Chicago – September 20, 2025
Protesters tried to block vehicles Friday outside a federal immigration enforcement building in suburban Chicago, leading to a confrontation with authorities who arrested three people and used a chemical agent to disperse the crowd.
The protest is part of steady pushback against an immigration enforcement surge focused on Chicago and surrounding communities, which has put more federal agents on the streets charged with delivering on President Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations. The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that almost 550 people have been arrested as part of an operation that launched just under two weeks ago.
Friday’s protest included dozens of people carrying American flags and signs with the words “Hands off Chicago.” Some participants tried to block a car from exiting the facility’s yard and were met with federal officers who deployed chemical agents that released white clouds that drove the protesters back, according to videos taken outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Broadview, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of Chicago.
Three people were taken into custody, ICE Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to The Associated Press.
