Vehicle Attacks on Federal Agents in Chicago
Federal immigration agents in Chicago experienced two vehicle attacks in a single day, one of which occurred in Bensenville. This troubling trend highlights claims from DHS officials regarding a significant, perhaps “1000%” increase in such incidents, pointing to an atmosphere of lawlessness fostered by Illinois’s sanctuary policies.
DHS Deputy Director Tricia McLaughlin reacted to a social media video showcasing the first attack on ICE agents, where multiple vehicles surrounded and rammed into ICE vehicles. In the video, a woman displayed semi-automatic weapons, urging further aggression against the officers. This video reportedly illustrates a second incident on the same day.
Breitbart Texas detailed an initial attack where a group of coordinated anti-ICE activists surrounded and struck a federal law enforcement vehicle in Broadview, just outside Chicago. Officials also noted two additional attacks in Bensenville and Norwich, Illinois.
DHS officials stated, “Criminal aliens have weaponized vehicles in deliberate attempts to harm officers fulfilling their duties regarding immigration law.” Fortunately, no law enforcement officers were killed in these attacks, which many attribute to the rhetoric of Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and other sanctuary city advocates who appear to empower this behavior against ICE.
According to authorities, the sequence of vehicle attacks underscores the risks that federal law enforcement officers face while trying to remove violent criminal elements from U.S. neighborhoods. In one case from Norwich, Miguel Escaleno de Loera, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, allegedly rammed his car into an ICE vehicle twice, only ceasing when he crashed into a stop sign. When apprehended, it was revealed he had entered the country illegally at an unspecified time and location.
In Bensenville, another incident involved Widman Osberto Lopez Fans, a Guatemalan illegal immigrant. He reportedly smashed his vehicle into an ICE agent during enforcement actions before fleeing to his residence. Like Escaleno de Loera, Lopez Fans also had illegally entered the U.S. at an unknown location and time.
Both individuals are now facing federal charges for assaulting federal officers.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded to these escalating incidents by offering National Guard resources to assist in restoring order in Chicago, which he described as a lawless sanctuary city. In a social media update, Abbott stated he authorized the president to deploy 400 members of the Texas State Guard to protect federal officials. He emphasized the need for federal employee safety during these turbulent times. This comes after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced the deployment of 400 Texas National Guard soldiers in Illinois, Oregon, and other locations.
