.

Vance’s role in defending ICE

Vice President Vance has taken a leading role in defending the Minnesota operation. Less than 24 hours after Renee Good’s death, he appeared in the White House briefing room, defended the officer involved and placed blame on the woman who was killed. He also described the incident as a political test ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.

Despite growing unease - including among some Republicans, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll - the administration has shown no sign of backing down. President Donald Trump has deployed around 3,000 federal law-enforcement officers to the Minneapolis area, a move DHS has described as its largest immigration operation to date.

Minnesota is the latest Democratic-leaning state targeted by a federal show of force under Trump’s immigration agenda.

Political fallout

Trump has said the operation is partly linked to alleged welfare fraud involving members of Minnesota’s Somali-American community. Since 2022, at least 56 people have pleaded guilty in related cases, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

The president has drawn sharp criticism for remarks describing Somali immigrants as “garbage” and saying they should be expelled from the country.

Local Democratic leaders accuse ICE of racial profiling and argue the administration is deliberately provoking unrest. Speaking in Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday ahead of his Minnesota trip, Vance blamed protesters for the turmoil.

“If you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop fighting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country,” he said.

Vance is expected to host a roundtable with local leaders and community members and meet with federal officers as part of what the White House described as a show of support for “restoring law and order in Minnesota”. He is also set to discuss Trump’s pledge to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities starting 1 February.

Local reaction

Minnesota Democratic Party chair Richard Carlbom said he feared the visit would inflame tensions rather than calm them.

“I think he is simply coming here for political theatre,” Carlbom told Reuters. “This entire situation is a retribution campaign against Minnesotans.”

Some residents echoed those concerns. Patty O’Keefe, a 36-year-old non-profit worker who said she was pepper-sprayed and detained by federal agents in January while documenting ICE activity, said Vance’s message rang hollow.

“He’s calling for law and order when it’s his federal agents who are creating chaos and escalating violence,” she said.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Trump criticised Minnesota’s leadership, saying, “We actually are helping Minnesota so much, but they don’t appreciate it.”

As Vance arrives in Minneapolis, the administration faces mounting scrutiny over the human cost of its immigration crackdown - and whether its show of force is restoring order or deepening division.

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