Lakeview Street Tear-Gassed By Agents Amid North Side Immigration Surge 'It Hit Home'

Federal immigration agents escalated their enforcement actions in Lakeview and Lincoln Park on Friday, detaining individuals and deploying tear gas against residents who objected. Witnesses described a tense scene as agents took a construction worker from a private yard, prompting neighbors to confront them. Alderman Bennett Lawson highlighted the surprising increase in federal activity in these predominantly white neighborhoods, which had previously been less targeted. The agents' random stops raised concerns, as their stated mission was to focus on serious criminals among undocumented immigrants. Local residents expressed their fears about the implications of these actions on community safety.

Lawson called for documentation of the constitutional violations occurring during these detentions. Reports indicated that federal agents had been surveilling the building where the worker was detained for weeks. The incident has left the community shaken, raising questions about the appropriateness of federal enforcement tactics in residential areas.