Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration has deployed up to 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis, Minnesota, as part of its "largest immigration operation ever," leading to heightened community tensions and a fatal shooting.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer as self-defense, a claim disputed by local officials and contradicted by video evidence.
- Contrary to recent reports, Israeli cybersecurity startup Torq's latest confirmed funding round was a $70 million Series C in September 2024, which brought its valuation to an estimated $650-700 million, not the reported $140 million round at a $1.2 billion valuation.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has significantly escalated its presence in Minneapolis, deploying as many as 2,000 federal agents as part of what officials describe as the "largest immigration operation ever carried out" by the Trump administration. This surge, which began in late 2025, is primarily focused on an immigration crackdown and investigations into allegations of fraud, particularly involving Somali residents in the area.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been actively involved in the operation, accompanying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during arrests. The deployment has been met with considerable local opposition and has inflamed community strife, particularly following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman, by an ICE officer during a traffic stop on January 7, 2026.
Secretary Noem and other administration officials quickly defended the officer's actions, characterizing the incident as self-defense and alleging that Good used her vehicle as a weapon to attempt to run over an officer. However, this narrative has been widely disputed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, with video footage reportedly contradicting the DHS account. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) initially agreed to a joint investigation but later withdrew after federal officials informed them the probe would be led solely by the FBI, citing a lack of access to case materials and evidence. Protests have erupted in Minneapolis and other cities across the U.S. in response to the shooting and the ongoing federal operation.
Meanwhile, in the financial technology sector, Israeli cybersecurity startup Torq is making headlines regarding its latest funding. While a recent report indicated a $140 million funding round raising its valuation to $1.2 billion, confirmed reports from late 2024 provide different figures. Torq's most recent publicly announced funding was a $70 million Series C round in September 2024, led by Evolution Equity Partners. This round, which included participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Notable Capital, Greenfield Partners, and Strait Capital, brought Torq's total funding for 2024 to $112 million and its cumulative capital raised since its 2020 inception to $192 million. At the time of this Series C, the company's valuation was estimated at $650-700 million post-money.
Torq specializes in AI-driven cybersecurity hyperautomation, providing a platform that connects security infrastructure to streamline threat detection, response, and remediation. The company has demonstrated significant growth, reporting over 3x revenue growth for two consecutive years and aiming for $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) by the end of 2026. Torq has also expanded its operations, including a recent acquisition of stealth Israeli AI startup Revrod in April 2025, further enhancing its AI-powered Security Operations Center (SOC) automation capabilities.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.