On January 12, 2026, an ICE agent was filmed using a chemical irritant on a woman during a confrontation between federal immigration agents and protesters in Mankato, Minnesota.
The footage shows the masked agent getting out of a vehicle and ordering people to move away from it. The woman says, “I don’t pose a threat,” before the agent sprays her in the face.
The incident happened as ICE activity was increasing across communities outside the Twin Cities. Local reporting said federal agents had been working in Mankato since late December, with observers reporting enforcement activity near businesses, residential areas and busy roads.
More than 300 residents later packed a Mankato City Council meeting, where the confrontation and the use of chemical irritants became a major focus of public anger and concern.
The incident is another example of how immigration enforcement can collide with ordinary public spaces, streets, businesses, neighborhoods and community gatherings.
The footage raises a simple question: when federal immigration enforcement meets civilians in the middle of a public street, how quickly can a routine operation turn into a confrontation?