Feds Pepper Spray 1-Year-Old, Use Tear Gas In Clash With Southwest Side Neighbors 'It Was A Reign Of Terror'

Federal agents deployed tear gas against protesters in Little Village, Chicago, after shots were reportedly fired during an immigration enforcement operation. The Department of Homeland Security indicated that a man in a black Jeep targeted Border Patrol officers, prompting the use of tear gas on the crowd. Local leaders, including Alderman Mike Rodriguez, criticized the agents' actions, labeling them as a "reign of terror" and recounting an incident where a family with a 1-year-old was exposed to pepper spray in Cicero. Witness accounts raised doubts about the federal narrative, with Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez emphasizing the community's non-violent stance. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights condemned the federal agents for their "violence and disruption.

" Amid the unrest, at least nine protesters were taken into custody, according to the National Lawyers Guild. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local communities, particularly in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. The situation reflects a broader trend of escalating confrontations over immigration policies.