Artist Isabelle “Izzy” Brourman narrowly escaped serious injury while documenting protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis. While sketching the scene for her project Starring America News, a masked federal agent fired pepper balls at her at point-blank range; Brourman managed to block the projectile with her wooden drawing board, which was left with a jagged hole. The incident, captured on video by her collaborators Peter Hambrecht and Jeannette Berlin, occurred on the same day a nurse was killed by federal agents during the unrest.
The event highlights the increasing physical risks faced by artists and independent journalists documenting political upheaval and government enforcement tactics. Brourman and her team argue that her subjective, immediate style of drawing offers a necessary alternative to traditional media at a time when public trust in news is declining. By continuing their work despite the violence, the group aims to fill information gaps regarding the Trump administration’s immigration policies and the realities of federal law enforcement conduct.