Community members armed with whistles, on foot and by car, again confronted a convoy of Border Patrol agents led by Cmdr. Gregory Bovino as it moved through Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods Saturday.
The agents, dressed in full camouflage and heavily armed, appeared in Little Village for the second time this week in what residents described as a “show of force” and a possible act of retaliation following a recent court order restricting the agency’s use of force against protesters.
For nearly two hours, residents trailed the convoy, documenting its movements as it wound erratically through residential streets. According to local organizers, agents detained at least one person believed to be undocumented and arrested two U.S. citizens during the operation.
Near the iconic Little Village arch, Cmdr. Bovino—flanked by agents carrying firearms and tear gas—stepped out of his vehicle to face a crowd of outraged community members demanding that the agents leave their neighborhood.
“They come in like thugs and expect us to give them a hug and a kiss?” said community leader Baltazar Enriquez, addressing Cmdr. Bovino directly. “They’re doing it on purpose—to put on a show for their supporters and to test us. They want to provoke the community. Don’t fall for the bait.”
The confrontation marks the latest flashpoint in a growing tension between local residents and federal immigration authorities, with many accusing Border Patrol of intimidation and harassment rather than legitimate enforcement.
As they drove away from the heart of Little Village, protesters followed.
At the entrance to a Home Depot, a woman sat in the passenger seat of a car, bouncing an infant girl. The girl was silent. Her eyes were damp and bloodshot. Next to the car, a man screamed and stripped off his shirt. A woman spoke to him in Spanish, telling him to let him put water on his head.
The man and the baby had both been tear gassed.
The man, the woman and a few others conferenced frantically to figure out who had a drivers’ license before they got in a New Life Centers van to go to the hospital.
Dozens of cars carrying federal agents rolled out of the Home Depot seconds later. Hundreds of angry residents followed, laying on their horns and blowing whistles.
“Go, leave, leave,” Baltazar Enriquez told Cmdr. Bovino.
By the third hour, CPD blocked the streets, which stopped people from following the border patrol convoy.
“Either you’re with us or against us, either you protect us or protect ICE,” Baltazar told a CPD officer blocking those following the convoy.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.