Federal Agents Open Fire After Being Trapped Near Chicago ICE Facility
Early Friday morning, federal agents patrolling near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, faced a harrowing attack. Multiple vehicles rammed and boxed in the agents, forcing them to exit their cars on foot. The situation escalated when one of the attackers brandished a semi-automatic firearm, prompting law enforcement to fire in self-defense, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin explained, “Our officers were rammed and trapped by 10 vehicles. One of the drivers was armed, forcing our team to respond with defensive shots.” The woman involved had previously been flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as a security threat due to online threats against federal agents.
Thankfully, no officers were seriously injured. McLaughlin added that the Chicago Police Department refused to assist at the scene, prompting DHS to deploy special operations teams to manage a growing crowd. This incident comes amid weeks of increasingly violent anti-ICE demonstrations in Broadview, where protesters have attempted to block vehicle access and clash with federal personnel nightly.