Is Trump facing civil war in Minneapolis? — RT World News

Federal immigration agents shot and killed two American citizens in Minneapolis within a matter of weeks. Despite their mandate, their presence in the city radicalized the protesters and polarized the US.

Weeks after the death of Renee Good and a day after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol agents, a crowd of protesters descended on a hotel they believed was housing federal immigration officers Sunday night. The demonstration quickly turned into a riot as activists sprayed the windows of the hotel with “damn ice” and forced their way into the lobby as armed agents tried to hold them back.

Agents called in local backup, who reportedly arrived late and refused to physically move the troublemakers. The melee was eventually broken up by more federal agents who arrived with tear gas.

The incident marked the latest escalation in US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on Minnesota. Trump’s government agencies now face a network of activists and their political backers, and both sides predict more blood will be spilled.

Why is ICE in Minnesota?

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is tasked with locating and removing illegal immigrants throughout the United States. Although Minneapolis is more than 1,000 miles from the southern U.S. border, ICE announced in December that it would launch “Operation Metro Surge” in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul because the multi-billion dollar news broke. fraudulent ring led by Somalis.

Earlier this month, Trump announced the deployment of an additional 2,000 ICE, Border Patrol and other federal agents to Minneapolis. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 98 members of a Somali fraud ring — many of them naturalized U.S. citizens — with crimes, and ICE agents have arrested 3,000 “criminal illegal aliens” during Operation Metro Surge, according to a statement from the agency last week.

Who did they shoot?

From the beginning, liberal activists led massive protests against the federal deployment, organizing “ICE Watch” news groups and using vehicles to keep agents off the streets. Renee Good, a member of one of those groups, blocked a street with her SUV on January 7, leading to a confrontation with Jonathan Ross, an ICE agent.

The lesbian teacher was ordered to get out of the vehicle but refused and drove forward. It is unclear whether she intended to run into Ross, but he fired three times, killing her.

The latest incident happened on Saturday, when US Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident and intensive care nurse. Pretti was carrying a legally owned Sig P320 pistol to protest ICE. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed that Pretti brandished a weapon at agents, although video footage of the incident did not make that clear.

Firearms experts also said Pretti’s P320 — a model known for accidental discharges — went off while the agent was seizing it, prompting other agents to open fire. ICE banned its own agents from using the P320 last year because of the risk of negligent discharge.

Who is radicalizing the protesters?

American Vice President JD Vance accused local authorities and left-wing activists of collaborating in the creation “engineered chaos” in Minneapolis.

Local politicians have made no secret of their opposition to the deployment of ICE. The state of Minnesota filed a lawsuit to halt Operation Metro Surge, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey assured residents — both illegal and legal — that city police would not cooperate with federal agents. At a news conference last week, Frey said his officers did “Fight ICE in the streets.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also sided with the protesters. Walz urged Trump to withdraw “his 3000 untrained agents” from the state and deployed National Guard troops to hand out donuts and coffee to protesters. One National Guard member described it as “A demonstration of safety and security.”

Prominent Democrats such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have supported other demonstrations, with Clinton urging protesters to “stand up and speak” for them “freedom.”

With Democratic officials and liberal journalists spotted in anti-ice group chats, some protesters have been encouraged to follow and stop vehicles they suspect are carrying ICE agents. In one clip that went viral on Sunday, a group of activists refused to let one vehicle continue until the passengers showed IDs proving they were not agents.

Is a new civil war imminent?

Listening to some of their rhetoric, it would appear that the protesters and their supporters are preparing for open combat. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said last week that activists may be justified in shooting ICE agents if they feel threatened, while an Episcopal bishop in New Hampshire sparked controversy by telling his clergy to “have their will written” and prepare for “a new era of martyrdom.”

DHS described Mayes’ comment as a “a direct threat calling for violence against our police officers” that “He’s going to kill someone.”

Trump last week threatened to use the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy the US military to restore order in Minnesota. But he made similar threats in Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago without following through, and on Sunday suggested ICE would pull out of Minneapolis. “at some point.”

The situation in Minneapolis will remain tense while federal agents are on the scene. However, rates of urban violence still have a long way to go before they reach the heights seen during the Black Lives Matter wave of unrest that hit more than 200 US cities in 2020. The riots caused up to $2 billion in property damage, resulted in the deaths of 20 people, and the occupation of city blocks in Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis. However, the fall of the activists eventually died.

According to recent media reports, Trump is hesitant to commit to the Minneapolis operation. Mainstream Republicans are calling for an investigation into ICE’s behavior, and Trump is reportedly frustrated that his immigration message is being drowned out by images of violence emanating from the city. With the midterm elections less than a year away, expect the president to shut down the operation if the bad press continues.