Protests against violent immigration enforcement continue in the United States

Clashes erupted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 17 between groups supporting and opposing the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. The clashes took place in sub-zero temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius, with some claiming injuries. The state announced the same day that it had begun mobilizing the National Guard to maintain public safety. ICE officers shot and killed US citizen Ryan Nicole Goode during an operation to apprehend undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis on July 7. Protests against police brutality subsequently erupted in the city and spread to other cities. On July 17, anti-police brutality demonstrators clashed with far-right groups supporting ICE near City Hall in downtown Minneapolis. These ICE supporters were led by Jack Lang, a far-right influencer who has been charged with involvement in the 2021 Capitol Hill riots and has other prior convictions. On his first day back in the White House in 2025, US President Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 people involved in the “Capitol Hill riots,” including Lang. Later that evening, he claimed on social media that he was “stabbed” while grappling with anti-ICE protesters at the scene, but was fortunately protected by his protective vest.Anti-ICE protester Luke Remington addressed ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and Trump supporters, saying, “You are not welcome in Minneapolis. Get out of our city, get out of our state, go back to your own homes.” Another protester, Laura, said, “We are here to support our Somali neighbors who are asking their white allies to stand up for them.” A series of welfare fraud cases recently exposed in Minnesota have shocked the nation. Sixty-one people have been convicted in the cases, the ringleader being a white man, and most of those involved are Somali immigrants residing in Minnesota, almost all of whom hold US citizenship or green cards. Trump used this opportunity to launch a political offensive, announcing the revocation of temporary asylum status for all Somali refugees in the state and deploying nearly 3,000 federal law enforcement personnel. According to Reuters, this is the largest immigration enforcement operation by the US federal government to date. On the other hand, Trump targeted state and municipal governments governed by Democrats. According to reports from CBS and other media outlets on the 16th, the US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and other officials, alleging that their statements regarding the deployment of federal immigration enforcement and border patrol personnel to the state constituted obstruction of law enforcement. Due to the continued tension in the state, local officials announced on the 17th that the state’s National Guard was on “standby.” The Minnesota Department of Public Safety posted on social media that the state’s National Guard had been mobilized according to Governor Walz’s instructions but had not yet been deployed to city streets. The National Guard “is ready to support public safety, including protecting lives, preserving property, and supporting the rights of all peaceful assemblies.”