Federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis took another dramatic turn this week when a handcuffed migrant attempting to flee agents slipped on black ice and slammed face-first into frozen pavement.
According to the New York Post, the video, captured Tuesday, shows the unnamed man running down ice-coated city streets with his hands restrained behind his back before losing his footing and crashing to the ground.
Moments later, federal immigration officers caught up with him and took him back into custody.
The fall unfolded after a chaotic arrest scene earlier in the day. Video shared on social media appears to show the man being detained by several federal agents in a strip-mall parking lot. At some point during the encounter, he broke free and bolted.
As agents chased after him, a woman believed to be his wife and a young child could be seen crying nearby.
A woman filming the pursuit repeatedly yelled, “Do not shoot him,” as the suspect ran across the slick pavement.
The dramatic wipeout was hardly surprising given the brutal winter conditions gripping the city. Subzero temperatures and sheets of ice have turned Minneapolis streets into hazardous terrain, complicating foot pursuits for both suspects and law enforcement.
In recent weeks, social media has been flooded with videos showing ICE agents slipping and falling while chasing suspects on the city’s frozen streets, underscoring the dangers of enforcement operations during severe winter weather.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis following two deadly encounters involving federal agents earlier this month.
Chaos has persisted in the city since Jan. 7, when anti-ICE protester and mother of three Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent after she accelerated her SUV toward him, according to authorities.
Days later, a second fatal shooting intensified public outrage. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was armed, was killed after authorities say he inserted himself between protesters and ICE agents.
Officials believe an errant round from his own pistol — after it had been taken from him — may have prompted Border Patrol agents to fire nearly a dozen shots.
Pretti was carrying a weapon in his belt when he intervened and was tackled and disarmed by Border Patrol agents before being shot during the struggle.
In the aftermath of both shootings, President Donald Trump has begun recalibrating the federal response in Minneapolis.
On Monday, Trump announced he is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to coordinate enforcement efforts on the ground.
The president also spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, as federal, state, and local leaders look for ways to ease tensions while immigration operations continue.
