Minneapolis police chief blasts ICE after agent seen dragging woman through street, kneeling on her back

Minneapolis' constabulary main condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement aft an cause was seen dragging an allegedly large pistillate done the thoroughfare and kneeling connected her backmost during an attempted apprehension earlier this week.

Video connected Monday successful a Minneapolis vicinity showed radical yelling astatine ICE agents to merchandise the woman, saying she was large and could not breathe. 

An cause was captured connected video kneeling connected the woman's backmost earlier aboriginal dragging her done the snowfall by 1 limb connected her backmost toward a vehicle.

"Let her go! Let her go!" witnesses yelled arsenic the cause dragged the pistillate astatine an intersection.

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An ICE agent, right, kneels connected a pistillate successful a snowfall slope successful southbound Minneapolis, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (Lauryn Spencer via AP)

The pistillate was yet released from the agent's grasp.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said astatine a quality league connected Tuesday that section constabulary were called to the country by a national cause who claimed officers needed help.

But erstwhile constabulary arrived, determination was nary unit against national officers, O’Hara said, adding that different instrumentality enforcement agencies whitethorn person been utilizing "questionable methods."

"Once it was determined that the country was harmless and determination was nary unit occurring, our officers disengaged from the scene," O’Hara said.

"We person been grooming our officers for the past 5 years very, precise intensely connected de-escalation," helium continued. "But unfortunately, that is not, that is often not what we are seeing from different agencies successful the city."

O’Hara besides said successful a connection to Reuters that the footage of the pistillate dragged done the thoroughfare is "profoundly disturbing."

"This egregious disregard for quality dignity is appalling," helium said. "It is profoundly concerning that determination appears to beryllium a deficiency of accountability from our national partners."

The pistillate who filmed the incident, Lauryn Spencer, was driving connected her luncheon interruption erstwhile she heard whistles and honking, which person been utilized to pass of ICE agents successful the area.

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Activists confronted a radical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers successful the mostly Somali vicinity of Cedar-Riverside successful Minneapolis, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)

Spencer said she approached the country and began signaling immediately, but was shoved backmost by an cause erstwhile she attempted to inquire the pistillate being dragged what her sanction was. Spencer said she and different onlookers were besides sprayed with chemic irritants.

"They were being precise assertive from the beginning, similar determination was ne'er a clip wherever they attempted to usage diplomacy," she told The Associated Press. "I didn’t spot anybody propulsion immoderate hard items. The snowballs were decidedly being thrown, but we didn’t commencement throwing snowballs until they started dragging her astir by her wrist."

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin purported that national agents were targeting a conveyance erstwhile protesters "threw rocks, chunks of ice, assaulted officers and utilized capsicum spray." She said 2 radical were charged with assaulting national officers and stay successful custody and that the agents sustained injuries, including cuts.

McLaughlin further alleged that agents attempted to apprehension the pistillate successful the video due to the fact that she "rushed an ICE conveyance and attempted to vandalize it" but that they abandoned the apprehension aft being swarmed by protesters.

Footage showed ICE agents shattering a model earlier detaining a antheral driver, according to CBS News Minnesota. A abbreviated clip later, the agents detained the pistillate who was seen being dragged successful the video.

Agents were besides seen fending disconnected protesters who threw snowballs astatine them. The agents utilized chemic irritants, and 1 utilized a taser earlier yelling astatine the crowd: "Who wants more?"

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the footage of the pistillate dragged done the thoroughfare is "profoundly disturbing." (Reuters/Tim Evans)

Tensions person been escalating successful the Minneapolis-St. Paul country arsenic national authorities proceed an migration crackdown arsenic portion of President Donald Trump's wide deportation agenda.

Former Minnesota authorities legislator Hodan Hassan said she believes ICE tactics are becoming much harsh arsenic the migration enforcement cognition successful the portion continues.

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"The archetypal week, they were not precise aggressive. They were stopping people. Second week, we saw them truly aggressive," she told The Associated Press.

The clash successful southbound Minneapolis happened conscionable a mates miles distant from wherever George Floyd was killed successful 2020 by then-Minneapolis constabulary serviceman Derek Chauvin, who was kneeling connected his neck, sparking nationwide protests advocating for radical justness and constabulary reform. Chauvin was sentenced to situation for execution and for violating Floyd's civilian rights.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.