MINNEAPOLIS – Demonstrations and vigils are expected to continue in Minneapolis today as the community grapples with the fallout from the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot in the head Wednesday on Day 2 of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown on the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Minnesota has become a political flashpoint with U.S. President Donald Trump’s continued jabs at Gov. Tim Walz — former vice-president Kamala Harris’s 2024 running mate — and derogatory remarks towards the state’s Somali population.
Trump last month called the Somali population “garbage” following a federal investigation into COVID-19 and medical aid fraud connected to organizations serving Somali immigrants and others.
Saleban Duale, who goes by Sal, says the mistakes of a few don’t reflect the whole community and the Somali population has contributed greatly to Minnesota.
He says members of different Somali organizations intend to hold a vigil to honour Good this afternoon at the location where she was killed.
The shooting death has rattled the community as more than 2,000 ICE officers descended on the area in what the Department of Homeland Security described as the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. The Somali population is in ICE’s sights after Trump attempted to use the fraud investigation to frame the state as a hotbed of government fraud.
Trump claimed last month that Somalis “contribute nothing” and “we don’t want them in our country.”
He’s repeatedly made crude statements about Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who is Somali. The president has said he would end temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota.
The controversy further spiralled last month after a conservative influencer posted unconfirmed claims that that daycare centres run by Somalis in Minneapolis were also committing fraud and didn’t have any children registered.
Trump’s administration Tuesday said it would withhold funds for programs that support needy families with children in five Democratic-led states over concerns about fraud, including Minnesota.
It’s a difficult situation for the Somali community, Duale said, describing the population as large with many people under the age of 30.
“For the community, I think we’ve kind of gotten numb to it,” Duale said. “We know we are not fraudsters. We know how much we contribute.”
He’s part of a collective called Somali Neighbours, which makes clothing and other accessories to show visible support for their community.
Duale noted that they are not the only minority group to be targeted, pointing to Trump’s debunked claims about Haitians during his presidential campaign.
“We are not the only one … It is our moment to carry this burden,” Duale said. “He is targeting all minority communities.”
Adding fuel to the fire was another shooting on the west coast, where federal immigration agents in Oregon shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a Portland hospital.
The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday the vehicle’s passenger was “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” who was involved in a recent shooting in the city.
When agents identified themselves during a “targeted vehicle stop” in the afternoon, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2026.
— With files from The Associated Press
Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request.
There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again.
You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply.
Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
