BROADVIEW, Ill. (AP) — Protesters attempted to hinder vehicle access outside a federal immigration enforcement building in suburban Chicago on Friday, leading to heightened tensions when authorities deployed chemical agents to disperse the crowd.
Demonstrators, many waving American flags and holding signs that read Hands off Chicago, gathered at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement site in Broadview, located 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of Chicago.
As the tensions escalated, authorities used a chemical agent resulting in visible white clouds around the area, according to videos posted online. Some protesters were subsequently taken into custody.
Andre Vasquez, a member of the Chicago City Council who attended the protest, described the dispersal method used by the police as tear gas, a little pepper spray, a little mix of both.
This protest comes in the wake of ICE launching a new operation focusing on traffic stops within predominantly immigrant and Latino neighborhoods throughout Chicago and its suburbs.
They want us to be afraid,” stated Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, referencing the Trump administration's stance. They want us to retreat into our corners and not act. We’re not going to let that happen.
The facility in Broadview is a two-story building used to temporarily hold immigrants prior to detainment or deportation, with its windows boarded up. The site has become a regular meeting point for activists, including Catholic nuns who conduct vigils.
Officials are reported to be pursuing a man with a background of reckless driving who had entered the country illegally. The situation escalated when the man allegedly dragged an officer with his vehicle before the officer fired, claiming to fear for his life.
