1. What violent tactics are anti-ICE groups in Minnesota advocating for?
An activist group called @Iceoutoftwinports posted a December message on Instagram calling for protesters to physically attack ICE agents during arrests “with fists and legs and bats and rocks” until agents give up or a riot breaks out. The post also recommended slashing law enforcement vehicle tires and verbally berating officers, urging followers to “break the illusion of civil society” and “fight for your life.”
2. What happened during the recent ICE confrontation in Minneapolis?
After an ICE agent shot a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who allegedly attacked him with a snow shovel while fleeing, an angry mob forced agents to retreat on Wednesday night. Activists then raided and vandalized abandoned ICE vehicles, stealing documents, including what one person claimed were FBI operational plans, agent contact information, hotel locations, and maps showing immigration enforcement targets. The vehicle was also spray-painted with “Hang Kristi Noem,” referencing the homeland security secretary.
3. Who was Renee Good and how did she die?
Ms. Good was an anti-ICE activist trained by Minnesota Ice Watch who was fatally shot by an ICE agent on Jan. 7 after she appeared to run into him with her SUV. According to the Homeland Security Department, agents confronted Ms. Good because she was blocking the road with her car, a tactic encouraged by Minnesota Ice Watch in their “de-arrest primer” manual that provides instructions on interfering with law enforcement arrests.
SEE ALSO: Minnesota anti-ICE group calls for attacking federal agents: ‘Be willing to get kicked in the teeth’
4. How has President Trump responded to the violence against federal agents?
Mr. Trump threatened on Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that would allow him to deploy the military to Minnesota if protesters continue attacking federal agents. He warned that if Minnesota’s “corrupt politicians” don’t stop what he called “professional agitators and insurrections from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E.,” he would use the act to “quickly put an end to the travesty.”
5. What is Minnesota Ice Watch and what tactics do they promote?
Minnesota Ice Watch is an anti-ICE activist group that operates social media accounts denouncing immigration enforcement and has published guides on interfering with ICE operations. Their June “de-arrest primer” manual advises tactics including physically pulling officers off arrestees, breaking their grip, and blocking ICE agents and their vehicles, while acknowledging these methods are “probably the most risky” but arguing that inaction “can lead to greater harm.”
Read more: Minnesota anti-ICE group calls for attacking federal agents
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