Federal Immigration Raids Trigger Arrests, Tear Gas in Chicago Neighborhoods

Federal immigration enforcement agents conducted a large-scale operation in Chicago's North, Northwest, and Near West sides as part of President Trump's "Operation Midway Blitz," focusing on neighborhoods less targeted previously. The raids included arrests of individuals at locations such as outside the Erie Family Health Center and residential areas in Lakeview, where agents forcibly detained construction workers and others, sometimes breaking car windows and using aggressive tactics. Community members protested the arrests, demanding to see warrants, leading to federal agents deploying tear gas without warning, escalating tensions and drawing criticism from local officials like Alderman Bennett Lawson and State Representative Lillian Jimenez. Videos showed agents in unmarked vehicles using tear gas in affluent neighborhoods, causing alarm among residents and sparking widespread condemnation of the enforcement methods as fear-driven and violating constitutional rights. The operations have heightened fear and unrest in affected communities, with witnesses reporting violent and chaotic scenes during the detentions. Local leaders condemned the raids as attacks on community safety and inclusiveness.