ICE Agents Shoved, Gassed and Arrested Peaceful Protesters in Chicago—This Action Demands Accountability
This morning I sat with a sinking feeling watching the videos from Broadview, Illinois. A crowd of about one hundred protesters had gathered, many carrying flags and chanting “Hands off Chicago,” hoping to make their voices heard. They came out early, some around 4 a.m., to protest “Operation Midway Blitz,” the federal push at ICE enforcement. Among them was Kat Abughazaleh, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 9th District, standing arm in arm with neighbors and activists, trying to block ICE vehicles entering the facility. What followed is something that I believe crosses the line between law enforcement and abuse of power.
Footage clearly shows Abughazaleh being shoved to the ground by federal agents. She reports being pushed twice, once in the early morning and again during a more aggressive confrontation later when tear gas and pepper balls were deployed. She said she suffered bruises and a hand injury. She and others insist the protest was peaceful — signs, prayers, singing — until ICE agents responded with chemical irritants, force, and arrests. This is not a fringe accusation. Reuters, AP, The Washington Post and The Guardian all confirm she was thrown to the pavement, alongside several other protesters, after trying to block vehicle access.
ICE and Homeland Security officials claim the protesters became violent, accusing them of assaulting officers, blocking cars, and damaging property. That doesn’t excuse the force used in those videos. When agents dressed in riot gear are pushing seated protesters, dragging people by hoods, and using tear gas, fear and violence follow. The people there are not militant extremists. They are citizens, neighbors, mothers, fathers. They are asking for dignity, asking that their communities not be terrorized by federal patrols.
Illinois leaders also spoke out. Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton called the response “intimidation by the Trump administration,” saying this isn’t about safety but about control. Democratic politicians at the scene and local officials are demanding answers, saying civil liberties are being trampled. Security or law enforcement should protect public safety, but not by turning community spaces into war zones. The footage of people being gassed, people thrown down — it matters. These are images that stay in people’s minds, that shape distrust.
Watching someone like Kat Abughazaleh, who is running for Congress, get knocked to the ground in public is more than politics. It’s a real moment of injustice. When power is used not just to repel threats but to silence dissent, something dangerous blooms. These moments define eras. If peaceful protest means risking bruise and tear gas, then what room is left for free expression?
It’s not enough for ICE to say they have a mission. A government agency that serves the people must be held to a standard. When force becomes the first option rather than the last, when protests are met with chemical warfare instead of dialogue, democracy loses. Accountability must come now. Internal reviews, body camera footage made public, consequences for agents who exceeded discretion — those are not “nice to have,” those are necessary.
This is a test of values. Is the U.S. going to be a place where citizens can protest without fear? Can neighborhoods feel safe under these operations, or will they start to feel occupied? To the people of Chicago, to Kat Abughazaleh, to every protester who showed up with handwritten signs and hope — your voice deserves more than force. It deserves real change. And ICE, today, showed what’s at risk when institutions forget who they are supposed to serve.
