Federal agents deployed pepper balls and detained two individuals in Albany Park on Friday morning, sparking concerns over the use of force by immigration authorities.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene as three federal agents tackled a man to the ground, allegedly after he assaulted one of them. The detainee was seen standing nearby just moments before being apprehended, according to a friend and neighbor who wished to remain anonymous. "It's actually horrifying," they said. "You prepare, but then you don't know what to do."
The incident occurred in the 3200 block of Lawrence Avenue as part of an ongoing immigration blitz in Chicago that continued through Halloween. The Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment on their use of body cameras or identifiers.
At least one agent was seen without a body camera, while another used a GoPro camera in addition to the standard equipment. Some agents wore numbered patches on their uniforms, while others had numbers written on tape on them.
As protesters gathered near the scene, a vehicle pulled out of an alleyway and federal agents arrested another man who was trying to intervene. Agents warned about potential tear gas but instead fired pepper balls at the ground before Chicago police arrived and cleared the area.
Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) witnessed the incident and immediately ran to nearby Hibbard Elementary School to ensure children were safe. When she returned, she was shoved by federal agents as she attempted to reach the detainee.
"It's just difficult to sit with," she said through tears, expressing her outrage at the situation. "They're trying to terrorize people and get a response from the community."
The Chicago Police Department stated that officers worked to de-escalate the situation and maintain crowd control, but did not make any arrests. The CPD's protocol of responding to calls from federal law enforcement has raised concerns, with Mayor Brandon Johnson and police department leadership discussing potential changes.
Rodriguez-Sanchez believes that the use of body cameras and identifiers could help prevent similar incidents in the future. "There are conversations that need to be had," she said.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene as three federal agents tackled a man to the ground, allegedly after he assaulted one of them. The detainee was seen standing nearby just moments before being apprehended, according to a friend and neighbor who wished to remain anonymous. "It's actually horrifying," they said. "You prepare, but then you don't know what to do."
The incident occurred in the 3200 block of Lawrence Avenue as part of an ongoing immigration blitz in Chicago that continued through Halloween. The Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment on their use of body cameras or identifiers.
At least one agent was seen without a body camera, while another used a GoPro camera in addition to the standard equipment. Some agents wore numbered patches on their uniforms, while others had numbers written on tape on them.
As protesters gathered near the scene, a vehicle pulled out of an alleyway and federal agents arrested another man who was trying to intervene. Agents warned about potential tear gas but instead fired pepper balls at the ground before Chicago police arrived and cleared the area.
Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) witnessed the incident and immediately ran to nearby Hibbard Elementary School to ensure children were safe. When she returned, she was shoved by federal agents as she attempted to reach the detainee.
"It's just difficult to sit with," she said through tears, expressing her outrage at the situation. "They're trying to terrorize people and get a response from the community."
The Chicago Police Department stated that officers worked to de-escalate the situation and maintain crowd control, but did not make any arrests. The CPD's protocol of responding to calls from federal law enforcement has raised concerns, with Mayor Brandon Johnson and police department leadership discussing potential changes.
Rodriguez-Sanchez believes that the use of body cameras and identifiers could help prevent similar incidents in the future. "There are conversations that need to be had," she said.
The fact that pepper balls were used instead of tear gas is kinda concerning, don't you think? I mean, if someone's trying to detain a person and the situation gets outta hand, shouldn't they be able to de-escalate with something less intense? And what's up with some agents not having body cams or using GoPros? Like, isn't that part of why we have accountability measures in place? 
this is just crazy how can they just take someone away like that? no warning, no nothing! it's not right 
and what's with all these pepper balls? who gets shot with those in the first place? 
she was trying to help! i hope they get some answers about this incident 
. Its like, what if it was a cop who got into a fight w/ someone? Would we wanna see 'em gettin tazed w/o any proof? 
Idk, but somethin needs 2 b done about dis. At least dey got some agents wearin body cams, so thats a good start, rite? 
Maybe w/ time & more education, we can get to a point where ppl feel safe protesting & makin their voices heard 
. and I'm not surprised that there was a scuffle 
. it's just frustrating when you see people being treated like this without any regard for their safety or rights 
The way those federal agents just swooped in and started using pepper balls on people who didn't even deserve it?! 
That's like, totally not right. I'm all for enforcement, but gotta be done with kindness & respect 
#NotMyImmigrationPolice
The system should be about protecting people, not terrorizing them! 
We need more accountability & less secrecy 
#JusticeForImmigrantRights
at least one agent didn't even have a camera on 
it's like, how are we supposed to trust them when they can't even be held accountable? 
and what's with the tape numbers on their uniforms? 
and accountability 
from our law enforcement agencies. This situation could've been handled so much better 
but we need more voices speaking out 
against this kind of oppression 
. And what's up with the lack of body cameras and identifiers? It's super easy to misidentify someone or get caught up in a situation without having any real evidence 
The fact that Alderman Rodriguez-Sanchez got shoved by federal agents trying to reach the detainee just shows how messed up things have gotten 
It's crazy how some ppl think they can just do whatever and get away with it. #AccountabilityMatters
and I'm so proud of her for standing up for what's right. Her reaction to being shoved by federal agents was SHOOK 
#JusticeForRossana! Let's hope the Chicago PD takes this as an opportunity to review their protocols and make some much-needed changes. 
. we need more conversations about police reform and accountability, not less 
Mayor Brandon Johnson: "We need to change our protocol" 
I'm really disturbed by what's going on with these federal agents in Chicago. They're using pepper balls on people who aren't even resisting arrest, it's just not right. And can you believe they didn't have a body camera on one of them? What if that person did something wrong but couldn't be caught on tape because of technical issues? It's so frustrating when our government is making decisions without considering the consequences or the rights of its citizens.
two people get detained, what's the deal? 
alderman Rodriguez-Sanchez is all shook up 
some agents are rockin' numbered patches, though 
is it time for change? 
what's the message there? 
. but we need to keep pushin for those body cameras and identifiers, fam 
. We should be talking about body cameras and identifiers, not pepper balls to the face 
. And what's with the CPD protocol? Can't we work together better? 
. I'm glad Alderman Rodriguez-Sanchez spoke out, but more voices from the community are needed to make real change 
.