The sound of warning whistles cut through the winter air on Monday afternoon in South Minneapolis, and everything went downhill. It was near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue, not too far from the Karmel Mall (the nation’s first Somali shopping center), either, where residents confronted ICE agents. What happened next went viral, and it’ll make you question how ethically anti-immigration policies operate when it comes to pregnant women.
As it turns out, WCCO reporter Esme Murphy was at the scene when she heard the whistles we mentioned. Then came the screaming and people running. In the middle of all that, she saw a woman lying on her face as she was forced to the ground as bystanders pleaded, as bystanders pleaded with agents to stop. This woman was pregnant and was struggling to breathe.
But despite that, the woman was handcuffed and dragged by one arm across the pavement that was sladen with ice, though of a different kind. And of course, as this vulnerable woman’s video circulated and sparked immediate backlash.
🚨 DISTURBING VIDEO
In Minnesota, ICE agents handcuffed a pregnant woman, forced her onto her stomach, and pressed their knees and body weight into her while a crowd screamed that she was pregnant.
She wasn’t resisting. She wasn’t a threat.
The agents ignored the pleas, aimed… pic.twitter.com/WJbvcof9gu
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) December 16, 2025
Residents were throwing snowballs at agents, and whistles were blown to alert others that ICE was in the area, as has been done in previous encounters. Then, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office arrived after receiving a non-emergency call from the Department of Homeland Security that ICE agents were being attacked by “agitators.”
But on the scene, deputies did not witness attacks on agents, so they did not deploy force. Their job was just to help the agents leave because the crowd was blocking them, and they also reiterated that they do not help or have anything to do with civil immigration enforcement.
CBS reported that pepper spray was used on the ground, which had people coughing and rinsing their eyes. An agent deployed a Taser on an observer, and at least one man was taken to the ground as the crowd chanted for his release. Even Murphy and a WCCO photographer were hit by chemical irritants, as has been reported by the outlet. State Rep. Aisha Gomez was also present and confirmed that federal agents fired pepper projectiles into a crowd and that chemical agents were also used.
MINNEAPOLIS: “We kept yelling ‘she’s pregnant! She’s pregnant!’ — they put their knees in her… the handcuffed woman was dragged on the ground…”
Lawless. (H/T @LongTimeHistory) pic.twitter.com/Q5uZAT6KoR
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) December 16, 2025
Right now, the Department of Homeland Security has a new enforcement push in Minnesota, which the area is calling “Operation Metro Surge.” DHS has said the operation has led to more than 400 arrests and insists it targets criminals. But ICE agents are facing hostile crowds while doing their jobs. Critics argue that ICE intimidates communities and crosses ethical lines, especially when pregnant women are involved. The viral Minneapolis video is once again raising questions about whether the tactics are justified.
NEXT UP: FBI Thwarts New Year’s Eve Terror Plot Against ICE And Los Angeles
