U.S. Border Patrol officers shot an armed woman in Chicago over the weekend, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This incident occurred during a clash between protesters and federal immigration agents in the city’s southwest area. The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, was involved in a confrontation where individuals rammed vehicles into those used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
Despite no serious injuries reported among law enforcement, the woman, a U.S. citizen, drove herself to the hospital following the altercation. ICE agents resorted to using pepper spray and rubber bullets during the heated exchanges with protesters. To manage the situation in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the deployment of additional “special operations” forces.
Protesters attempting to impede ICE vehicles from transporting detainees into a facility were met with forceful responses from heavily armed ICE agents, including physical tactics, chemical munitions, and rubber bullets, resembling scenes of combat. Similar aggressive policing strategies have been criticized in Democratic-led cities like New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker disclosed that the state’s National Guard received a directive from the Pentagon to mobilize 300 members. While the specific deployment details were not disclosed, President Donald Trump had previously threatened to send troops to Chicago. Pritzker condemned the federal government’s ultimatum as an affront to state sovereignty and expressed his disapproval of the demand to deploy military forces within Illinois.
The escalation of federal law enforcement presence in Illinois mirrors actions taken in other regions. Notably, Trump previously deployed National Guard units in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., with plans for Tennessee National Guard support in Memphis. Legal challenges have arisen, with California Governor Gavin Newsom successfully halting the LA deployment temporarily through a court order. A federal judge in Oregon similarly blocked troop deployment in Portland, drawing praise from Governor Tina Kotek for upholding justice.
The ongoing demonstrations outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Chicago have drawn nightly crowds, with recent protests typically attracting a few dozen participants. Despite moves to federalize Oregon’s National Guard for protecting federal property, a court order intervened, with Governor Kotek emphasizing the absence of civil unrest necessitating such actions.
