Federal law enforcement agents used teargas and pepper balls to disperse a group of approximately 100 protesters, including two Democratic congressional candidates, outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Chicago on Friday. The demonstration occurred during early morning clashes as protesters attempted to block government SUVs from entering and exiting the facility, which serves as an operating hub and detention centre amid an immigration crackdown dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz”.
At least three protesters were arrested during the scuffles. Masked homeland security agents in riot gear fired pepper balls from a rooftop and launched multiple teargas canisters. One agent was seen with an unholstered firearm. The facility is lined with razor wire and its windows boarded with plywood.
Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive candidate for Illinois’s ninth congressional district, was among those sitting at an entrance before teargas was deployed. Earlier, she was shoved to the ground by a masked agent as vehicles entered. She described the events as a “violent abuse of power” on social media, adding: “It’s still nothing compared to what they’re doing to immigrant communities.”
Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, who was present earlier but had left before the teargas was used, condemned the response. “The fact that DHS responded with tear gas and by throwing protesters on the pavement tells you everything you need to know – this isn’t about safety. This is about fear, control, and the Trump administration’s attempt to intimidate Illinoisans into silence,” she said in a statement.
Bushra Amiwala, another candidate for the same congressional district, also witnessed the teargas deployment and said: “There was no justification for using such violence against peaceful demonstrators. What happened in Broadview today is 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 in the Chicago area the previous week.
The protest coincided with heightened immigration enforcement in Chicago, which has been targeted by the Trump administration. According to Department of Homeland Security statistics reported by the Associated Press, the operation has led to almost 550 arrests. Marcos Charles, acting head of ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, told AP: “We’re going to be conducting this operation until we feel that we’ve been successful… There’s not an end date in sight.”
