Minneapolis confronts federal forces

Eight people were arrested during protests outside a federal building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, according to The Guardian.

The demonstrations came amid tougher rhetoric from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump toward activists and local officials accused of obstructing mass deportations. Protesters opposed the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Security forces used tear gas, pepper spray and stun grenades, the paper said.

The protests erupted after Rene Nicole Good, a mother, was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told Fox News that officials who cross the line or conspire against the U.S. or ICE would face consequences, noting ICE officers enjoy federal immunity.

DHS said about 800 Customs and Border Protection agents and around 2,000 ICE officers are deployed in the region. CNN reported the Pentagon is preparing military lawyers amid an expected rise in federal cases.

Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul have sued the Trump administration, calling the buildup a “federal invasion” and alleging violations of the First Amendment. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticised the deployment. Chicago and the state of Illinois filed similar lawsuits.

Several federal prosecutors resigned after the Justice Department declined to open a civil-rights probe into Good’s killing.

Update (11:39): The New York Times reported DHS will send about 1,000 more officers to Minneapolis. DHS official Tricia McLaughlin said they would join the 2,000 already deployed. Vice President JD Vance backed ICE actions, while Mayor Frey dismissed the self-defence claim. Governor Tim Walz put the National Guard on heightened alert.