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A tense exchange during anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis took an unexpected turn when a demonstrator said that she was being paid to be there. Fox News host Laura Ingraham was on the ground in Minneapolis as demonstrations erupted nationwide after a woman was killed during a confrontation with federal agents.
“Do you have a job?” Ingraham asked a masked protester outside the Whipple Federal Building.
“I’m [getting] paid right now,” replied the woman, though it was unclear if she was serious.
Before the exchange, the woman had been walking through the crowd shouting “shame” and profanity. When Ingraham asked why her face was covered, the woman said it was because her “nose is cold.”
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Protesters clash with law enforcement outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Minneapolis and in other cities after a woman was shot and killed during a confrontation with federal agents. The Department of Homeland Security said Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed after she attempted to “weaponize her vehicle” to hit law enforcement agents.
Minnesota officials have disputed that account, claiming the woman did not pose a threat and calling for an investigation.
Ingraham later said that while some demonstrators appeared peaceful, others became hostile toward the media trying to ask basic questions.
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“If you actually go into the mix and try to chat with people, you end up getting escorted out. And they kind of nicely, but aggressively escort you out across their border,” she said.
A Border Patrol Tactical Unit agent sprays pepper spray into the face of a protester attempting to block an immigration officer’s vehicle in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/Getty Images)
Ingraham added that when she and her crew later left the area, protesters held up their middle fingers as they drove away.
The Minneapolis Public School District announced it was canceling classes due to “safety concerns” in the city. Several businesses also shut their doors, citing safety concerns or expressing solidarity with demonstrators.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has been accused of inflaming tensions following the shooting. He blamed ICE for the woman’s death and told the agency to “get the f— out” of the city.
“They’re sowing chaos on our streets — and in this case, quite literally killing people,” Frey said on Wednesday.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks during a press conference at City Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec. 2 following reports that the Trump administration will target Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune/Getty Images)
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The demonstrations come five and a half years after protests and riots broke out in Minneapolis following George Floyd’s death in May 2020.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that his state’s National Guard is prepared to deploy if necessary.
Madison is a writer for Fox News Digital on the Flash team.
