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ICE accused of brutally tear-gassing 6-month-old baby in Minneapolis; ‘lungs were burning’
The ICE is facing serious accusations after a couple said that agents in Minneapolis tear-gassed their six-month-old baby on Wednesday.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is facing serious accusations after a couple said that agents in Minneapolis tear-gassed their six-month-old baby on Wednesday. Shawn Jackson and his wife, Destiny, both 26, said that they were driving home with their six children and found themselves caught in a clash between protestors and federal officers. “From the side, the front and from behind me, it was nothing but ICE,” Shawn said on Thursday, further adding that it felt like their ‘lungs were burning’.
The city issued a statement, confirming that the Minneapolis Fire Department responded to the 600 block of 23rd Avenue North at 9:20 PM local time for a medical emergency. Initial reports, as per officials, indicated that an ICE agent deployed tear gas at a vehicle, causing an infant to experience breathing difficulties.
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The infant was reported to be breathing by the time first responders got to the car. However, he was in serious condition and had to be hospitalized. The Department of Homeland Security and the ICE are yet to respond to these accusations.
‘I thought I was dying’
Meanwhile, Destiny described the scary situation in a statement to ABC News.“The ICE agents came forward, and they were like lined up with their mace,” she said.
The family said that gas grenades were fired at the vehicle, setting off airbags. All of them inside were trapped as gas filled up the vehicle. Bystanders opened the door, but Destiny realized that her 6-month-old son was not breathing.
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“I had to give my baby like mouth-to-mouth, and people like pouring milk all over my other kid’s (eyes). I thought I was dying, honestly, and the way I felt, I couldn’t imagine how my kids felt. Because I’m a full-grown adult, you know? So, I just know it was even worse for them.”
“It felt like our lungs was burning,” her husband, Shawn, said. He further noted that two of his children had severe asthma. “Water didn’t help. Nothing helped at that moment.”
