Protests Break Out on Fountain Square After ICE Murder in Minneapolis

Protests Against I.C.E. Across Houston — Source: NurPhoto / Getty

Demonstrations popped up across the country this week following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.

The shooting happened Wednesday morning when a 37-year-old woman was killed after an ICE agent fired into a vehicle. Video of the incident shows officers approaching an SUV stopped across the roadway. As the vehicle begins to move forward, one agent pulls a gun and fires several shots.

By Thursday night, the incident sparked outrage nationally.

Protesters gathered at Fountain Square waving flags and holding signs condemning ICE and the Trump administration. Another group assembled along Montgomery Road above Interstate 71, displaying signs reading “Stop ICE” and “Defend Democracy” to passing drivers.

Vice President JD Vance defended the agent’s actions, saying the shooting was justified.

“What I’m certain of is that she accelerated in a way where she ran into the guy,” Vance said. “She violated the law, and that officer was acting in self-defense.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem supported the statement.

Organizers and demonstrators in Cincinnati say the protests are about more than one incident. Many described the shooting as part of a broader pattern of aggressive enforcement and said they wanted to show solidarity with those impacted nationwide.

As of now, federal officials have not announced any additional findings related to the shooting, and protests are expected to continue in several cities.