Following an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, two individuals in the country illegally were taken into custody Tuesday after their vehicle collided with a Border Patrol vehicle, which resulted in a confrontation with demonstrators, the Department of Homeland Security stated.
According to a senior DHS source, Luis Gerardo Pirela-Ramirez and Yonder Enrique Tenefe-Perez, both Venezuelan nationals, were apprehended Tuesday morning for allegedly crashing into a Border Patrol vehicle and then trying to flee.
According to authorities, the event occurred in the vicinity of South Avenue N.
A DHS spokesperson stated, “This morning, during an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, a vehicle driven by someone in the country illegally rammed a Border Patrol vehicle and tried to leave. Border Patrol gave chase and eventually stopped the vehicle using a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver that was authorized. After the car was stopped, the suspects, both of whom are in the country illegally, tried to run away on foot. As Border Patrol was arresting the individuals and trying to secure the area, a crowd started to form, turned hostile, and eventually crowd control measures were implemented.”
SOURCES: CHICAGO POLICE TOLD NOT TO RESPOND AFTER CAR-RAMMING INCIDENT TARGETING FEDERAL AGENTS
The spokesperson added, “This is not an isolated occurrence, and it shows a growing and concerning trend of individuals in the country illegally violently resisting arrest, as well as agitators and criminals ramming vehicles into our law enforcement officers. The fact that two illegal immigrants carried out this attack emphasizes how crucial it is for federal law enforcement to continue enforcing our nation’s laws, even though they are not being paid because of the Democrats’ government shutdown.”
After the incident, a crowd started to form. The Chicago Police stated that they made an effort to de-escalate the situation as federal agents got ready to leave, but individuals in the crowd started throwing objects.
Following this, federal agents used tear gas on the street, exposing 13 Chicago police officers to it.
The police department issued a statement saying, “Chicago Police Department officers responded to the 10500 block of S. Avenue N at approximately 11:07 a.m. for a report of a car accident involving federal authorities. CPD was not involved in any of the federal operations taking place there. Officers documented the traffic collision upon arrival. Additional CPD supervisors were sent to the scene to ensure the appropriate action was taken because federal authorities were involved in this incident.”
The statement continued, “A crowd started to form, and as federal authorities were leaving the area, CPD personnel tried to de-escalate the situation for the safety of everyone, including locals who were congregating there. Then, people started throwing things at the federal agents, who then used tear gas in the street. Thirteen CPD personnel were exposed to the tear gas. Exposure reports will be completed for each CPD member who was exposed to the tear gas.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, charged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was “recklessly using tear gas in our neighborhoods and busy streets, even close to children at school and CPD officers.”
He posted on X, “The Trump Administration must cease using dangerous chemical weapons in the air of tranquil American towns.”
CHICAGO ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS BLOCK CARS, ARE STRUCK BY TEAR GAS AND PEPPER BALLS
According to Fox 32, attorneys from the law firm Romanucci & Blandin stated that at least one individual detained by Border Patrol was a 15-year-old American citizen. The boy was “grabbed off a Chicago East Side street,” thrown to the ground, kneed in the back, and zip-tied by agents at around 12:30 p.m.
The attorneys stated that the youngster was handcuffed and placed in the back of a car for five hours, noting that he was not permitted to get in touch with his mother during that time. It was unknown why the youngster was taken into custody.
Attorney Antonio M. Romanucci stated, “This is how people vanish in autocracies—taken off the streets, held in secret locations, no calls to family, no stated charges, no due process. In Chicago, a 15-year-old American citizen was essentially ‘disappeared’ for five hours. This is not law enforcement; this is the playbook of authoritarian regimes.”
