CHICAGO (WLS) — Federal agents have made headlines after detaining a man in an apparent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation on Chicago’s West Side.
The incident unfolded on Friday near West Superior Street and North Paulina Street in the West Town neighborhood, where video footage depicts a federal agent breaking the car’s driver’s side window before taking the man into custody.
ABC7 Chicago blurred the detainee’s face, as it is unclear whether he has been charged with any crimes.
The heightened ICE activity in the city coincided with a social media post from Laugh Factory, a comedy club in Lakeview.
They reported that their night manager had been detained by “masked federal agents” outside the establishment, sharing footage of the encounter on Facebook.
Additionally, Chicago police stated they responded to reports of a physical altercation involving federal agents just before 9:20 a.m. at Belmont Avenue and Broadway.
Upon arrival, law enforcement observed federal agents engaged with two others, leading to a crowd gathering in the area.
Police intervened to deescalate the situation and conducted crowd control, ultimately not making any arrests and clearing the area after restoring order.
This incident occurred in the context of numerous alerts issued by local alderpersons regarding confirmed ICE sightings.
Ald. Daniel La Spata from the 1st Ward reported multiple encounters with ICE operatives throughout the West Town community, mentioning neighborhoods such as Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, and the Humboldt Park border.
Ald. Timmy Knusden of the 43rd Ward also noted reports of ICE activities in various locations including Cleveland/Belden, 2600 N Racine, and Lincoln/Racine/Diversey.
As a precautionary measure, A.N. Pritzker School in Wicker Park was placed on soft lockdown, with several after-school programs canceled, although school officials did not confirm if this action was directly linked to the reported ICE activity.
Meanwhile, protesters gathered outside the ICE processing facility in Broadview for their weekly demonstration, speaking out against ICE practices and operations like what they termed ‘Trump’s administration’s operation “Midway Blitz”.’
Mary Kelly, a resident of Oak Park, expressed her concern, stating, “I believe that we are creating huge wounds, not only for the people who are being detained, but for the ICE officers who are doing these horrible things. I feel terrible for everybody.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has yet to provide a comment regarding Friday’s ICE activities in Chicago.
In recent days, the DHS has released information about violent encounters with their agents that have raised tensions in the community.
According to the DHS, one of the most violent days occurred on Wednesday when a gang member allegedly attempted to ram federal agents with a vehicle in Cicero.
On that day, six people were arrested for obstructing operations, and three undocumented immigrants were taken into custody.
The escalating tensions continued with another incident on Thursday during an anti-ICE rally at the Little Village Discount Mall, where attorneys accused federal agents of breaching a court order banning the use of riot control weapons unless faced with an imminent threat.
This includes requirements for agents to issue warnings before deploying tear gas.
A federal complaint highlights Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, alleging he used tear gas “without justification.”
Kristian Armendariz, a protester, remarked, “Federal agents started acting aggressive, pushing protesters away… Again, it was all peaceful protesters.”
Conversely, the DHS countered that the group of approximately 75-100 protesters had begun to launch commercial fireworks at agents and throw rocks, which led to the deployment of tear gas.
They further stated that multiple warnings were given before the use of chemical agents commenced, defending their actions as being within the bounds of proper training and necessary for public safety.
As a result of these ongoing tensions, Chief Bovino is now expected to appear in court on November 5, with a federal judge recently increasing the amount of time allotted for questioning him after the noted incidents.
Judge Sara Ellis has mandated that Bovino must testify in person on Tuesday in relation to these recent events.
image source from：abc7chicago
