Overview
- Federal immigration agents operated in Little Village and nearby Cicero on Wednesday, with Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino present as at least four people were detained, with local officials reporting up to five including U.S. citizens.
- Witnesses and video showed agents carrying long guns and using pepper spray, including an incident in which a bystander said he was sprayed from a vehicle and a separate confrontation where a woman appeared to be detained.
- An enforcement pursuit coincided with a crash near 26th Street and Ogden Avenue in Cicero, where a driver reported being struck by a pickup before agents took a man away in handcuffs and protesters gathered at the scene.
- Residents and elected officials confronted the agents, restaurants restricted entry, and demonstrators demanded releases as local leaders criticized the tactics and presence in the neighborhood.
- The actions unfolded during the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz, which DHS says has produced more than 1,500 arrests since September, while courts press agencies on use of force and documentation of probable cause.