ICE Agents Deploy Chemical Irritants During Minneapolis Enforcement, Forcing Live TV Cut and Reporter Coughing

A live news broadcast in Minneapolis was forced off the air this week after federal agents deployed chemical irritants, leaving a television reporter choking and unable to continue their report.

The incident, captured during a surge of protests against Operation Metro Surge, shows the reporter succumbing to what is believed to be CS gas or pepper spray fired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to disperse crowds. This tactical escalation follows the fatal 7 January shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, a tragedy that has turned the Twin Cities into a flashpoint of civil unrest.

As local leaders, including Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, condemn what they describe as a 'federal invasion', the targeting of the press has sparked a secondary outcry over First Amendment violations and the suppression of media coverage.

While authorities have not publicly confirmed which substance was used, the incident has intensified debate over the proportional use of force, press safety and whether federal immigration enforcement is increasingly spilling into public-order policing.

Reporter Chokes On Air Amid Federal Crowd Control Tactics

The viral footage shows WCCO's Esme Murphy and her photographer among those caught in a cloud of irritants during a confrontation in South Minneapolis. As agents pushed through a crowd, the deployment of riot control munitions caused immediate respiratory distress for nearby demonstrators and media personnel.

Witnesses at the scene reported that federal agents used pepper bullets and tear gas canisters without warning, forcing the news crew to abandon their live position.

DFL State Representative Aisha Gomez, who was present during the clash, noted that 'everyone is coughing' after chemical agents were used against peaceful observers.

Critics argue that the timing of the deployment—directly impacting a live camera feed—suggests a deliberate attempt to 'blind' the public to the tactics being used on the ground.

ICE's Use of Violence Now Includes Tear Gas and Chemicals

Reports from Press TV confirm these attacks, saying federal agents have used chemical irritants, including tear gas and pepper spray, in Minneapolis during protests related to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

Videos and news coverage show federal officers and local police deploying these crowd‑control tactics against groups of protesters during clashes with demonstrators.

The attack took place in St. Paul, Minnesota, as law enforcement faced protests from the crowd against ICE agents. Minneapolis Mayor said he was concerned about the use of force and ordered immediate reviews of body‑camera footage.

Besides tear gases and chemicals, there were also reported shootings and clashes between federal agents and crowds. At one point, an ICE agent even shot a man in the leg during a confrontation following a targeted stop. Authorities said the man, identified as a Venezuelan national in the US without legal status, fled, allegedly resisted and assaulted the agent, prompting a defensive shot.

Both the man and the agent were hospitalised with non‑life‑threatening injuries.

In the United States, federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, are legally allowed to use certain chemical irritants such as pepper spray or tear gas in domestic operations under defined circumstances. These substances, often called 'riot control agents', are not banned as weapons for domestic law enforcement and are specifically permitted for crowd control and riot management under international agreements and US policy. Riot control agents like CS, tear gas, and oleoresin capsicum (pepper spray) are intended to cause temporary irritation to the eyes and airways to disperse crowds or subdue resisting individuals.

However, use must comply with strict legal and policy limits. Chemical agents should be deployed only when necessary and proportionate to the threat, with protocols designed to minimise harm and ensure people can leave the area safely.

Is ICE Doing Press Suppression?

Some commentators framed the incident as deliberate intimidation rather than crowd control, pushing back against DHS's narrative that it was intended to control the crowd. Commenters even argued that it was not just a crowd being affected, but the press itself, suggesting they wanted the press to stop filming and asking questions.

'A reporter coughing uncontrollably on live TV isn't an "accident." It's the message: Stop filming. Stop asking. Stop looking. This is how a democracy gets trained like an animal — pain first, silence second, obedience third', said one comment.

Other reactions went further, accusing ICE of routine abuse and violence against civilians. Claims that the agency is 'killing innocent people' have been echoed in comments, citing that if they can do it to a white woman like Good, they can do it to anyone.

ICE Feared to be Targeting American Citizens Too

According to the public, immigration enforcement is no longer seen as limited to undocumented individuals but is a war against American citizens. 'Terrorism being done to Americans by our own government', said one commenter.

Describing ICE as a 'domestic terrorist organisation', concerned commenters fear that they're testing the waters for future political unrest.

'They are trying to egg on and provoke the citizens so the citizens do something that would warrant Trump implementing the insurrection act or martial law. They are the instigators'.

For now, the unanswered questions remain central: what chemical agent was used, whether deployment protocols were followed, and how federal authorities plan to ensure both public and press safety as enforcement actions continue.