Photo: Alamy
Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Minneapolis on Thursday to show support for a large federal law enforcement operation that has sparked protests following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month.
The visit comes after the Jan. 7 death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who was shot during an encounter with ICE. The administration says the visit is intended to support federal officers involved in immigration enforcement.
ICE is part of a deployment of roughly 3,000 federal law enforcement officers operating in and around Minneapolis. Minnesota is the latest Democratic-led jurisdiction where President Donald Trump has authorized an expanded federal presence.
The White House says the operation targets immigration violations and an ongoing fraud investigation tied to social service programs in the state’s Somali community. President Trump has defended the federal response as necessary, arguing Democratic policies on crime and immigration have undermined public safety.
Local Democratic leaders and protesters have accused ICE agents of aggressive tactics and racial profiling, and have urged Trump to withdraw federal forces. The administration disputes those claims, saying the operation is focused on dangerous offenders.
Federal agents have conducted enforcement actions across Minneapolis, detaining individuals they describe as serious criminal immigration violators. Some operations have also affected U.S. citizens who were not charged with crimes.
Vance has been a leading defender of the ICE officer involved in Good’s death. Less than a day after the shooting, he said the officer acted in response to the woman’s actions and argued the incident should be a political test ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
During his visit, Vance is expected to host a roundtable with local leaders and community members and to meet with law enforcement officers, according to the White House. Officials said he will focus on what the administration calls restoring law and order in Minnesota.
The White House said Vance will argue that Minneapolis’ policy barring city employees from enforcing federal immigration law has harmed public safety and endangered ICE officers. He is also expected to discuss the administration’s stance on so-called sanctuary cities, which could lose federal funding beginning Feb. 1.