Did New Yorkers Pelter ICE Officers with Snowballs?

New Delhi, December 30, 2025: A wave of digital controversy has been sparked by a viral video showing federal agents being pelted with snowballs during a high-tension enforcement operation. In late December 2025, footage began trending across X and TikTok, with many users claiming the incident took place in New York City as residents attempted to thwart a local immigration raid. However, a closer look at the geographical markers and official police reports reveals that while the video is authentic, the location and context have been widely mislabeled in viral posts.

The Midwest Connection: Minneapolis and Elgin

The “snowball” footage actually originates from two distinct incidents in the Midwest rather than New York. On December 15, 2025, a violent confrontation was witnessed on Pillsbury Avenue in Minneapolis, where residents were observed throwing snowballs and water bottles at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they dragged a woman across a snow-covered street. A similar event was documented on December 6, 2025, in Elgin, Illinois, during a protest against “Operation Midway Blitz.” In both cases, the abundant snow was used by bystanders as a tool of spontaneous protest against federal arrests.

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Federal Response and Assault Allegations

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken a firm stance against these viral displays of resistance. On December 18, 2025, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin was heard warning that “assaulting an officer is a federal crime,” regardless of the projectile used. It was reported that agents in Minneapolis sustained minor injuries, including cuts, from “chunks of ice” disguised as snowballs. While the video was used by activists to highlight “excessive force” by agents—including the use of pepper spray and tasers—the government has utilized the same footage to justify more aggressive crowd control measures.

New York’s Different Kind of Resistance

While the “snowball video” did not happen in New York City, the city was witnessed engaging in its own forms of high-profile resistance during the same week. On December 27, 2025, a massive crowd was observed blocking a federal building parking garage in Lower Manhattan to prevent agents from leaving for a raid. Instead of snowballs, New Yorkers utilized “human chains” and noise-making to impede operations. The confusion between the Minneapolis footage and the New York protests has been attributed to the rapid, often unchecked sharing of “anti-ICE” content during the heavy winter storms of late 2025.

The Danger of Misattributed Viral Clips

As 2026 approaches, this incident serves as a significant case study in how “misattribution” can fuel political narratives. While the Minneapolis video is real, the false “New York” label was observed being used to suggest a city-wide breakdown of law and order in the nation’s largest metropolis. Fact-checkers have urged the public to cross-reference weather reports and street signs in viral clips, as the “snowball” events occurred in cities with significantly higher snowfall totals than New York experienced during the same period in December.