Anti-ICE Agitators Are ‘Being Paid’ to Protest in Minneapolis

by Nathanael Greene

A tense moment during an anti-ICE demonstration in Minneapolis has drawn widespread attention after a vocal agitator told Fox News host Laura Ingraham she was being “paid” to attend the protest.

Ingraham was reporting from outside the Whipple Federal Building as demonstrations erupted following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. While ramming an armed ICE agent with her vehicle during a confrontation with federal immigration authorities, Good was shot dead. DHS described the shooting incident itself as having been in response to an act of “domestic terrorism,” and framed the environment as one where organized extremist elements were active.

Ingraham had asked a masked protester:

Do you have a job?

The loud agitator had been shouting “shame” and profanities at law enforcement and the media while riling up the crowd. The woman admitted:

I’m [getting] paid right now.

And when pressed about why her face was covered, the protester claimed it was because her “nose is cold.”

WATCH:

Dustin Grage@GrageDustin

Leftist protester tells @IngrahamAngle that she’s getting paid to be there. So is it Soros or Tim Walz’s medical paid leave funding her activism?

2:54 PM · Jan 9, 2026 · 7.16K Views

---

35 Replies · 89 Reposts · 365 Likes

Multiple outlets captured the same “getting paid” exchange. The multi‑outlet repetition confirms the quote is not a misheard or misreported moment. No outlet has yet produced documentation of payrolls or contracts, however, several facts are clearly established:

- The protests were organized and coordinated, with scheduled marches beginning early in the morning at the Whipple Building;

- The Party for Socialism and Liberation organized parallel protests in Milwaukee in solidarity with Minneapolis, demonstrating a multi‑city network of aligned groups; and

- Hundreds of protesters mobilized rapidly, including a large group that stormed the Minneapolis Hilton during the same wave of unrest.

These details support the argument that the protests were not spontaneous gatherings of random locals, and while not proof of paid protestors, it gave rationale for federal agencies to believe the unrest was coordinated rather than organic.

Ingraham later said while some protesters appeared peaceful, others became hostile when questioned.

She said:

If you actually go into the mix and try to chat with people, you end up getting escorted out.

Further:

They kind of nicely, but aggressively escort you out across their border.

And as she and her crew departed the area:

[D]emonstrators responded by raising their middle fingers.

As protests escalated and as DHS realized some of the protesters were there as agitators only, they took agitators into custody. They cited threats to federal officers and attempts to breach security perimeters.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Minneapolis and other cities after the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security said Good was shot after attempting to “weaponize her vehicle” against federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation. State and local officials have disputed that account and called for further investigation. However, a new video emerged on Friday which ended the dispute.

The bodycam footage was filmed by the agent who shot Good. It clearly shows Good accelerated toward the ICE agent and rammed him with her vehicle while he was standing in front of it.

The unrest prompted closures across the city. Minneapolis Public Schools canceled classes citing “safety concerns,” and several local businesses shut their doors, either out of concern for public safety or in solidarity with demonstrators.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sharply criticized federal authorities following the shooting, deceitfully blaming ICE for the woman’s death and telling the agency to leave the city.

Frey said Wednesday:

They’re sowing chaos on our streets—and in this case, quite literally killing people.

Minnesota Gov. Putz Walz said:

[T]he National Guard is prepared to deploy if necessary as tensions continue.

Final thoughts, two observations and a question: We may be witnessing the slow crawl toward the president invoking the Insurrection Act. And being “paid” to protest suggests direction, not spontaneity. If someone finances an agitator’s presence in a volatile environment, does that payer not bear part of the responsibility for the outcome?