Walz Says Minnesota Is ‘Under Assault’ as ICE Shooting Inflames Tensions

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz lashed out at President Donald J. Trump’s administration on Thursday, claiming his state is “under assault” by what he described as a “petty, vile” federal campaign against him, as Minnesota reels from a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis and a rapidly expanding fraud scandal tied to his administration.

Speaking at a Minneapolis press event after announcing he would not seek a third term as governor in 2026, Walz portrayed his withdrawal from the race as a response to what he called “unprecedented federal aggression.”

“I don’t think any governor in history has had to fight a war against the federal government,” Walz said. “We are under assault, like no other time in our state’s history because of a petty, vile administration.”

Walz’s remarks came just hours after federal immigration officers fatally shot a 37-year-old woman, Renee Nicole Good, during what the Department of Homeland Security described as the largest immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota history.

According to DHS, ICE agents were conducting a “targeted operation” in Minneapolis when the encounter occurred. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Good blocked officers with her vehicle and attempted to run them over.

“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the shooting as a “preventable tragedy,” while maintaining that the officer acted lawfully. Noem said both the agent and Good’s family “deserve prayers,” adding that Good “weaponized her vehicle” and calling the incident “an act of domestic terrorism.”

“This appears as an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to agents,” Noem said. “The ICE officer, fearing for his life and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.”

President Donald Trump also addressed the shooting on Truth Social, characterizing Good as a “professional agitator” who “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer.”

“It’s hard to believe he is alive,” Trump wrote, adding that the incident reflected a “Radical Left movement of violence and hate” targeting law enforcement. “They are just trying to do the job of making America safe.”

Local Democratic leaders quickly rejected the federal government’s account. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey denounced the DHS narrative as “a garbage story with no truth” and demanded an independent investigation.

“I want to tell you … that is bull—-,” Frey said at a press conference Thursday night. “This is spin, and it’s disgraceful.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Good was not the target of any enforcement action, noting concerns about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

“I am obviously very concerned that a woman who was sitting in her car blocking the street and not the target of any enforcement activity is now deceased,” O’Hara said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are now jointly leading the investigation.

At the same time, Walz is facing mounting political pressure as state and federal authorities continue probing what prosecutors have described as one of the largest social service fraud scandals in U.S. history. Federal indictments tied to programs overseen by Walz’s administration allege billions of dollars were misused through fraudulent housing, autism, and meal-assistance programs, many involving Somali-run nonprofit organizations.

Walz has blamed the Trump administration for ramping up enforcement actions in Minnesota, insisting the state is being politically targeted. “We are fighting to protect the dignity of Minnesotans,” he said Friday, “and I won’t let Donald Trump turn this state into a political punching bag.”

Republicans counter that Walz’s rhetoric is an attempt to deflect from systemic failures under Democratic leadership. House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has labeled the Minnesota fraud scandal “a catastrophic breakdown in accountability under Democratic leadership,” while Trump administration officials argue ICE operations are part of a broader national crackdown on organized fraud and illegal immigration.

Walz insists his decision to exit the 2026 race was “a matter of accountability,” not retreat. But with a fatal confrontation involving federal agents, intensifying immigration enforcement, and sweeping corruption allegations overshadowing his tenure, critics say Walz’s political future may already be sealed.