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Federal immigration agents clashed with local residents as they continued immigration enforcement operations across Chicago on Friday. It came after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rejected a request from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to suspend operations in the Chicago area for the weekend’s Halloween celebrations, calling it “shameful.” Chicago alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez told ABC 7 that she believes agents “decided to come with a vengeance” because of the request. Why It Matters Chicago has been a key battleground in the national debate over immigration enforcement as the Trump administration continues a crackdown, dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, that began in early September. The crackdown has fueled fear among immigrant communities and as Halloween approached, concerns rose that immigration agents would target and arrest people out on the streets trick-or-treating with their children. What To Know Three U.S. citizens were arrested after a car rear-ended a vehicle driven by federal agents near an elementary school in Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago, on Friday, ABC 7 reported. Witnesses told the station that a man and woman in a car had been following federal agents to alert others of their presence when the agents slammed their brakes near an intersection, causing the car to crash into the agents’ vehicle. Video obtained by the station shows agents tackling the man and woman to the ground, while another clip shows agents pull a weapon after members of a neighborhood patrol gathered. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to the station that “a hostile crowd surrounded agents and their vehicle, and began verbally abusing them and spitting on them." Newsweek has contacted the department for further comment via an email sent outside regular business hours. Another clash occurred in Albany Park, on Chicago’s Northwest Side, where a crowd gathered as agents detained two people, according to ABC 7. Video obtained by the station shows one agent saying “that’s assault” after a woman is heard asking them what they are doing. Rodriguez-Sanchez, whose office is nearby, came out to see what happened and at one point, agents were seen pushing the alderwoman. She told ABC 7 that both of the people detained were U.S. citizens. Newsweek has contacted Rodriguez-Sanchez for further comment via email. What People Are Saying Rodriguez-Sanchez told ABC 7: "I think they decided to come with a vengeance, because they were asked to slow it down so the kids could have a joyful time. They decided to escalate it." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a news conference on Thursday: "We’re absolutely not willing to put on pause any work that we will do to keep communities safe. The fact that Gov. Pritzker is asking for that is shameful and, I think, unfortunate that he doesn’t recognize how important the work is that we do to make sure we’re bringing criminals to justice and getting them off our streets, especially when we’re going to send all of our kiddos out on the streets and going to events and enjoying the holiday season." Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wrote on X on Friday: "Illinois families deserve to spend Halloween weekend without fear. No child should be forced to inhale tear gas or other chemical agents while trick-or-treating in their own neighborhood." What’s Next Federal immigration enforcement operations are expected to continue in the Chicago area and other major cities over the weekend.
