Chicago, IL – Federal agents deployed tear gas and smoke in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood Monday afternoon while attempting an immigration arrest, sparking a confrontation with residents who attempted to block the operation. The incident occurred despite a recent court order restricting the use of crowd control tactics by federal law enforcement.
Neighbors mobilized to impede the agents’ progress, forming a human barrier and voicing opposition to the arrest.The deployment of tear gas raises concerns about compliance with a temporary restraining order issued last week, which mandates verbal warnings before using such devices and prohibits targeting demonstrators, journalists, or clergy. The situation underscores escalating tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement and the limits of their authority within city limits.
According to Maris Rodriguez-Sanchez, a local advocate, the agents’ actions demonstrate “open defiance of judicial limits.” The court order, secured after a lawsuit filed by Block club Chicago and others, requires two verbal warnings before deploying tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, or flash-bang devices. It also restricts the use of physical force to situations where an individual poses an “immediate danger.”
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded to requests for comment. Rodriguez-Sanchez stated the event “shows both the risks our neighbors face and the strength they’ve built to face them together.”
