MINNEAPOLIS — A federal agent has shot a man in the leg during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis, sparking protests in a city still on edge after the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a federal agent last week.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said federal officers initially pursued the man in a car chase because he was illegally in the US from Venezuela.

The City of Minneapolis confirmed a man was shot and taken to hospital for non-life threatening injuries. An ICE officer was also taken to hospital to be treated for injuries, the DHS said.

Tensions over immigration enforcement have been running high in the city since the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Good on January 7.

In the hours after the shooting on Wednesday night, demonstrators gathered near the scene, facing off against law enforcement who deployed multiple tear gas canisters, pepper balls and what sounded like flash bangs before officials told people to “go home.”

“I urge anyone that is at the scene to leave immediately,” Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a news conference, calling it an “unlawful assembly.”

In response to the latest ICE shooting, Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey accused federal officers of "creating chaos" across the state.

“For those who have peacefully protested, I applaud you. For those who are taking the bait, you are not helping, and you are not helping the undocumented immigrants of our city. You are not helping the people who call this place home,” Frey said at the Wednesday news conference.

The DHS said the man got out of his car and an altercation took place between him and an ICE official. It added that during the incident two other people emerged from a nearby apartment building and allegedly "attacked" the officer.

"Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots," the DHS statement said, adding "both attackers are in custody".

O'Hara said the FBI is investigating the incident.

Around 3,000 federal officers have been deployed to Minnesota over recent weeks. — Agencies