Viral Photos of Chicago Immigration Clash Draw Political and Judicial Scrutiny

Overview

• A Oct. 14 chase on Chicago’s East Side ended in a crash, followed by federal agents deploying tear gas, smoke grenades and pepper rounds at residents and protesters.
• Sun-Times photojournalist Anthony Vazquez documented agents restraining people, including a 15-year-old, and pointing a crowd-control weapon at a protester as Chicago police were also exposed to gas.
• The images circulated widely and drew reactions from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and a federal judge, who are scrutinizing the agents’ use of force.
• Protests have continued at multiple sites, including the Broadview ICE facility, where state police and Cook County deputies were recorded shoving and dispersing demonstrators.
• Local outlets report increasingly hazardous conditions for reporters and residents as Operation Midway Blitz intensifies, with a separate court order temporarily blocking a National Guard mobilization referenced in coverage.