Two undocumented immigrants were apprehended after colliding with a Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration operation in Chicago on Tuesday, leading to tensions with nearby protesters, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security.
The individuals, identified as Luis Gerardo Pirera-Ramirez and Yonder Enrique Tenefe-Perez, both hailing from Venezuela, were taken into custody on suspicion of hitting the Border Patrol vehicle and trying to escape, according to an official from Homeland Security.
This incident took place near South Avenue N.
“During an immigration enforcement action in Chicago this morning, a car driven by an undocumented person struck a Border Patrol vehicle and tried to flee,” a spokesperson for the Department said. “Border Patrol initiated pursuit and managed to stop the vehicle using a Precision Immobilization Technique. After halting the vehicle, the suspects attempted to escape on foot. As Border Patrol sought to apprehend them and control the scene, a crowd began to gather, eventually turning hostile, prompting crowd management measures to be implemented.”
“This incident isn’t isolated; it represents a troubling trend of undocumented individuals resisting arrest violently, with agitators and criminals targeting our law enforcement,” the spokesperson continued. “The fact that this assault involved two undocumented immigrants underscores the necessity for federal law enforcement to fulfill their responsibilities to uphold our laws, even in light of the current government shutdown.”
Following the incident, individuals began to assemble. The Chicago Police stated they attempted to defuse the situation while federal agents were getting ready to depart, but protestors started throwing objects.
In response, federal agents deployed tear gas, exposing 13 Chicago police officers to it.
“At around 11:07 a.m., officers from the Chicago Police Department responded to a report of a crash involving federal agents in the 10500 block of S. Avenue N,” the department noted. “CPD was not part of any federal operations there. Upon arrival, officers documented the incident and brought in additional CPD supervisors to ensure that proper measures were taken.”
“As a crowd gathered and federal agents left, CPD worked to de-escalate the situation for the safety of all, including local residents,” the department emphasized. “However, individuals began to hurl objects at federal officers, prompting the deployment of tear gas. Subsequently, thirteen CPD officers were exposed, and reports of that exposure will be completed.”
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement for “recklessly deploying tear gas into neighborhoods and near schools and CPD officers.”
“The Trump administration needs to halt the use of dangerous chemical agents over peaceful American communities,” he expressed on social media.
According to Fox 32, attorneys from Romanucci & Blandin reported that at least one of those detained by the Border Patrol was a 15-year-old American citizen. Around 12:30 p.m., the boy was reportedly “grabbed on a street in Chicago’s East Side,” thrown to the ground, restrained with a knee on his back, and zip-tied by officers.
Lawyers stated that he was handcuffed and kept in a police car for five hours without being allowed to contact his mother. The reasons for his detention remain unclear.
“This is how people vanish in authoritarian regimes: they’re taken off the streets and held without notifying their families, without charges, and without due process,” said attorney Antonio M. Romanucci. “An American citizen, just 15 years old, effectively ‘disappeared’ in Chicago for five hours. This is not law enforcement; it resembles the methods of a dictatorship.”
