Federal law enforcement agents deployed tear gas and pepper balls to disperse around 100 protesters, including two Democratic congressional candidates, outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, on Friday. The protest sought to block vehicles from entering or leaving the site, which serves as a hub for immigration enforcement under 'Operation Midway Blitz'.
At least three protesters were arrested during clashes, which involved masked Homeland Security agents in riot gear firing pepper balls from a rooftop and launching tear gas canisters. One agent was seen with an unholstered firearm. The facility is surrounded by razor wire and boarded windows.
Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive candidate for Illinois's 9th congressional district, was among those sitting at an entrance before tear gas was used. She described the events as a 'violent abuse of power' on social media, adding it was 'nothing compared to what they’re doing to immigrant communities'. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted video of the incident on X, stating that those impeding ICE operations are 'siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals'.
Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, who had left before the tear gas was deployed, condemned the response, saying it was 'about fear, control, and the Trump administration’s attempt to intimidate Illinoisans into silence'. Bushra Amiwala, another candidate for the same congressional district, called the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators 'an affront to our democracy'.
Protesters chanted the name of Silverio Villegas González, a 38-year-old father of two fatally shot by an immigration officer during a traffic stop last week. Earlier, a protester was dragged inside the facility after being pinned to the ground for moving a tear gas canister. Later, a female protester was arrested in front of media, and a minivan's tyre was slashed.
The demonstration follows a surge in ICE raids in Chicago, part of a Trump administration crackdown on Democratic cities. DHS statistics report nearly 550 arrests in the operation, with acting ICE head Marcos Charles stating there is 'not an end date in sight'.
