Demand ICE Accountability for Chemical Weapons Deployment in Minneapolis Neighborhood

Last Wednesday night on the 600 block of 24th Avenue North in Minneapolis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deployed chemical weapons in a residential neighborhood following the shooting of Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis by a federal ICE agent. The indiscriminate use of CS gas and Oleoresin Capsicum created giant clouds that fogged streetlights and turned the sky pale yellow, exposing not just protesters but entire blocks of residents to dangerous irritants. Minneapolis City Council member Aurin Chowdhury experienced stinging eyes and a scratchy throat at the scene. The day after, people were still wheezing and coughing during cleanup efforts. Residents who remained inside their homes also reported throat discomfort, demonstrating that these chemicals penetrated buildings and affected people who were not even present at the protest. This constitutes collective punishment of an entire neighborhood. Dr. Sven-Eric Jordt, a professor of anesthesiology at Duke University, reviewed photographs of the recovered canisters and identified multiple grenade types designed for maximum area coverage, including Triple-Chaser Separating Canisters that split apart to spread chemicals over large surface areas. Dr. Jordt emphasized that these are not volatile gases that simply dissipate. They cause high amounts of mucous production in lungs and airways, swelling, and risk of internal burning. Asthmatics, children, and pregnant people face especially severe risks. The Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution this year urging law enforcement not to use sprays and gases. ICE violated community standards and endangered public health by deploying these weapons in a densely populated residential area. Federal agents have no accountability to local residents while operating with impunity in our neighborhoods. I urge you to take immediate action to restrict ICE operations in Minnesota and demand federal accountability for this reckless endangerment of civilians. No law enforcement agency should be permitted to deploy chemical weapons that harm entire neighborhoods indiscriminately.