Gun-wielding ICE agents brush back Minneapolis agitators

Photos have emerged showing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents drawing their weapons at agitators in Minneapolis who allegedly were trying to obstruct their operations. 

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement that ICE officers were in Minneapolis on Tuesday “conducting a targeted enforcement operation to arrest an Ecuadorian criminal illegal alien previously charged with assault.” 

“Two agitator vehicles began stalking our officers and attempted to obstruct ICE operations — a felony and a federal crime — by blocking one of the ICE vehicles by closing a gate. Officers reopened the gate and exited the area while agitators attempted to close the gate in an effort to obstruct their operations,” she continued. “The agitators then followed the officers as they departed and made hand motions suggestive of possessing a firearm.” 

“Obstructing federal law enforcement is not only dangerous but also a crime and a felony,” McLaughlin also said. “Because of this obstruction, this criminal illegal alien is at large.”

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People are approached by a federal agent brandishing a firearm, for following agent vehicles, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (Ryan Murphy/AP)

Several cars had followed officers through south Minneapolis after there were reports of them knocking at homes, according to The Associated Press. 

Officers later stopped their vehicles and ordered individuals to come out of a car at gunpoint, the AP said. 

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A suspect is detained by federal agents on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn.  (Ryan Murphy/AP)

At least one person wearing an anti-ICE message was handcuffed while face-down on the ground, it also reported, citing a photographer at the scene. 

A person is detained by federal agents on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis.  (Ryan Murphy/AP)

The news agency released an image of one person in handcuffs wearing a hat and belt that read, “F— ICE.”

People inside a vehicle are approached by a federal agent brandishing a firearm, for following agent vehicles, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Ryan Murphy/AP)

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McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that the suspect that was being pursued during the operation “was RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration and was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.