Minneapolis: Federal agents' tactics raise questions about officer training

Reports say federal immigration agents used aggressive crowd-control tactics during protests after a deadly officer-involved shooting, and the ACLU has filed for an emergency injunction to limit how federal agents operate.

Federal immigration agents have been deployed to Minneapolis after a recent deadly officer-involved shooting, and reports describe aggressive crowd-control actions during ensuing protests. The federal government has defended the actions as necessary to protect officers and has said the shooting was self-defense after officials said a vehicle was used as a weapon. The deployment follows a broader enforcement surge that brought more than 2,000 Department of Homeland Security officers to the area in December. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota has asked a federal judge for an emergency injunction to limit certain federal actions during protests. Key facts: - Reports describe federal immigration agents using aggressive crowd-control tactics during protests following a fatal officer-involved shooting. - Federal officials have said the actions were necessary to protect officers and have defended the shooting as self-defense after describing the vehicle as weaponized. - The deployment came after an enforcement surge that brought more than 2,000 Department of Homeland Security officers to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area in December. - The ACLU of Minnesota filed for an emergency injunction seeking limits on how federal agents operate during protests; the court has not yet issued a ruling. Summary: Experts and former officials say the reported use of federal officers for crowd management departs from traditional roles and has prompted questions about training and de-escalation practices. The ACLU has pursued an emergency court order and the matter is awaiting judicial review.