ICE agents outside Roosevelt High School draws conflicting accounts from union, DHS

Federal agents at Minneapolis school spark chaotic scene

Federal agents showed up at a Minneapolis high school on Wednesday, the day a woman was fatally shot by an ICE agent. Federal officials and union leaders have differing accounts as to what unfolded at the chaotic scene. FOX 9's Leah Beno reports. 

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Federal law enforcement agents were involved in a confrontation outside Roosevelt High School just hours after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, with union leaders and federal officials offering different accounts of what unfolded. 

Federal agents outside Roosevelt High School

The backstory:

According to the Minneapolis Federation of Educators, ICE agents were present outside Roosevelt High School Wednesday afternoon. The union alleged agents deployed tear gas, but later stated it was pepper spray, and "abducted" a school staff member who was assisting with a safe dismissal process. The educator was later released, the union said.

Videos posted online appear to show a confrontation involving ICE agents and students near the school, including the use of a chemical irritant.

ICE showed up at Minneapolis school, used teargas, union says

ICE agents showed up at a Minneapolis school on Wednesday, the day a woman was fatally shot by an ICE agent. Minneapolis Public Schools are closed on Thursday and Friday out of an abundance of caution.

Minneapolis Public Schools confirmed there was an incident involving federal law enforcement at Roosevelt High School on Wednesday, which followed the deadly shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.

"This incident involved federal law enforcement agents and is currently under investigation. We are working with our partners including the City of Minneapolis and others to support the individuals directly impacted," a statement from the district said. 

The other side:

Federal officials, however, offered a different account of what happened. 

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security claims Border Patrol agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis when a U.S. citizen was trying to impede those operations and escalated the situation by ramming a government vehicle. 

Federal officials claim the individual led agents on a 5-mile chase and drove recklessly through traffic before coming to a stop in the school zone near Roosevelt High School. 

According to DHS, while agents were removing the individual from the vehicle, another individual identifying themselves as a teacher assaulted a Border Patrol agent. DHS claims a crowd formed and that "rioters" threw objects and paint at officers and their vehicles. 

TOPSHOT - US Border Patrol agents detain a person near Roosevelt High School during dismissal time as federal immigration enforcement actions sparked protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 7, 2026. An immigration officer in Minneapolis shot d

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After issuing several warnings, DHS said officers used "targeted crowd control for the safety of law enforcement and the public" adding that "no tear gas was deployed."

"At no point was a school, students, or staff targeted, and agents would not have been near this location if not for the dangerous actions of this individual," DHS said.

Due to safety concerns, Minneapolis Public Schools canceled classes district wide for Thursday and Friday "out of an abundance of caution."

Education leaders demand ICE stay away from schools 

What they're saying:

Education Minnesota President Monica Byrol released a statement demanding that ICE agents stay away from Minnesota schools after what unfolded outside Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. 

"Yesterday’s actions by ICE in Minnesota—including the shooting of a community member, the unjust detention of a Minnesota educator, and the use of pepper spray on students—are unconscionable in a civil society.

"ICE’s continued operations make every Minnesotan less safe. Their presence near our schools puts students and educators at serious risk. Every moment they remain near schools endangers children, educators and families. We demand that ICE operations be kept away from schools so students, educators and staff can learn and work in safety and peace.

"Beyond the physical danger, ICE’s actions directly undermine teaching and learning. Yesterday, an elementary school was placed on lockdown, and schools in Minnesota’s largest city were forced to close for two days—two days of learning our students will never get back. Seats are empty in Minnesota classrooms across the state right now as families keep students at home in an attempt to keep them safe from ICE. This disruption comes on top of the ongoing fear and emotional harm students experience when ICE operates in their communities.

"As Minnesotans and Americans, we agree that schools must be places of safety, learning and belonging. This is not a partisan issue—it is a moral one. The Trump Administration must act now and order all ICE operations to stay away from schools and out of all school zones across Minnesota."