FILE - A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer listens during a briefing, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO/WCCO) – A federal agent was hit by a vehicle in St. Paul Sunday morning and subsequently fired their weapon, according to police.
The St. Paul Police Department said the federal agent suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, and the suspect was not hurt. Police say federal agents took the suspect into custody.
St. Paul officers responded to the scene on the 1300 block of Westminster Street around 8:20 a.m. on Dec. 21. The department said no St. Paul officers were involved in the arrest or the use of force.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the suspect is an undocumented immigrant from Cuba who was “noncompliant” during a traffic stop.
According to McLaughlin, the man hit two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while attempting to flee, and one of the officers fired two shots after being struck. She said both officers were hospitalized for evaluation.
“Every use of force incident and any discharge of an ICE firearm must be properly reported and reviewed by the agency in accordance with agency policy, procedure, and guidelines,” McLaughlin said. “All shootings are initially reviewed by the appropriate law enforcement agency. Following a review of the incident by the appropriate investigative agency, ICE will conduct an independent review of the critical incident.”
On Friday, St. Paul city officials sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Department of Homeland Security, instructing its agents to stop using city-owned parking lots to stage vehicles and personnel.
On Saturday, thousands marched across the river from St. Paul in Minneapolis to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Twin Cities.
Since the Trump administration directed federal agents to surge into the state earlier this month, they have arrested more than 400 people, according to the DHS. It’s unclear how many of those 400 are still detained or have been sent elsewhere.
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