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Tom Emmer pushes back on suggestion that Minnesota anti-ICE protesters have been peaceful
By Madison Colombo
Published January 10, 2026
Protests have gripped Minneapolis for days after a federal agent fatally shot a woman accused of trying to weaponize her car against the DHS official. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said Democratic leaders are making the situation worse by fanning public anger instead of calling for peace.
"You don’t have to go very far to look and see who is fomenting all of this violence," Emmer said on "Fox & Friends Weekend" Saturday.
"They’re yelling, ‘Save a life, kill ICE.’ That's not peaceful," he added, pushing back on claims from Democratic leaders that the demonstrations have been peaceful.
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Protesters clash with law enforcement outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Minneapolis on Thursday. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Protests began after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer on Wednesday. In response to the nightly demonstrations, an additional 1,000 Border Patrol agents have been sent to Minneapolis.
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Multiple videos of the incident have been shared online, fueling debate over whether the agent’s use of force was justified or necessary. The Department of Homeland Security said Good was attempting to "weaponize her vehicle" to hit law enforcement agents.
Minnesota officials have disputed that account, calling for an investigation into the death. Emmer accused his colleagues of inflaming tensions, saying they rushed to anger without waiting for the investigation.
Law enforcement officers disperse demonstrators during a protest outside hotels believed to house Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday.
"Tim Walz should have come out right away and said, ‘Everybody be calm, withhold your judgment. We know that this is a very sensitive matter. Let law enforcement do their work,’" Emmer said, arguing state leaders have failed to calm the public.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks to the media at City Hall on Friday.
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On Friday night, protesters gathered outside a hotel where they believed ICE agents were staying. Authorities said multiple people had been arrested for "unlawful assembly" after demonstrations were deemed "no longer peaceful" and resulted in property damage.
Walz said the National Guard is prepared to deploy if necessary, but added Thursday that "we have every reason to believe that peace will hold."
https://www.foxnews.com/media/tom-emmer-pushes-back-suggestion-minnesota-anti-ice-protesters-have-been-peaceful