Federal officials said violent unrest in Minneapolis over the weekend left a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent permanently injured. The incident also forced federal immigration authorities to abandon a targeted operation, allowing a suspect with a criminal history to evade arrest.
Authorities said a crowd confronted agents during an early-morning enforcement action in the Minneapolis area, interfering with Border Patrol and ICE officers and escalating to the point that officers could not safely maintain custody of the suspect, who remains at large.
During a Sunday press conference, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said the unrest forced agents to withdraw. “This individual is still roaming the streets today,” Bovino said, referring to the suspect targeted in the operation, which officials said was part of ongoing efforts to arrest individuals with criminal records.
Homeland Security officials reported that one ICE agent was injured when a protester bit off part of his finger as officers attempted to control the crowd. Marcos Charles, executive assistant director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, said the agent received immediate medical attention at the scene and was transported to a hospital.
“The officer is recovering but has suffered a permanent injury,” Charles said, noting the severity of the attack.
Charles said the incident reflects what federal officials described as an increase in violence directed at federal law enforcement officers in Minneapolis and elsewhere during immigration enforcement operations. He said federal authorities continue to face resistance as they execute their duties.
Federal officials said the unrest occurred amid heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the city, including recent demonstrations triggered by the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident during a separate enforcement operation earlier this month. That shooting remains under investigation, and authorities have not released additional details.
Federal officials said ICE operations in Minnesota have resulted in more than 3,400 arrests since they began, including individuals with prior convictions and gang affiliations. They said the goal of the operations is to remove criminal illegal immigrants from local communities.
The Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security said their investigations into the unrest and the injury to the ICE agent are ongoing, and no additional arrests related to the attack on the agent had been announced as of Monday.
