Video above: Chicagoland immigration raids lead to more than 3,000 arrests in two months
chicago (WGN) – Shots were reportedly fired at US Border Patrol agents during immigration enforcement operations in Little Village on Saturday afternoon.
DHS said agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations near 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue when an unidentified man driving a black Jeep shot at the agents and drove off.
DHS also alleges that a group of people also threw a can of paint and a brick at a Border Patrol vehicle.
The Chicago Police Department was called to assist and clear the scene.
CPD said its officers were dispatched to the 2500 block of South Kedzie Street for a report of shots fired at federal agents. Security forces secured the scene of the incident, and there were no reports of anyone being injured by gunfire.
However, one of the police officers was accidentally hit by a GMC pickup truck driven by a 20-year-old woman. The officer suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital in good condition, while the woman was issued two citations, according to CPD.
The suspect who opened fire on the agents and the jeep he was driving has not been found.
But those who live in the area accuse federal agents of being aggressive.
I give birth. Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th District) said he asked agents for arrest warrants and identification after he heard they tried to detain a man in a car.
He said: “When we arrived here, there was a little girl, 11 years old, being dragged by these masked men, and the neighbors were trying to surround her to make sure they did not take her.”
Sigcho Lopez added that witnesses told him that the agents broke the car window.
“Look at what they have done to our community. Since 10 a.m., this is sad. This is outrageous,” he said.
WGN-TV has reached out to DHS about the incident involving an 11-year-old girl and is awaiting a response.
Once federal agents cleared the area, protesters turned their attention to the remaining CPD officer handling the crowd control, and shouted “shame” in their direction.
DHS said: “This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction. Over the past two months, we have seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These encounters highlight the risks our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement. The violence must end.”
It has been two months since the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz. Those living in the area said they had had enough.
One protester said: “I’m asking them to stop the escalation. Live here. My daughter goes to school here. We went shopping. We try to go shopping. Went to Walgreens. Ridiculous, this is enough already. This has to stop.”
It is unclear how many people were arrested on Saturday.
No other information was revealed.