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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Federal agents fired flashbang grenades, tear gas and an eye irritant at protesters gathered outside a federal building in Minneapolis on Tuesday, triggering loud explosions as authorities moved to disperse the crowd, footage shows.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweek: "On January 12, about 45 violent rioters in Minneapolis threatened and assaulted DHS law enforcement outside the Federal Whipple building.
"Rioters assaulted law enforcement by launching fireworks and threw bottles, ice chunks, and other objects at them. Eight rioters were arrested."
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Why It Matters
Tensions have remained high in the city since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident who was killed during an encounter with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on January 7.
President Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly defended the agent involved in Good’s death, saying he acted in self-defense, while local officials say video evidence contradicts the government's account and have called for an independent investigation.
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What To Know
Video shared on social platforms seemingly shows federal agents deploying flashbang devices and other crowd-control tools near the Whipple Federal Building this week as demonstrators gathered in opposition to the presence and actions of immigration enforcement personnel.
A protester told Status Coup News that the use of flashbangs was "terrorizing," adding: "This isn't the America I served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy."
Protests have continued outside the Whipple building since Wednesday, January 7, with demonstrators remaining on site despite warnings from federal agents that they could face arrest for trespassing on the publicly owned property. Authorities began erecting concrete barricades around the building in an effort to control access and manage the ongoing demonstrations.
DHS has committed to sending more than 2,000 immigration officers to Minnesota as part of a ramped-up enforcement effort, according to federal officials. In response, the state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a lawsuit seeking to limit or halt the influx of federal agents and related tactics.
Federal officials say immigration operations in Minnesota have resulted in more than 2,000 arrests since early December and maintain that enforcement efforts will continue. It comes amid widespread protests in Minnesota and rallies across the country.
A majority of Americans believe that the ICE agent who fatally shot Good in Minneapolis was not justified in the amount of force used, according to a recent YouGov survey.
The poll of 1,129 U.S. adult citizens, conducted shortly after the shooting, found that 52 percent said the agent's actions were not justified, while 28 percent said the use of force was justified and 18 percent said they were unsure.
Views diverged sharply along partisan lines, with just four percent of Democrats saying the shooting was justified compared with 61 percent of Republicans.
The survey also found that 53 percent of respondents believed the agent should face criminal charges, while 30 percent said he should not, and 17 percent were undecided.
What People Are Saying
McLaughlin told Newsweek: "Secretary Noem has been clear: Anyone who obstructs or assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
WCCO reporter Adam Duxter wrote in a post on X on Tuesday: "This was the moment federal agents opened fire on the crowd at the Whipple Federal Building near Minneapolis tonight. A fight within the crowd prompted this- myself and our crews were able to make it out safely."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News on Sunday: "We're sending more officers today, and tomorrow they'll arrive. There will be hundreds more in order to allow our ICE and our Border Patrol individuals that are working in Minneapolis to do so safely."
Update 01/14/26 10.00 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from DHS.
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