Families and children in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago are still reeling from a shocking scene on Saturday. The area was transformed into a battleground when federal immigration agents used tear gas, shattering what one resident called "the illusion that we're living in peace."
Construction worker Luis Villegas, who has been in the US since he was four years old, was among those targeted. According to multiple witnesses, including Alderman Ruth Cruz, Villegas was chasing down a street when agents suddenly detained him on his front lawn. The agents then dragged him into an unmarked vehicle.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as chaotic and terrifying, with some people crying out in pain due to exposure to tear gas. A Halloween parade that had been scheduled for the area was subsequently canceled because of the incident. The two uses of tear gas were deemed "unprovoked" and "deeply troubling attacks" on the community by Cruz.
Former prosecutor Brian Kolp witnessed one of the incidents, which occurred around 10 am at Roscoe Street and Harding Avenue. He stated that agents repeatedly deployed tear gas as residents shouted at them, but his own house was not affected.
"It's impossible to explain this concept to school-age kids like that and make them feel OK about it," Sarris said, referring to the effects of seeing a scene involving federal agents on her children.
Resident Anthony Vazquez captured an image of a chalk message on the sidewalk at the corner of North Harding Avenue and West Roscoe Street in Avondale.
Construction worker Luis Villegas, who has been in the US since he was four years old, was among those targeted. According to multiple witnesses, including Alderman Ruth Cruz, Villegas was chasing down a street when agents suddenly detained him on his front lawn. The agents then dragged him into an unmarked vehicle.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as chaotic and terrifying, with some people crying out in pain due to exposure to tear gas. A Halloween parade that had been scheduled for the area was subsequently canceled because of the incident. The two uses of tear gas were deemed "unprovoked" and "deeply troubling attacks" on the community by Cruz.
Former prosecutor Brian Kolp witnessed one of the incidents, which occurred around 10 am at Roscoe Street and Harding Avenue. He stated that agents repeatedly deployed tear gas as residents shouted at them, but his own house was not affected.
"It's impossible to explain this concept to school-age kids like that and make them feel OK about it," Sarris said, referring to the effects of seeing a scene involving federal agents on her children.
Resident Anthony Vazquez captured an image of a chalk message on the sidewalk at the corner of North Harding Avenue and West Roscoe Street in Avondale.
! Can you even imagine having your front lawn invaded by agents and being dragged away like that? It's like something out of a movie, but it's real life for these people 
. I'm so sorry to hear about the kids who have to grow up with this kinda stuff happening around them. They deserve better than to be traumatized like that 
. And what's even more infuriating is that some ppl don't see how wrong this is... like, hello, tear gas is not a joke! It can cause real harm and pain 
. We need to stand up for our communities and demand respect from law enforcement. No one deserves to be treated like this 
.
. Those kids are traumatized, what's the point of even having a police or immigration system if they're gonna use tear gas on innocent people like that?! 
That's some serious overkill right there! And to make matters worse, Luis was just minding his own biz on his front lawn when they swooped in and took him away. 
What if he had family or pets at home?! The fact that Alderman Cruz called it an "unprovoked" attack is spot on - I mean, who needs that kind of stress in their community? 
And what's with all this talk about it being a "battleground" for immigration agents? Can't they just, like, do their job without making everyone else feel like they're in the crosshairs?! 
. and what's up with the agents showing up on these ppl's front lawns like that? it's like they're some kinda invading force or something 
what's next, having the cops use water balloons to subdue suspects? I mean, come on, it's not like these agents were just doing some harmless community policing 
they're federal agents for crying out loud! They need to be able to take a stand and show who's boss. And honestly, if anyone gets hurt from the tear gas, that's on the residents' own fault for putting themselves in harm's way by trespassing or whatever 
it's not like the agents were just walking around minding their own business. And can we please stop complaining about how this is "chaotic" and "terrifying"? It's a simple case of "you try being a federal agent with a bunch of angry people on your tail" 
. I mean, can't imagine how scary that must have been for everyone involved... especially those poor kids who witnessed it 
. Tear gas should never be used like that - it's so inhumane and unacceptable 
is it too much to expect some respect for human rights and dignity? tear gas is basically a weapon, not something you use on civilians. when are we gonna stand up as a community and say enough is enough 
they need love and care not terrorized by some suit-wearing thugs i feel so bad for the lil guy Luis Villegas he's been living in this country since he was a tot and this is what happens now? 
. And what really gets me is that a Halloween parade was cancelled because of it... kids had to miss out on fun because of this 
. We need to make sure we're supporting those families and doing everything we can to prevent similar incidents in the future 
... she's growing up so fast! Anyway, back to this Chicago thing... tear gas? That's crazy, man 
. It's gotta make people think about how we treat others, especially those who are just trying to live their lives here in the States. And what's with these unmarked vehicles? Can't they just use regular police cars or something? 
