A Minneapolis couple and several of their six children, including a six-month-old infant, required emergency hospital treatment after federal immigration officers rolled a tear gas canister under their family SUV during a protest this week. The incident occurred on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, in north Minneapolis.
A Routine Journey Turns Into a Nightmare
Destiny Jackson, 26, was driving home from her child's basketball game with her husband and their six children when they encountered a blocked street. The area was near where a federal officer had shot a man in the leg earlier. Jackson said the scene initially seemed calm, and she stopped after spotting her mother in the crowd, spending nearly half an hour trying to persuade her to leave for safety.
"I was just trying to get her to go home," Jackson stated. "I've only seen these things on TV. Some end well, some don't."
Trapped Between Protesters and Officers
The situation rapidly escalated. Flash-bang grenades echoed nearby, and smoke filled the air as protesters surrounded their vehicle. The family attempted to drive away but found their path blocked by federal officers who ordered them to leave. Remembering the case of Renee Good, a woman shot and killed while in her car, the Jacksons waited for the officers to pass, believing it was their chance to escape.
Instead, an officer rolled a tear gas canister directly under their SUV. A loud boom followed, the car's airbags deployed, and the vehicle was instantly flooded with noxious gas. "My kids were crying and screaming that they couldn't breathe," Jackson recounted. She frantically unlocked the doors to get her family out, discovering her infant son motionless with his eyes closed.
Aftermath and Official Response
Emergency services rushed to reports of an infant in respiratory distress. The fire department confirmed the baby was breathing and stable but in a serious condition before hospital transfer. In total, Destiny Jackson, her husband, and three of their children—the infant, a 7-year-old, and an 11-year-old—received hospital treatment.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, asserted that officers were responding to crowds of "rioters and agitators" and did not target the Jackson family or their "innocent children." Since sharing her story online, Jackson says she has been subjected to frightening threats and hateful messages.
"I try not to pay attention to the negative. I know what was going on. I know what my intentions were," she said. "I was on my way home." The ordeal highlights how bystanders in Minneapolis and St. Paul are being swept up in the ongoing, large-scale immigration enforcement operation.
