Immigration Enforcement Surge Sparks Protests and Clashes in Chicago
Federal agents detained multiple people on Friday near an immigration facility outside Chicago that protesters have frequently targeted during President Donald Trump’s administration’s surge of immigration enforcement this fall. The detention occurred as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with employees inside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Broadview.
A crowd grew over several hours, with some protesters riled by newly installed barricades to separate them from law enforcement officers stationed outside. Noem, whose visit to Chicago was confirmed by Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, also accompanied agents on a raid near a local Walmart store and later engaged in a dispute with the Broadview mayor over unannounced visits and even bathroom use.
Immigrants’ rights advocates and residents reported that federal agents had used tear gas near grocery or hardware stores they had targeted for enforcement elsewhere in Chicago and detained a city council member as she questioned the attempted arrest of a man.
Objections to Barricades and Local Police Response
At the ICE facility, some protesters have aimed to block vehicles from going in or out of the area in recent weeks, part of a growing pushback to the surge of immigration enforcement that began in early September. Federal agents have repeatedly fired tear gas, pepper balls, and other projectiles toward crowds in response, and at least five people have faced federal charges after being arrested in those clashes.
While Friday’s demonstration was quieter, local law enforcement stepped up its presence at the facility, about 12 miles west of Chicago. Several streets around the site were closed, patrolled by Illinois State Police officers wearing riot helmets and holding batons on patrol.
It was unclear how many people were detained on Friday. One man was seen struggling on the ground with agents after he appeared to break through a line into the roadway and in front of a vehicle. The state police set up concrete barriers on Thursday night to segregate protesters and designate spaces to demonstrate.
Many demonstrators ignored the zones to protest on the other side of the building, frustrated by the zones and saying that keeping them off public streets violated their free speech rights. Others were angered by local and state officers standing shoulder-to-shoulder with federal agents, including Homeland Security Investigations, ICE, the Bureau of Prisons, and others.
Federal law enforcement arrive near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Erin Hooley / AP
Tear Gas Used and City Council Member Handcuffed
In a Chicago neighborhood, Andrew Denton, 39, stopped at a grocery store for lunch and heard honking from an SUV stopped behind a motorcycle parked in the middle of the street. He realized ICE agents were in the SUV and started shooting video just before the agents threw canisters of gas near passersby.
“There was no reason to use tear gas on the crowd,” he said. “No one was threatening them in any way.” Denton said he immediately began tearing up, his nose began running, and he felt like he was choking. He said the 20 or so people in the area included seniors, families with children, and children outside at recess at an adjacent elementary school.
In a near West Side neighborhood a few miles away, Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes shared video appearing to show her being handcuffed as she confronted federal agents at a hospital. She said a resident had fallen and broken his leg while being chased by ICE agents, who then transported him to the emergency room.
Fuentes arrived after an emergency room staff member called to say there were ICE agents in the room with him. In the video, none of them answers when she asks if they have a signed warrant. One agent then says, “You need to leave,” and handcuffs her from behind as she repeats her question about a warrant and then says, “You’re hurting me.” Fuentes said agents escorted her outside and released her.
Law enforcement detain a protester near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Erin Hooley / AP
Noem Participates in Raid and Engages in Restroom Dispute
Noem, alongside Gregory Bovino, chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector, appeared on the Broadview building’s roof, surrounded by armed agents and a camera crew while standing beside a sniper’s post. This was according to footage
