"Hundreds" more federal immigration agents are arriving in the Twin Cities today as Trump administration officials spent the weekend doubling down on their defense of ICE's fatal shooting in Minneapolis.

The big picture: The shooting sparked widespread anti-ICE protests this weekend as federal agents continued an unprecedented enforcement surge in Minnesota.

• New video angles of Renee Good's killing did little to settle a partisan-inflected debate over whether ICE's use of force was justified.

Zoom in: Thousands marched across Minneapolis throughout the weekend, and demonstrators in dozens of U.S. cities joined in similarly-themed "ICE Out" protests.

• Demonstrations remained largely peaceful — though at one downtown Minneapolis march on Friday night, police detained and cited some 30 people for "blocking roadways and damaging property."
• Police also arrested one man for vandalizing several Lake Street businesses by spray-painting anti-ICE messages.

Zoom out: In a CNN appearance yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stood by her claim that in the moments before Wednesday's shooting, Good "weaponized" her car against an ICE agent who "defended his life and those colleagues around him and the public."

Reality check: Video analysis has undermined several facets of the administration's account. Clips showed Good waving vehicles past her parked SUV as it partially blocked Portland Avenue.

• "That's fine, dude. I'm not mad at you," Good said from behind the wheel of her car, according to footage from the ICE agent's cell phone that was leaked to local conservative outlet Alpha News on Friday.

The other side: Good "shouldn't have even been in that perimeter," GOP gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls said at a forum Saturday. Several Republicans there blamed Democrats' rhetoric for stoking conflict with ICE agents, according to the Star Tribune.

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Legal experts continued to raise alarms about the Trump administration's "highly unusual" decision to kick state investigators off the shooting probe.

What they're saying: "It's shocking to me … because I do believe that it undermines the public trust in the government," said Eric Nelson, one of former police officer Derek Chauvin's defense attorneys.

• "I've never seen this. … This is what a cover-up looks like," former federal prosecutor Dan Gelber told Axios, calling the lack of collaboration "absurd."

The other side: "Well, normally, I would, but they're crooked officials," President Trump said of sharing evidence with Minnesota investigators.

• The Justice Department has pointed to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's dismissal of Noem's narrative of the shooting as "bullshit" to justify its decision to cut out the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension team that routinely investigates law enforcement shootings.

Context: Trump, Noem and Vice President Vance have all defended the ICE officer. (Minneapolis' mayor also does not oversee the BCA.)

• "Given my past experience, I think it is a dangerous precedent from both sides of the political spectrum to take such marked stances this early, because the rule of law requires an investigation," Nelson told Axios.

What we're watching: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Attorney General Keith Ellison last week launched a state-led review of Good's shooting — though they stressed it would focus on collecting and preserving evidence, not second-guessing the federal probe.

The bottom line: "If the American public doesn't believe in the investigation that's going to come out of this, we're even in more trouble than we were before this shooting," said police use-of-force expert Geoff Alpert.

Go deeper

☀️ Eagan-based Sun Country Airlines has agreed to a sale to low-cost rival Allegiant for $1.5 billion — a deal that spells the end for a four-decade-old Minnesota brand. (Axios)

• If the deal goes through, the combined airline would be headquartered in Las Vegas but maintain the Twin Cities as "an important base of operations and key anchor city," according to the joint announcement.

⛔️ Three Minnesota congressional Democrats — Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison — were denied access to ICE's detention facility near Fort Snelling on Saturday. (Axios)

👶 A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing child care funding to Minnesota and four other blue states. (Axios)

🛒 The Trump administration also announced Friday it would suspend all funding for food stamps and hunger relief programs in Minnesota, citing concerns about oversight in state safety net programs. (New York Times)

The number of homicides in St. Paul and Minneapolis fell in 2025, part of an ongoing nationwide ebbing from a pandemic crime surge.

Why it matters: St. Paul's public safety strategy that led to a drastic decline in murders already has Minneapolis leaders working to copy that approach.

By the numbers: St. Paul Police reported 15 homicides in 2025, down from 33 in 2024 and the lowest annual total in 12 years, according to the Pioneer Press.

• In Minneapolis, 64 people were murdered last year, according to city data. That's a 16% drop compared to 2025's count of 76, but still above 2019's total of 48.

What they're saying: St. Paul Police and Ramsey County attorney John Choi have credited the department's adoption of a Denver model that focuses on solving nonfatal shootings and convicting the shooters.

The other side: Minneapolis City Council members have criticized the police department over its low clearance rate.

• Department leaders have cited low staffing levels, high caseloads and a lack of cooperation by some victims, according to the Star Tribune.
• Last month, council members earmarked $1.7 million toward helping MPD create a nonfatal shooting task force similar to St. Paul's.

The latest: Minneapolis Chief Brian O'Hara last week announced a restructuring of his leadership and created a new major crimes division.

• He also highlighted crime decreases in other areas, particularly carjackings and robberies.

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Girl Scout cookie season is right around the corner with a new, rocky road–inspired flavor you might want to "explore."

Driving the news: Exploremores are joining the Girl Scout cookie roster in 2026. The sandwich cookie features chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond–flavored crème.

State of play: In the Twin Cities, we still have a few weeks to wait before restocking our freezers with Thin Mints.

• Local troops begin online sales on Feb. 11 and in-person sales on Feb. 20, a spokesperson for the Girl Scouts River Valleys council tells Axios.

Bookmark to find local sales