Bondi warns protesters in Minneapolis not to 'cross that red line'

Attorney General Pam Bondi warned protesters in Minneapolis Thursday not to cross a "red line" as they demonstrated against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in their city, stating the Justice Department would arrest and prosecute those who turn violent. 

The protests began Wednesday after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, who was allegedly attempting to run agents over with her car. The Department of Homeland Security has defended the agent's actions as self-defense.

On Thursday morning, protesters briefly clashed with federal authorities in riot gear outside the Whipple Building, which houses the regional ICE headquarters. Officers arrested at least two people and deployed chemical irritants.

"Minnesota: Peacefully protesting is a sacred American right protected by the First Amendment," Bondi said in a post on X. "Obstructing, impeding, or attacking federal law enforcement is a federal crime. So is damaging federal property. If you cross that red line, you will be arrested and prosecuted. Do not test our resolve."

Minneapolis has been a hotspot for immigration enforcement in recent weeks amid revelations of widespread fraud linked to the Somali migrant community. 

The city was also the focal point of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd, whose death in police custody led to mass protests and violent riots, first in Minneapolis, then nationwide.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.