Minneapolis is turning into a war zone between federal agents and radical leftists.
The confrontations outside federal buildings mirror the chaos Portland saw in 2020.
And federal agents fired tear gas after Minneapolis protesters threw this at their vehicles.
Federal Agents Deploy Tear Gas Outside Bishop Whipple Federal Building During ICE Protests
Tensions exploded outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Monday night as federal agents used tear gas and rubber bullets against roughly 80 to 90 protesters.
The confrontation started when demonstrators threw snowballs at federal vehicles leaving the building.
That's when agents issued warnings before deploying crowd-control chemicals at the group.
Many demonstrators fled as agents fired rubber bullets and released tear gas into the crowd.
One protester threw a firework over a fence while fleeing, and it exploded shortly afterward.
Other protesters launched fireworks toward agents, with the munitions lighting up the night sky above downtown Minneapolis.
Law enforcement secured the perimeter late Monday.
It was unclear whether any arrests had been made.
The building serves as headquarters for about a dozen federal agencies, with ICE and the Department of Veterans Affairs among the tenants.
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Sues Trump Over Operation Metro Surge
The unrest came as Minnesota, joined by the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to halt or limit a surge of federal immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities.
State Attorney General Keith Ellison said, "This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and it must stop."
The lawsuit alleges the Department of Homeland Security violated the First Amendment and other constitutional protections.
The suit claims the Trump administration is targeting a progressive, Democratic-leaning state that welcomes immigrants.
Federal officials say the enforcement surge has resulted in more than 2,000 arrests in Minnesota since December.
ICE officials released a list Saturday of the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal immigrants arrested during their surge — convicted murderers, child rapists, pedophiles, domestic abusers and other violent offenders who had been roaming freely in Minnesota.
The legal action comes nearly a week after an ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis.
Federal officials said agents were attempting to make arrests when the woman tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers, prompting an agent to fire in self-defense.
Minneapolis Tear Gas Response Mirrors Portland 2020 Federal Courthouse Clashes
This isn't the first time federal agents and protesters have clashed outside government buildings during Trump administration enforcement operations.
In summer 2020, Portland saw 60 consecutive days of confrontations between federal law enforcement and protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse.
Federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and less-lethal munitions night after night as protesters threw fireworks, shined lasers, and pulled down fencing.
One study found Portland police used so much tear gas on June 2, 2020, that concentrations in the air reached 4,500 milligrams per cubic meter — more than 2,000 times the limit considered life threatening.
Federal officers were documented using excessive force against protesters, including tear gassing Portland's mayor and breaking a Navy veteran's hand.
The ACLU of Oregon filed multiple lawsuits against the federal government on behalf of protesters whose constitutional rights were violated.
One settlement announced in January 2025 required the United States to compensate individuals who suffered serious injuries from federal law enforcement's unlawful, aggressive actions during Operation Diligent Valor.
Democrats called the 2020 federal deployments "unconstitutional" and accused Trump of deploying forces to Democratic cities for political purposes.
Now those same Democrats are making identical accusations about ICE enforcement in Minnesota.
But there's one key difference the Left doesn't want to talk about.
In Portland 2020, protesters were attacking a federal courthouse over George Floyd's death — an incident that had nothing to do with federal jurisdiction.
In Minneapolis 2026, ICE is enforcing immigration law — actual federal authority Democrats spent decades demanding the government use.
The lawsuit from Minnesota officials claims federal operations have "flooded the Twin Cities with armed agents, sparked fear and unrest, and interfered with state and local authorities."
But according to court filings, Minnesota has been releasing criminal illegal immigrants instead of honoring ICE detainers.
That's forcing federal agents to conduct street operations that wouldn't be necessary if Minnesota simply cooperated.
Democrats created this confrontation by declaring their state a sanctuary for illegal immigrants, then sued the federal government for showing up to do the job Minnesota refused to do.
The hypocrisy gets worse.
When protesters attacked federal buildings in 2020, Democrats called it "mostly peaceful protests" and accused Trump of fascism for defending a courthouse.
When demonstrators laid siege to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, those same Democrats demanded the harshest penalties possible for anyone who interfered with federal law enforcement.
Now federal agents are enforcing immigration law and defending themselves against fireworks and projectiles, and Democrats call it an "invasion" while encouraging protesters to interfere with operations.
The protesters throwing snowballs, fireworks, and blocking vehicles are committing federal crimes.
Under 18 U.S. Code § 111, assaulting federal officers carries serious penalties.
Under 18 U.S. Code § 2383, organizing violent resistance against federal authority could constitute insurrection — the same charge Democrats wanted for January 6 defendants.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced hundreds more Customs and Border Protection officers will deploy to Minneapolis to allow ICE agents to work safely.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz put the National Guard on standby, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara warned confrontations could "very, very quickly explode."
Democrats spent years demanding consequences for anyone attacking federal law enforcement.
Now they're backing the people doing exactly that because the targets are ICE agents instead of Capitol Police.
The double standard couldn't be more obvious.
Sources:
- Michael Dorgan, "Federal agents deploy tear gas, rubber bullets on protesters outside Minneapolis federal building," Fox News, January 13, 2026.
- "Minnesota, Twin Cities sue Trump administration over widespread immigration operations," CNN, January 12, 2026.
- "Tear Gas Fired On Protesters Again During Overnight Protests In Portland," NPR, July 27, 2020.
- "Racial Justice Protesters Who Were Beat, Shot, and Abducted by Feds Settle Lawsuit With U.S. Government," ACLU of Oregon, January 21, 2025.
- "Report examines Portland tear gas levels during June 2020 protest," KGW, 2021.
